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LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 


977.382 
T69p 


I.H.S. 


PAST   AND   PRESENT 


OF 


MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


ILLINOIS 


By  JACOB    L.   TRAYLOR 


ILLUSTRATED 


"A  People  that  take  no  pride  in  the  noble  achievements  of  remote  ancestors  will  never 

achieve  anything  worthy  to  be  remembered  with  pride  by 

remote  generations." — Macaulay. 


CHICAGO  : 

THE  S.  J.  CLARKE  PUBLISHING   COMPANY 

19  04 


JDeotcateb  to  tbe  pioneers  of 
flDontgomers  Counts 


PREFACE 


Montgomery  County  has  had  history  in  which  the  people  may  take  just  pride.  li>  securing  the 
services  of  Hon.  Jacob  L.  Traylor  in  the  compilation  of  the  history,  the  publishers  feel  thai  they 
have  secured  the  one  man  well  qualified  to  do  justice  to  the  work,  and  the  citizens  of  the  county 
may  well  be  congratulated  on  the  result. 

The  biographical  sketches  incorporated  with  the  work  are  of  special  interest,  our  corps  of 
writers  having  gone  ti>  the  people,  the  men  and  women  who  have,  by  their  enterprise  and  indus- 
try, broughl  this  country  to  a  rank  second  to  none  among  those  comprising  this  great  and 
noble  state,  and  from  their  lips  have  the  story  of  their  life  struggles.  No  more  interesting  or 
instructive  matter  could  be  presented  to  an  intelligent  public.  In  this  volume  will  be  found 
a  record  of  many  whose  lives  are  worthy  the  imitation  of  coming  generations.  It  tells  how  some, 
commencing  life  in  poverty,  by  industry  and  economy  have  accumulated  wealth.  It  tells  how 
others,  with  limited  advantages  for  securing  an  education,  have  become  learned  men  and  wom- 
en, with  an  influence  extending  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  It  tells  of  men 
who  have  risen  from  the  lower  walks  of  life  to  eminence  as  statesmen,  and  whose  names  have 
become  famous.  It  tells  of  those  in  every  walk  in  life  who  have  striven  to  succeed,  and  records 
how  that  success  has  usually  crowned  their  efforts.  It  tells  also  id'  many,  very  many,  who.  not 
seeking  the  applause  of  (he  world,  have  pursued  the  "even  tenor  of  their  way,"  content  in  have 
it  said  of  them,  as  Chrisl  said  of  the  woman  performing  a  deed  of  mercv — "They  have  dour 
what  they  could."  It  tells  how  many,  in  the  pride  and  strength  of  young  manhood,  left  the  plow 
and  the  anvil,  the  lawyer's  office  and  the  counting-room,  left  every  trade  and  profession,  and 
at  (heir  country's  eall  went  forth  valiantly  "to  do  or  die,"  and  how  through  (heir  efforts  the 
Onion  was  restored  and  peace  mire  more  reigned  in  the  land,  in  the  life  of  every  man  and 
of  everv  woman  is  a  lesson  that  should  not  be  !os1    upon  those  who  follow  after 

Coming  generations  will  appreciate  this  volume  and  preserve  it  as  a  sacred  treasure,  from 
the  fact  (hat  it  contains  so  much  that  would  never  find  its  way  into  public  records  and  which 
would   otherwise  he   i naccessihlr.     Greal    care  has  been  taken   in   the  compilation  of  the  work  and 

every    opportunity    possible   given   to  those   represented   to  insure  correctness  in    what    has    I □ 

written:  and  the  publishers  flatter  themselves  that  they  give  to  their  readers  a  work  with  few 
errors  id'  consequence.  In  addition  (o  biographical  sketches,  portraits  of  a  number  of  repre- 
sentative citizens  are  given. 

The  fare-  of  some,  and  biographical  sketches  of  many,  will  lie  missed  in  tin.-  volume.  For 
this  the  publishers  are  not  to  blame.  Not  having  a  proper  conception  oi  the  work,  some  refused 
to  give  the  information  necessary  to  compile  a  sketch,  while  others  were  imlitferent.  Occasion- 
ally some  member  of  the  family  would  oppose  the  enterprise,  and  on  accoun(  of  such  opposition 
the  support  of  the  interested  one  would  be  withheld.  In  a  few  instances  men  never  could  be 
found,  though  repeated  calls  were  made  at  their  residence  or  place  of  business. 

^  The  S.  J.  Clarke   Publishing   Co. 

December,  1904. 


I  I  09480 


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BIOGRAPHICAL 


SAMUEL   MOODY    GRUBBS. 

Samuel  Moody  Grubbs,  for  many  years  one 
of  the  forceful  and  honored  factors  in  financial 
circles  in  Litchfield,  and  one  whose  influence 
has  not  been  a  minor  element  among  the  finan- 
ciers  of  .Montgomery  county,  attained  to  promi- 
nence through  the  inherent  force  of  his  char- 
acter, the  exercise  of  his  native  talent  and  the 
utilization  of  surrounding  opportunity.  He 
has  become  a  capitalist  whose  business  careei 
ex<  ites  the  admiration  and  has  won  the  respect 
of  his  contemporaries,  yet  it  is  not  this  alone 
that  entith  s  him  to  rank  as  one  of  the  fore- 
most men  of  his  day  in  his  portion  of  Illinois. 
His  connection  with  the  public  interests  of  his 
city  has  been  far-reaching  and  beneficial,  for 
he  has  aided  in  shaping  the  municipal  policy, 
his  patriotic  citizenship  and  his  interest  in 
community  affairs  taking  tangible  form  in  his 
zealous  labor  for  improvement  while  the  in- 
cumbent in  various  city  offices. 

Mr.  Grubbs  was  born  in  Hillsboro  in  1S35, 
a  son  of  Moody  and  Cynthia  Anna  (Boone) 
Grubbs.  His  father,  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
came  to  Montgomer}  county  in  1834,  locating 
m  Billsboro,  where  he.  died  about  1838.  He 
was  a  brick-mason  by  trade,  and  was  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  church.  His  wife,  who  was  born 
in  Kentucky  in  1795,  died  in  1887  when  nearly 
ninety-two  years  of  age.  Her  father  was  Squire 
Boone,  a  nephew  of  Daniel  Boone,  the  explorer 
and  pioneer.  Squire  Boone  was  one  of  the 
valiant  heroes  of  the  Revolutionary  war  and 
was  shot  in  fhe  thigh  by  a  musket  hall.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grubbs  were  born  ten  children, 
eight  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom  Samuel 


M.  Grubbs  is  the  youngest.  The  others  still 
living  are  Thomas  lloone.  who  is  ;i  iirii  k-ma-on 
al  l.em.ir.  .Missouri:  and  Mary  L.,  the  widow  of 
Allison   Corlew,  of  Denver,  Colorado. 

Mr.  Grubbs  of  this  review  acquired  his  early 
education  in  the  common  schools  of  Hillsboro 
and  afterward  attended  the  academy  there.  He 
entered  upon  his  business  career  as  an  employe 
in  the  store  of  W.  H.  Brewer,  of  Hillsboro, 
for  whom  he  clerked  for  three  years.  He  after- 
ward accepted  a  similar  position  in  the  store  at 
Litchfield  which  stood  on  the  site  now  occupied 
by  the  First  National  Bank.  Its  proprietors 
were  MeWilliams  &  Paden,  and  there  Mr. 
Grubbs  remained  until  the  fall  of  1856.  when 
he   returned  to  Hillsboro   and  opened   a   drug 

store,  which   he  c lucted  for  two  years.     On 

the  expiration  of  that  period  he  purchased  a 
general  store  of  W.  IT.  Brewer  and  carried  on 
business  in  that  line  until  the  spring  of  1865, 
when  he  again  came  to  Litchfield  and  entered 
into  partnership  with  R.  H.  Peal,  as  proprietor 
of  a  general  store,  in  which  he  continued  for 
three  years.  In  1868  lie  became  interested  in 
the  banking  business  of  Davis.  Haskell  &  Com- 
pany,  predecessors  of  the  firm  of  Brewer,  Sey- 
mour &  Company,  Mr.  Grubbs  being  the  silent 
partner  in  the  latter.  Upon  the  retirement  of 
Mr.  Seymour  the  firm  became  Brewer  & 
Grubbs,  and  this  relation  was  maintained  until 
1883,  when  Judge  Brewer  died  and  the  firm 
nam.'  was  changed  to  S.  M.  Grubbs  &  Company. 
Under  that  style  the  banking  husiness  was  con- 
tinued until  January.  1880.  when  it  was  merged 
into  the  First  National  Bank  and  the  institu- 
tion was  capitalized,  for  one  hundred  thousand 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


dollars.  During  the  firsl  year  Mr.  Grubbs  was 
vice-president,  and  since  that  time  has  been 
president.  Cinder  his  administration  this  has 
become  one  of  the  strong  and  reliable  financial 
concerns  of  this  part  of  the  state,  following  a 
very  conservative  policy  that  awakens  uniform 
confidence  and  yet  adopting  such  progressive 
measures  as  result  to  the  benefit  of  the  institu- 
tion and  tn  the  stockholders  and  depositors  as 
well. 

Mr.  Grubbs  is  a  man  of  resourci  ful  business 
ability,  alert  and  enterprising,  and  his  ready 
recognition  of  opportunity  has  made  him  a  val- 
ued factor  in  business  circles,  while  his  wise 
council  and  sound  judgment  have  contributed 
in  large  measure  to  the  successful  conduct  of 
various  interests.  He  is  connected  financially 
with  the  Litchfield  Marble  &  Granite  Works, 
has  hern  treasurer  of  the  Oil  City  Building  & 
I. nan  Association  since  1883,  is  interested  in 
the  Litchfield  Water  Supply  Company  and  is 
a  member  of  the  firm  owning  the  Gillespie 
Bank,  his  partners  being  E.  R.  Miller  and  R. 
H.  Isaacs.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the 
Hillsboro   National  Bank. 

In  1857  Mr.  Grubbs  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Mary  Brewer,  a  daughter  of  Judge 
William  and  Delilah  (Huff)  Brewer.  Mrs. 
Grubbs  was  born  in  Palestine,  Illinois,  and  died 
in  1888  ai  the  age  of  forty-nine  years.  They 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  but  the  sons 
all  died  in  infancy.  Those  living  are  Mary  G., 
the  wife  of  Edward  R.  Davis,  formerly  of  Litch- 
field, but  new  cashier  of  the  First  National 
Bank  at  Chicago  Heights;  and  Delilah  A.,  the 
wife  of  Edwin  1!.  Elliott,  a  traveling  salesman 
of  Litchfield.  The  eldest  daughter,  Ella  B., 
became  the  wife  of  George  W.  Attfrbury  and  is 
now  deceased.  In  1890  Mr.  Grubbs  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Mrs. 
Betty  A.  White,  the  widow  of  Gustavus  L. 
White  and  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Beach.  She 
was  born  in  Gowonda,  Mew  York,  In   ls.38. 

Mr.  Grubbs  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  for  alums!  fifty  years 
has  taken  a  ven  helpful  pail  in  various  church 
industries,  lie  is  mm  president  of  the  board 
of  trustees  and  has  long  hem  a  loyal  worker 
in  the  Sunday-school.  Socially  he  is  connected 
with   the    Masonic    fraternity,      lie   votes   with 


the  Republican  party  and  has  been  honored 
with  public  nlliee.  serving  both  a  streasurer  and 
as  mayor  of  the  city.  He  is  a  man  of  action 
rather  than  theory.  Through  the  whole  course 
of  his  career  the   prime   moving  spirit   that  has 

prompted   all   his   act -    seems   to  have   been 

improvement  and  advancement.  He  is  a  very 
hus\  man,  yet  he  is  ever  ready  to  pause  in  the 
midst  of  his  business  duties  to  promote  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  the  city,  lie  is  held 
worthy  of  the  respect  which  i-  accorded  him, 
for  his  name  is  synonymous  with  honorable 
dealing  and  with  all  thai  is  elevating  to  the 
city  and  to  the  individual. 


('.  W.   BLISS. 


('.  W.  l'.li>>,  former  president  of  the  Illinois 
Press  Association,  and  a  leading  journalist  of 
the  central  section  of  the  state,  is  the  owner 
and  publisher  of  the  Montgomery  News,  the 
leading  Democratic  paper  of  the  county.  He 
was  bom  in  Fillmore  township,  where  the  vil- 
lage of  Fillmore  now  stands,  January  8.  1846. 
His  father,  the  Rev.  Alfred  Bliss,  was  a  pio- 
neer Methodist  preacher  of  central  Illinois  long 
connected  with  the  southern  Illinois  Methodist 
Episcopal  conference.  His  mother,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Direxia  Haines  Knowles, 
was  married  to  Alfred  Bliss  in  New  Hampshire, 
March  I.  L834.  In  1838  Alfred  Bliss  and  his 
wife,  accompanied  by  their  two  children,  sis- 
ters of  our  subject,  came  to  Illinois,  settling 
in  Fillmore  township.  Montgomery  county, 
where  he  had  purchased  land.  The  trip  was 
made  by  wagon,  and  they  reached  their  desti- 
nation mi  the  24th  of  September,  L838.  Rev. 
Bliss  afterward  acquired  a  large  body  of  land 
in  Fillmore  township,  and  was  not  only  ex- 
tensively  engaged  in  farming,  but  was  also 
prominent  in  public  affairs  and  assisted  in  the 
substantial,  intellectual  ami  moral  development 
of  his  community,  lie  was  for  two  terms  one 
of  the  associate  judges  of  the  county  court  of 
Montgomery  county,  and  in  1853  he  began 
preaching,  devoting  the  remainder  of  his  life 
to  the  itinerary,  being  -cut  to  a  number  of 
charges  in  central  and  southern  Illinois.  His 
wife  died  iii   1894,  hut  he  passed  away  in  1899. 


C.    W.    BLISS 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


['AST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


1  1 


C.  W.  Bliss  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Fillmore  and  in  1804  entered  McKendree  Col- 
lege at  Lebanon,  Illinois,  where  he  was  gradu- 
ated on  the  completion  of  the  classical  course 
in  1869  with  salutatorian  honors  of  his  class. 
The  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  was  conferred 
upon  him,  and  in  1874  he  received  the  hon- 
orary degree  of  Master  of  Arts  from  the  same 
institution. 

Mr.  Bliss  entered  upon  his  business  career 
as  a  school  teacher  and  foil,, wed  that  profes- 
sion for  two  years,  during  which  time  his  lei- 
sure moments  were  devoted  to  the  reading  of 
law.  lie  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Edwards- 
ville,  Illinois,  in  the  fall  of  1871  and  located 
lor  practice  in  Hillsboro,  where  for  two  terms 
he  held  the  office  of  city  attorney,  and  in  addi- 
tion enjoyed  a  good  private  practice,  lie  has 
been  master  in  chancery  in  Montgomery  county 
for  three  terms  and  has  performed  other  official 
service,  having  in  1892  been  appointed  by  (Jov- 
ernor  John  P.  Altgeld  a  trustee  of  the  South- 
ern Illinois  Normal  University  at  Carbondale, 
serving  for  four  years  as  president  of  that 
board. 

In  February,  1892,  Mr.  Bliss  purchased  the 
Montgomery  News,  the  hading  Democratic 
paper  of  the  county,  and  has  devoted  his  time 
and  energies  to  newspaper  work  since  then, 
having  secured  the  largest  subscription  list  of 
any  paper  the  county  has  ever  had  and  larger 
than  any  other  in  this  part  of  the  state.  The 
News  is  a  sixteen-page  journal,  all  home  print, 
and  the  office  is  one  of  the  best  equipped  news- 
paper plants  in  (he  central  section  of  the  state. 
The  building,  a  large  brick  structure,  was 
erected  by  Mr.  liliss  in  1894  as  a  home  for 
the  News,  and  is  furnished  with  a  large  power 
press,  job  presses,  folders  ami  other  equipments 
all  operated  by  electricity.  His  standing  as  a 
representative  of  the  profession  is  indicated  by 
the  fact  that  he  was  chosen  president  of  (he 
Illinois  Press  Association  for  the  war  1902-3. 
lli<  business  interests  have  not  been  confined 
entirely  to  the  law  or  to  his  newspaper  work. 
He  i-  a  director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Litchfield,  also  of  the  Hillsboro  National  Bank 
and  of  the  Hillsboro  Building  &  Improvement 
Association,  and  he  is  the  president  of  the 
Montgomery  County  Telephone  Company.     He 


owns  about  five  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Fill- 
more  township. 

Mr.  Bliss  was  married  October  15,  1872,  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  W.  Phillips,  a  daughter  of  Mr. 
ami  Mrs.  Burrell  Phillips,  of  Hillsboro,  ami  a 
nice  of  Judge  Jesse  James  Phillips  of  the 
supreme  curl.  To  this  union  three  children 
were  horn:  Noi  ('electa,  born  July  25,  1873, 
is  the  wife  of  Dr.  II.  A.  Seymour,  of  Hillsboro; 
('hnion  P.,  who  was  horn  July  30,  1875,  is  pri- 
vate secretary  to  Congressman  Ben  F.  Caldwell, 
of  the  twenty-first  Illinois  district:  ami  Mar- 
guerite was  horn  May  23,  1890. 

Mr.  Bliss  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of  Litchfield 
Commandery,  K.  T.,  and  is  also  identified  with 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  and  with  the 
Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He 
holds  membership  relations  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  of  Hillsboro,  and  is  a  liberal 
contributor  I,,  every  public  enterprise. 


JOHN    M.   SHOEMAKER. 

John  M.  Shoemaker,  prominent  ami  in- 
fluential m  community  interests  and  in  busi- 
ness life,  is  well  known  in  Montgomery  county, 
and  his  efforts  have  been  effective  and  far- 
reaching  in  behalf  of  public  welfare.  He 
stands  as  a  high  type  of  American  citizenship, 
one  devoted  to  the  general  good,  and  whose 
life  history  demonstrates  possibilities  that,  arc 
open  I,,  ambitious,  purposeful  ami  determined 

3 g    men    in    America,    for    he    started    cut 

empty-handed  and  through  capable  manage- 
ment ami  untiring  perseverance  ha-  worked 
his  way  up  to  success. 

Mr.  Shoemaker  was  horn  in  Lancaster, 
Pennsylvania,  on  the  21st  of  August,  1860. 
His  father,  .lac].  Shoemaker,  also  a  native  of 
Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  was  of  Ger- 
man lineage,  ami  throughout  his  active  busi- 
ness career  carried  on  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing, lie  held  membership  in  the  Lutheran 
church  ami  gave  his  political  allegiam  e  to  the 
Democracy.  1 1  is  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Rebecca  McQueeney,  was  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent  and  was  likewise  a  native  of 
Lancaster  county.  Pennsylvania.  She.  too, 
held    membership   in    the   Lutheran   church   ami 


L2 


PAST    ANH    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


lived  a  consistenl  Christian  life.  In  the  fam- 
ily were  four  children;  but  only  two  are  now 
living:  John  1...  of  this  review  ;  and  Elizabeth, 
w  ho  resides  in  lVun.-i  Lvania. 

After  acquiring  his  preliminary  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  city,  John 

L.  Shoemaker  pursued  the  high  scl '  course 

in  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  ami  later  attended 
the  Millersville  State  Normal  School  of  Penn- 
sylvania. On  putting  aside  Ins  textbooks  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  business  of  manu- 
facturing cigars  at  Manheim,  Pennsylvania, 
where  ho  remained  for  about  fifteen  year-,  and 
in  1S90  removed  In  Illinois,  settling  in  De- 
catur, where  he  worked  at  the  cigar  trade. 
After  a  short  period  there  passed,  however,  he 
took  up  his  abode  in  Assumption,  Illinois, 
where  he  engaged  in  tin;  same  business,  and  in 
the  fall  of  1891  he  removed  to  Nokomis,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  established  a  cigar  factory  of 
his  own.  The  success  he  has  achieved  in  busi- 
ness  has  resulted  entirely  from  his  close  ap- 
plication, thorough  knowledge  of  his  trade  and 
careful  management. 

Mr.  Shoemaker  has  beeu  prom nt  and  in- 
fluential in  political  circles  in  the  various 
communities  in  which  he  has  resided.  While 
residing  m  Manheim,  Pennsylvania,  he  served 
as  a  member  of  the  Democratic  central  com- 
mittee, and  in  Nokomis  he  filled  the  position  of 
city  clerk  for  two  terms.  In  1898  he  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  county  clerk  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  and  during  the  four  years' 
term  discharged  his  duties  with  such  faith- 
fulness and  capability  that  in  1902  he  was  re- 
elected, so  that  he  i-  now  serving  for  the  sec- 
ond term.  fie  i<  systematic  ami  methodical 
in  the  discharge  of  In-  official  duties,  prompt 
and  reliable,  and  over  his  public  career  there 
falls  no  shadow  of  wrong  or  suspicion  of  evil. 
Ik  was  chairman  id'  the  county  Democratic 
committee  of  1900  and  he  ha-  done  much  to 
promote  Hie  success  of  his  party  in  this  por- 
tion   of    the    -tali'.       After    his    election    to    office 

lie  removed  to  Billsboro  in  the  spring  of  1899, 
and  is  well  known  in  the  county  seat  as  a  pub- 
lic official  ami  as  a  representative  business 
man. 

In    1895  occurred   the   marriage   of   John   L. 
Shoemaker    ami     Miss     Delia     A.    Morgan,    a 


daughter  of  Daniel  and  Martha  E.  Morgan, 
in  whose  family  were  eleven  children.  Her 
lather  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  Mrs. 
Shoemaker  was  horn  in  Wabash,  Indiana,  in 
1870,  and  has  become  the  mother  of  three  chil- 
dren:   Ophelia,  Prances  and  Alice.   Fraternally 

Mr.  shoe ker  is  connected   with  the  Masonic 

lodge  and  i-  a  charter  member  of  Blue  Cross 
lodge,  K.  I'.,  of  Assumption.  He  also  belongs 
to  the  Modem  Woodmen  camp  and  the  Court 
of  Honor,  and  his  wife  i-  a  member  of  tin1 
Presbyterian  church.  His  genial  manner,  un- 
failing courtesy  and  kindly  disposition  have 
made  him  a  popular  citizen,  and  his  influeuce 
in  public  affairs  has  been  a  beneficial  factor, 
contributing  to  the  substantial  progress  and  up- 
building of  the  community. 


EDWARD  LANE. 

A  well-known  jurist  of  Illinois  has  said:  "In 
the  American  state  the  great  and  good  lawyer 
must  always  he  prominent,  for  he  is  one  of 
the  lone-  that  move  and  control  society.  Pub- 
lic confidence  has  generally  been  reposed  in 
the  legal  profession.  It  has  ever  been  the  de- 
fend* r  of  public  rights,  the  champion  of  free- 
dom, regulated  by  law,  and  the  firm  support 
of  good  government.  No  political  preferment, 
no  mere  place  can  add  to  the  power  or  increase 
the  honor  which  belongs  to  th lueated  law- 
yer." Judge  Lane  is  one  who  has  been  honored 
by  and  is  an  honor  to  the  legal  fraternity  of 
Montgomery  county,  lie  stands  to-day  promi- 
nent among  the  leading  members  of  tin1  bar  of 
this  portion  of  the  state,  a  position  to  which 
he    ha-   attained    through   marked    ability. 

A  native  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  he  was  born 
on  the  27th  of  March,  1842.  His  father.  Join, 
Lane,  also  a  native  of  Ohio,  was  a  merchant 
and  in  his  political  affiliation-  was  a  Democrat. 
lie  marred  Catherine  Harry,  who  was  of 
Scotch-Irish  descent,  and  they  became  the  pat- 
ents of  five  children,  bul  Judge  Lane  is  the 
only  one  now  living.  The  father  died  during 
the  infancy  of  bis  son  and  the  mother'-  death 
occurred    during  his   boyhood. 

Edward  Lam'  was  only  sixteen  years  old 
when  he  came  to   Hillsboro,  Illinois.     Here  he 


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LIBRARY 
OF  THE 
^S!TY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


13 


worked  at  any  occupation  that  would  yield  him 
an  honest  living.  Desirous  of  obtaining  an 
education  he  entered  the  academy,  in  which  he 
spent  five  years  as  a  student,  meeting  his  ex- 
penses through  his  earnest,  persistent  labor. 
Hardships  and  difficulties  confronted  him,  but 
it  is  only  through  the  pressure  of  adversity  and 
the  stimulus  of  opposition  that  the  best  and 
strongest  in  man  is  brought  out  and  developed 
and  the  latent  powers  of  Judge  Lane  were 
called  into  use  and  the  foundation  of  a  self- 
reliant  character  was  laid.  He  pursued  a  full 
academic  course,  including  languages,  and.  leav- 
ing that  institution,  he  engaged  m  teaching  for 
one  term,  but  lie  had  become  imbued  with  a 
desire  to  enter  the  legal  profession  and  made 
arrangements  whereby  lie  entered  the  law  office 
el'  [  la  vis  &  Kingsbury  as  a  student.  In  the 
fall  of  1864  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and 
entered  upon  practice  with  his  former  precep- 
tor, Mr.  Davis,  this  association  being  main- 
tained until  the  death  of  the  senior  member 
two  years  afterward.  Judge  Lane  then  began 
practice  alone,  in  which  he  continued  until 
L882,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
George  R.  Cooper,  with  whom  he  is  still  asso- 
ciated. The  political  positions  which  he  haa 
filled  have  all  been  in  direct  line  with  the  law. 
In  1SG6  he  was  chosen  as  city  attorney  for  a 
term  of  two  years,  and  when  lmt  twenty-seven 
years  of  age  he  was  elected  county  judge  of 
Montgomery  county,  entering  upon  the  duties 
of  the  office  in  1869  for  a  four  years'  term. 
In  1886  he  was  elected  to  congress,  where  he 
served  for  eight  years,  during  which  period  he 
was  a  member  of  the  judiciary  committee  and 
was  widely  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  active 
working  members  of  that  body.  He  gave  close 
and  earnest  attention  to  every  question  which 
came  up  for  consideration  and  supported  with 
unfaltering  loyalty  the  measures  in  which  lie 
believed.  On  his  return  from  the  legislative 
halls  of  the  nation  he  resumed  the  active  prac- 
tice of  law  in  Hillsboro,  where  lie  has  -nice 
remained.  Tin'.-  has  been  his  real  life  work, 
and  at  the  War  and  mi  lie  bench  he  has  won 
distinction.  His  preparation  of  case-  i-  mosl 
thorough  and  exhaustive  and  he  seems  almost 
intuitively  to  grasp  the  strong  points  of  law 
aid    fact. 


To  other  fields  of  activity  Judge  Lane  has 
extended  bis  efforts  and  with  equal  success.  He 
is  an  agriculturist,  giving  personal  supervision 
to  bis  farming  interests.  lie  is  also  a  director 
of  the  Hillsboro  National  Bank,  of  which  he 
was  one  of  the  organizers,  and  is  a  stockholder 
in  the  Montgomery  Loan  &  Trust  Company, 
lie  likewise  has  a  beautiful  home  in  Hillsboro, 
which  is  numbered  among  his  valuable  realty 
possessions. 

In  is;  n  Judge  bane  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Tucie  Miller,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  K. 
Miller,  of  Lawrenceville,  Illinois.  Mrs.  Lane 
was  born  there  in  1850,  and  is  descended  from  a 
Kentucky  ancestry.  By  her  marriage  she  has 
become  (be  mother  of  two  children:  Guy  C, 
who  is  a  graduate  of  Yale  College  and  is  now 
a  practicing  attorney  connected  with  his  father; 
and  Bessie,  the  wife  of  Howard  Boogher.  an 
attorney  of  St.  Louis.  Judge  and  Mrs.  Lane 
hold  membership  in  the  Lutheran  church.  He 
is  a  man  of  strong  intellectual  endowments 
and  of  high  character,  standing  at  the  head  of 
bis  profession  in  Montgomery  county.  In  his 
habits  he  is  temperate  and  disposition  kindly, 
and  as  a  judge  and  statesman  he  made  a  repu- 
tation which  ranks  him  with  the  distinguished 
residents  of  central    Illinois. 


JOHN   W.  ANDERSON. 

John  W.  Anderson  was  born  April  28,  1872, 
upon  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides,  near 
the  town  of  Nokomis.  His  parents  were  Henry 
Clay  ami  Ellen  T.  (Holmes)  Anderson,  and 
the  former  was  born  in  Effingham  county.  Illi- 
nois, while  the  latter  was  a  native  of  Yorkshire, 
England.  Mr.  Anderson  carried  on  farming  in 
St.  Clair  county.  Illinois,  for  a  number  of 
years  and  removed  to  Montgomery  county 
about  L867,  settling  in  Wilt  township.  Later 
he  look  up  his  abode  on  section  29,  Nokomis 
township,  purchasing  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  lamb  to  which  he  afterward  added  a 
tract  of  fort}  acre-,  making  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  upon  which  he  lived 
until  bis  death  in  1878.  Eis  widow  still  sur- 
vives him  and  is  now  living  in  Witt  at  the 
age  of   sixty-six  years.      In   their    family  were 


L6 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


four  children:  Minnie,  the  wife  of  Mercer 
Hargitt,  whoso  home  is  in  Witt;  James  EL, 
who  is  in  the  employ  of  a  mining  company  in 
the  Black  Hills  of  South  Dakota:  John  W., 
of  this  review;  and  Lewis  Clay,  who  died  in 
infancy. 

John  W.  Anderson  acquired  his  preliminary 
education  in  the  district  schools  and  supple- 
mented it  by  a  short  period  of  study  in  Witt. 
He  put  aside  his  textbooks  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen and  began  work  as  a.  farmer.  In  1895 
he  began  farming  on  his  own  account  on  the 
Mill  hell  farm,  one  mile  southwest  of  Witt,  and 
in  1896  lie  removed  to  his  present  location. 
where  he  lias  since  resided,  having  here  an  ex- 
cellent tract  of  land,  which  he  has  cultivated 
and  improved  until  it  is  now  a  valuable  prop- 
erty, his  well  tilled  Selds  yielding  to  him 
golden  harvests,  lie  is  also  one  of  the  direc- 
tors of  the  Central  Illinois  Creamery  Company 
of  Xokomis. 

On  the  (ith  of  March,  1895,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  John  W.  Anderson  and  Al iss  Sadie 
Bote,  a  daughter  of  Adam  ami  Mar;  A. 
(Zeolzer)  Bote.  Her  father  was  born  in  Prus- 
sia, in  1826,  and  the  mother's  birth  occurred  in 
the  same  country  in  1831.  She  came  to  the 
United  States  about  1843,  at  which  time  she 
settled  in  St.  Louis.  Missouri,  and  in  1846 
Adam  Bote  crossed  the  Atlantic.  They  were 
married  in  St.  Louis  in  1851  ami  subsequently 
became  residents  of  Montgomery  county.  The 
father  has  now  passed  away,  but  the  mother 
is  still  living  in  Witt.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Anderson  have  been  horn  three  children :  Ches- 
ter t '..  eight  years  of  age;  Gladys  L..  who  is 
seven  years  of  aev ;  and  Foster  Shelby,  who 
died  in  infancy  and  was  buried  in  Xokomis 
cemetery. 

Mrs.  Anderson  is  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  in  Witt  and  is  a  mosl  estimable 
lady.  Mr.  Anderson  gives  his  political  sup- 
port to  the  Republican  party  and  is  now  serv- 
ing as  highway  commissioner  and  as  ~elin.il 
director  and  secretary  of  the  hoard.  lie  has 
been  very  successful  in  his  farming  operations 
since  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  and. 
although  he  is  yet  a  young  man.  he  has  never- 
theless attained  success  which  is  enviable  and 
creditable. 


T.  J.    W1IITTKX.   M.  D. 

Dr.  T.  J.  Whittcn,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  in  Nokomis,  is  one  of  the 
older  representatives  of  the  fraternity  in  the 
county,  and  has  long  ranked  with  the  more 
skillful  and  capable  physicians.  He  was  born 
in  East  Fork  township,  southeast  of  Hillsboro, 
in  1844,  and  is  a  son  of  Austin  and  Sophia 
Whitten.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Kentucky 
and  came  to  Illinois  at  an  early  day.  He  se- 
cured a  tract  of  land  in  East  Fork  township, 
for  mam  year-  carrying  on  farming  there  and 
eventually  departed  this  life  on  the  old  family 
homestead.  His  wife  was  also  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  by  their  marriage  they  became  the 
parents  of  twelve  children,  of  whom  live  are 
living. 

Dr.  Whitten  was  reared  in  the  county  of  his 
nativity  under  the  parental  roof  and  his  early 
education,  which  was  acquired  in  the  district 
schools,  was  supplemented  by  study  in  the 
Hillsboro  Academy.  He  afterward  engaged  in 
teaching  school  in  East  Fork  township,  but  it 
was  his  desire  to  become  a  member  of  the  medi- 
cal fraternity,  and  to  this  end  he  began  read- 
ing medicine  in  I860  in  Bowling  Green,  Ken- 
tucky. During  the  period  of  the  Civil  war, 
however,  he  returned  home  and  here  enlisted  in 
defense  of  the  Union,  becoming  a  member  of 
Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Seventeenth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  was  placed 
mi  the  hospital  corps  at  Memphis,  Tennessee. 
as  steward  of  the  Third  Heavy  Artillery,  and 
while  acting  in  that  capacity  he  received  splen- 
did schooling  for  his  profession  in  the  practi- 
cal experience  which  came  to  him  in  the  hos- 
pital wards.  He  rendered  efficient  aid  to  his 
country  by  the  faithful  performance  of  his 
duty  and  he  was  mustered  out  at  Memphis, 
Tennessee,  in  1865.  When  the  war  was  over 
Dr.  Whitten  returned  to  his  home  and  soon 
afterward  entered  upon  a  course  of  lectures  in 
the  Long  Island  College  Hospital.  He  was 
graduated  from  the  Jefferson  Medical  College 
of  Philadelphia  with  the  class  of  1867.  and 
has  since  practiced  in  Montgomery  county,  so 
that  he  is  therefore  one  of  the  oldest  physeians 
in  continuous  practice  within  its  borders.  He 
first  opened  his  office  in  Hillsboro,  where  he 
remained   for  a  year  and  then  removed  to  Fill- 


DR.    T.   J.    W MITTEN 


OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


in 


more,  where  he  spent  two  years.  Ee  resided 
in  Irving  from  that  time  until  1880,  when 
he  removed  to  Nokomis,  where  he  remained  for 
ten  rears  as  a  member  of  the  medical  fraternity 
of  that  town.  In  1890  he  wen!  to  Jacksonville 
to  accept  the  sivperintendency  of  the  David 
Prince  Sanitarium,  of  which  he  had  charge 
for  eighteen  months,  and  on  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  returned  to  Nokomis,  where  he 
has  since  made  Ins  home.  He  has  been  very 
successful,  especially  in  the  line  of  surgical 
work,  ami  lie  is  called  upon  to  perform  the 
most  important  surgical  operations  throughout 
the  entire  county.  He  has  very  intimate  and 
accurate  knowledge  of  anatomy  and  the  com- 
ponent parts  of  the  human  body,  and  in  the  per- 
formance of  an  operation  displays  the  utmost 
precision  and  skill.  He  belongs  to  the  Mont- 
gomery County  Medical  Society,  to  the  Central 
Illinois  Medical  Society,  the  Southern  District 
Mcdual  Society,  the  State  Medical  Society,  the 
American  Medical  Association,  and  the  Inter- 
national Railway  Surgeons,  and  he  is  local  sur- 
geon for  the  Big  Four  Railroad  Company. 

Dr.  Whitten  was  married  in  1868,  the  lady 
of  Ins  choice  being  Miss  Sophia  Harkey,  a 
daughter  of  George  Harkey  of  Hillsboro.  They 
have  four  children:  Harry  Hood,  who  is  a 
practicing  physician  in  Peoria,  Illinois:  George 
C.  who  is  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business 
at  Granite,  Colorado:  Lelia  G.,  at  home:  and 
Lester  C,  who  is  employed  in  the  International 
Harvester  Works  at  Springfield,  Ohio. 

Dr.  Whitten  is  a  valued  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church,  and  he  also  belongs  to  the 
Masonic  lodge  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  at  Mokomis.  In  his  political 
views  he  has  long  hem  a  stalwart  Republican. 
supporting  the  party  since  attaining  his  ma- 
jority. He  has  never  sought  or  desired  office, 
however,  preferring  to  devote  his  undivided  at- 
tention to  his  professional  duties.  He  has  a 
splendidly  equipped  office  in  Nokomis  and  does 
more  consultation  work  than  any  other  physi- 
cian in  the  county.  In  a  calling  where  advance- 
ment depends  upon  individual  merit  he  has 
steadily  worked  his  way  upward,  and  his  repu- 
tation is  not  limited  by  the  borders  of  his  home 
town  nor  even  by  the  county.  He  is  known 
throughout  central  Illinois  as  a  man  of  superior 


skill  in  the  practice  of  surgery,  and  the  profes- 
sion as  well  as  the  public  accords  him  high 
rank. 


WILLIAM    GRAGG. 

William  Gragg,  who  is  engaged  in  the  real 
estate  business  and  in  his  operations  mani- 
fests the  enterprising  spirit  which  has  been  the 
dominant  factor  in  the  upbuilding  of  the 
middle  west,  was  born  in  Macoupin  county, 
Illinois,  mi  the  10th  of  November,  1844.  He 
was  reared  to  manhood  in  that  county  and  re- 
ceived the  educational  advantages  afforded  by 
the  common  schools.     Upon  the  horn.'   farm  he 

remained  until  early  manh 1.  and  when  about 

eighteen  or  nineteen  years  of  age  came  to 
Montgomery  county,  settling  upon  a  farm  near 
Raymond.  He  rented  this  land  for  two  or 
three  years  and  then  removed  to  another  farm 
near  Nokomis,  where  he  carried  on  agricultu- 
ral pursuits  for  about  eight  years. 

William  Gragg  was  married  in  Woodburn  in 
1863.  when  nineteen  years  of  age,  to  Miss 
Am la  Drennan,  a  native  of  Macoupin  coun- 
ty, and  the  young  couple  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  his  rented  farm  before  mentioned. 
At  a  later  date  Mr.  Gragg  removed  to  Madison 
county,  where  he  continued  in  the  operation 
of  rented  land  for  about  four  years.  He  then 
returned  to  the  vicinity  of  Nokomis  and  pur- 
chased        hundred    and    forty    acres    of    land. 

constituting  a  part  of  the  farm  upon  which  he 
had  previously  resided.  There  he  continued 
td  engage  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil  until  1888, 
when  lie  sold  the  property  and  took  up  bis 
abode  in  Raymond,  where  he  began  dealing  in 
grain  and  operating  an  elevator,  following  that 
inn-suit  for  nine  years.  He  purchased  the 
elevator,  but  at  a  later  date  disposed  of  that 
property  and  went  to  Oklahoma,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  the  grain  business  for  a  few  months. 
Returning,  however,  to  Raymond,  be  pur- 
chased a  racket  store,  which  he  conducted  for 
three  years  and  then  sold  out.  Turning  bis  at- 
tention  to  the  real  estate  business,  he  has  con- 
ducted many  important  realty  transfers  dur- 
ing  the  fifteen  years  of  his  connection  with  this 
line  of  business  activity.     He  has  dealt  in  real 


20 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


estate  in  [owa,  Oklahoma,  Kansas,  Texas,  Ar- 
kansas and  South  Dakota,  as  well  as  in  Ray- 
mond and  the  adjoining  districts,  and  has  se- 
cured a  good  clientage.  He  has  made  large 
purchases  and  sales,  and  his  business  has  con- 
stantly increased  in  volume  and  importance. 
bringing  to  him  richly  merited  success. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gragg  has  been 
blessed  with  three  children:  Alfred,  who  is 
married  and  resides  in  Litchfield;  Clara,  the 
wife  of  Harvey  Denhum,  of  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri; and  Fred,  who  is  married  and  makes 
his  home  in  Raymond.  They  also  lost  one 
child.  Eddie,  who  died  in  infancy.  Politically 
Mr.  Gragg  has  been  a  life-long  Democrat,  cast- 
ing his  first  presidential  vote  for  General 
MeClellan  and  his  last  for  W.  J.  Bryan.  He 
served  for  one  term  on  the  town  board  and  is 
now  township  clerk,  hut  has  never  been  an 
active  politician  in  the  sense  of  office-seeking. 
Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Indepen- 
dent Onler  of  Dild  Fellows,  has  filled  all  of 
its  chairs,  and  is  now  a  past  grand  and  was 
twice  representative  to  the  grand  lodge  of  the 
state,  lie  is  also  connected  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  Mr.  Gragg  is  well 
known  throughout  Montgomery  county  as  a 
man  of  integrity  and  worth,  and  from  a  humble 
financial  position  he  has  steadily  worked  his 
way  upward  to  one  of  affluence,  employing 
only  such  luisiness  methods  as  will  hear  the 
closest  investigation  and  scrutiny. 


THOMAS  C.   K1BKLAND. 

Thomas  C.  Kirkland  is  one  of  the  most  en- 
terprising citizens  of  Litchfield,  having  been 
engaged  in  active  business  here  for  many  years, 
and  he  has  taken  an  active  and  interested  part 
in  the  maintenance  of  the  intellectual  and 
moral  as  well  as  the  material  development  of 
the  city.  He  has  fostered  numerous  local  in- 
dustries and  has  contributed  of  his  means  and 
influence  to  various  undertakings  calculated  to 
benefit  the  people  of  Montgomery  county.  He 
is  now  practically  living  retired,  but  his  in- 
vested  interests  return  to  him  a  handsome  in- 
come. 

Mr.  Kirkland  was  horn  in  St.  Louis  county, 
Missouri.    July    26,    1823.      His    father.    Isaac 


Kirkland,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  was 
descended  from  Virginian  ancestry,  although 
the  family  was  established  in  the  Blue  Grass 
state  at  an  early  epoch  in  its  improvement. 
Isaac  Kirkland  removed  to  St.  Louis.  Missouri, 
about  the  time  the  state  was  admitted  into  the 
Union.  He  was  a  pioneer,  and  followed  his 
trade  in  that  city  and  at  Clayton  for  a  long 
period,  hut  later  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits. In  1835  he  came  to  Illinois,  settling  on 
a  farm  near  Jerseyville,  all  of  which  was  then 
largely  wild  prairie,  but  several  years  prior  to 
his  death  he  put  aside  active  business  cares  and 
located  in  Litchfield,  where  he  spent  his  remain- 
ing days  with  his  children.  He  died  in  1881 
in  his  eighty-fifth  year  and  thus  terminated  an 
honorable  and  upright  life,  which  had  been  in 
consistent  harmony  with  his  professions  as  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
When  in  the  prime  of  manhood  he  took  a  very 
active  part  in  church  work.  His  political  sup- 
port was  given  to  the  Whig  party  until  its  dis- 
solution, and  he  subsequently  joined  the  ranks 
of  the  new  Republican  party,  but  never  sought 
or  desired  public  office.  He  had  an  elder 
brother.  Joseph  Kirkland.  who  was  a  soldier 
of  the  war  of  1812  and  died  of  yellow  fever 
contracted  while  serving  under  General  Jack- 
son at  New  Orleans. 

The  mother  of  Thomas  ('.  Kirkland  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Malinda  .Mann.  She 
was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1m!)  and  died  in  185S. 
Her  parents  were  Beverly  and  Mary  Mann, 
the  former  a  farmer  by  occupation.  His  death 
occurred  in  Kentucky.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Isaac  Kirkland  were  born  nine  children, 
namely:  James  and  Mary,  now  deceased; 
Thomas  C. ;  Mrs.  Cynthia  Ann  Irwin,  who  has 
passed  away;  Lucinda.  the  wife  of  Chauncey 
Davis,  of  Litchfield;  John  B..  a  n  sident  of 
Litchfield;  and  Eliza  Jane,  William  A.  and 
Fletcher,  all  three  deceased. 

Thomas  C.  Kirkland  acquired  his  early  edu- 
cation in  an  old  log  schoolhouse  in  Jersey 
county,  Illinois.  The  path  of  learning  was  not  a 
very  flowery  one  for  him.  Indeed,  his  school 
privileges  were  quite  limited,  but  he  made  good 
use  of  the  few  opportunities  he  had  and  through 
reading  and  observation  greatly  broadened  his 
knowledge.      In   his   youth   he   assisted    in   the 


4k 


9 


i    t 


OF  THE 
'\SITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COFNTY 


23 


operation  of  the  home  farm,  and  after  attain- 
ing his  majority  began  farming  on  his  own 
account  in  Jersey  county.  The  year  1849  wit- 
nessed his  arrival  in  Montgomery  county, 
where  he  located  a  land  warrant,  but  as  he  had 
no  means  with  which  to  carry  on  the  work  of 
improvement  there  he  returned  to  Jersey 
county,  and  it  was  not  until  1851  that  lie  be- 
gan tlic  cultivation  of  his  farm  in  Walshville 
township,  though  as  a  township  Walshville  was 
not  then  organized.  He  moved  his  family  to 
this  place,  the  first  home  being  a  mere  "shell," 
the  lumber  of  which  was  hauled  from  Alton 
in  1851.  Mr.  Kirkland  hewed  the  house  sills 
and  other  trimmings  from  the  adjacent  woods. 
They  resided  upon  his  first  farm  until  1865, 
when  he  purchased  another  tract  of  land  nearby 
ami  I'm-  twenty  years  made  it  his  place  of  resi- 
dence. He  then  came  to  Litchfield  township 
in  1885,  hut  he  still  has  extensive  landed  pos- 
sessions, owning  four  hundred  and  forty-one 
acres  in  Walshville  township  and  four  hun- 
dred acres  in  Pitman  and  Zanesville  town- 
ships. 

On  removing  to  this  city  Mr.  Kirkland  be- 
came a  very  active  and  influential  factor  in 
its  public  and  business  life.  In  connection  with 
S.  M.  Grubbs  and  others  he  organized  the 
first  National  Bank  and  has  since  been  its 
vice  president.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  Litchfield  Water  Supply  Company,  and 
its  first  president  ami  is  now  one  of  its  direct- 
ors. He  was  also  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  Litchfield  Marble  &  Granite  Company  and 
from  the  beginning  has  been  its  president. 
He  owns  stock  in  both  of  the  hanks  at  Hills- 
boro,  is  one  of  the  largest  stockholders  in  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Litchfield  and  like- 
wise has  stock  in  the  Mount  Vernon  Car  Man- 
ufacturing Company.  His  realty  possessions, 
including  a  comfortable  home  in  Litchfield, 
have  been  won  entirely  through  his  own  ef- 
forts. He  has  been  administrator  of  as  many 
estates  as  any  man  in  the  county  and  has  been 
guardian  for  many  children. 

On  the  18th  of  February.  1847,  in  Jersey 
county.  Mr.  Kirkland  was  married  to  Miss 
Edith  Irwin,  a  daughter  of  Abijah  Irwin. 
Sin-  was  born  in  North  Carolina  and  died 
in  1878  at  the  aefe  of  fifty-six  vears.     By  their 


marriage  there  were  eight  children,  three  of 
whom  died  iii  infancy.  The  others  are:  Ma- 
tilda Ellen,  the  deceased  wife  of  William  F. 
Davis;  Sarah  E..  the  wife  of  II.  W.  Ripley, 
of  Waggoner;  Ann  E.,  the  wife  of  G.  W. 
Flint,  nl'  Raymond;  John  Hardin,  a  manufac- 
turer of  Decatur;  and  Mary,  the  widow  of  E. 
W.  Dresser,  of  Greenville,  Illinois.  Mrs. 
Kirkland,  the  mother  of  these  children,  died 
in  the  faith  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
of  which  she  was  long  a  member.  In  August, 
1SS5.  Mr.  Kirkland  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  being  with  Louisa  J.  Peal,  the 
widow  of  Robert  Peal,  and  tin.'  daughter  of 
James  Eddings,  who  was  a  farmer  and  came 
to  Montgomery  county  in  1850,  locating  in 
North  Litchfield  township. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kirkland  arc  identified 
through  membership  relations  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  ami  from  bis  boyhood 
he  has  been  active  in  church  work,  serving  as 
steward  and  trustee  for  many  years  and  doing 
all  in  Ins  power  to  promote  the  various  church 
activities.  Fraternally  he  is  associated  with 
the  Masons  and  politically  with  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  has  never  sought  public  office 
yet  served  as  supervisor  from  Walshville  town 
ship  and  also  from  North  Litchfield  town- 
ship. He  is  a  man  greatly  beloved  in  the 
county  because  of  his  kindly  spirit  and  many 
excellent  traits  of  character  and  greatly  es- 
teemed  for  his  probity.  His  life  has  been  a 
busy  and  successful  one.  not.  however,  given 
up  to  self-aggrandizement,  hut  ever  domi- 
nated by  the  noble  desire  to  aid  and  uplift  his 
fellow  men.  A  man  sincere,  upright  and  con- 
scientious in  word  and  deed  he  is  truly  one  of 
the  best  citizens  of  Litchfield. 


RILEY  STEVEN'S. 
Rilev  Stevens,  a  farmer  of  Pitman  town- 
ship, is  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Madison  county.  New 
York.  April  3.  1838.  His  father.  Richard 
Stevens,  was  horn  in  Vermont  within  the  sight 
of  the  Green  mountains,  and  from  that  state 
removed  to  Madison  county,  where  he  became 
acquainted  with  and  married   Abbie  Reynolds. 


•.'I 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


a  native  of  New  York.  It  was  in  the  county 
of  his  nativity  thai  Rile}  Stevens  was  reared, 
mastering  the  common  branc-Ties  of  English 
learning  in  the  public  schools.  The  west,  with 
its  developing  business  opportunities,  attracted 
him  when  he  was  a  young  man.  anil  in  1858 
he  came  to  Illinois,  Locating  first  in  Sangamon 
county,  where  he  earned  his  living  by  herding 
sheep.  He  was  thus  employed  for  five  years, 
and  lie  worked  for  one  year  as  a  regular  farm 
hand.  Ho  afterward  went  to  Christian  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  and  there  he  first  became  a  land- 
owner, investing  the  money  which  he  had  saved 
from  his  earnings  in  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  which  was  partially  improved.  Upon 
this  tract  lie  began  general  farming  and  con- 
tinued the  work  of  development  and  cultiva- 
tion there  for  four  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  In1  sold  that  property  and  purchased  an- 
other farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
This  lie  also  operated  for  a  time,  but  later  he 
rented  the  farm  and  removed  to  the  town  of 
Raymond.  Montgomery  county,  where  he  pur- 
chased  two  residences.  These  lie  placed  in 
good  condition  and  he  resided   in  the  town  for 

al i     two   years,   when   he   sold   the   property 

there  and  purchased  his  present  farm  on  sec- 
tion 3.  Pitman  township.  Locating  in  Farm- 
ersville,  he  improved  a  good  residence  property 
there  and  made  it  his  home  I'm-  a  number  of 
years,  but  in  the  spring  of  1904  lie  took  up  his 
abode  upon  his  farm,  where  he  has  built  a 
good  house  within  a  mile  of  Farmersville.  lie 
owns  two  good  farm-,  the  land  being  rich  and 
arable,  so  that  it  returns  excellent  harvests  for 
tin'  care  and  labor  bestowed  upon  the  fields. 
His  home  is  commodious  and  attractive  in  ap- 
pearance  and  everything  about  the  place  is  in 
keeping  therewith,  an  air  of  neatness  and 
thri ft   pen ading  the  entire  farm. 

In  Springfield,  Illinois,  in  1862,  Mr.  Stevens 
was  married  in  Miss  Lottie  Wav.  who  was  born 
in  that  city.  She  spent  her  girlhood  days  there 
and  in  Girard.  Her  father,  John  Way.  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Illinois,  who  came 
to  this  state  from  Pennsylvania.  He  was  a 
plasterer  and  brickmason  by  trade.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Stevens  are  the  parents  of  four  children, 
of  whom  three  .-ire  living.  Annie,  the  wife 
of   Gaston   Buchanan.    ;i    resident    of    Pitman 


township,  died  .March  23,  1904,  leaving  four 
children,  including  twin  daughters.  The  eld- 
<  st.  living  child  is  Harriet,  the  wife  of  Frank 
Flood,  a  farmer  of  Bois  Dare  township.  Frank 
assists  in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm. 
kiddy  completes  1  he  family. 

Mr.  Stevens  is  a  Republican  who  has  voted 
for  his  party  since  casting  his  first  presidential 
ballot  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  At  local  elec- 
tion.-, however,  he  is  independent,  regarding 
only  the  capability  of  the  candidate  for  town- 
shi]  or  count;  office.  He  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at 
Farmersville,  in  the  work  of  which  they  take 
an  active  and  helpful  part,  and  he  is  now  serv- 
ing mi  iln  official  hoard.  II is  business  careei 
has  been  marked  by  untiring  energy,  crowned 
with  creditable  success,  for  he  came  to  the 
west  a  pom-  man.  anxious  to  improve  his  oppor- 
tunities. Hard  and  unremitting  labor  gave 
him  a  start,  and  his  economy  made  possible  his 
first  purchase  of  land,  to  which  he  has  added 
as  his  financial  resources  have  increased.  He 
is  known  as  a  man  of  strict  and  unfaltering 
integrity,  possessing  many  sterling  character- 
istics which  he  inherited  from  his  New 
England  ancestry — a  people  who  have  ever 
been  noted  for  their  integrity  and  a-erinine 
worth. 


JUDGE   GEORGE  R.   COOPLb. 

Judge  George  R.  Cooper,  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Lane  &  Cooper,  probably  the  oldest 
law  linn  of  southern  Illinois,  has  attained  to 
a  distinguished  position  in  connection  with  his 
profession.  He  was  born  in  Greencastle,  In- 
diana, on  the  25th  of  July,  1855.  His  father. 
Jacob  II.  Cooper,  was  a  native  of  Maysville, 
Kentucky,  and  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent. 
lie  was  a  mechanic  who  learned  and  followed 
the  carpenter's  trade  and  throughout  his  busi- 
ness career  commanded  the  respect  and  con- 
liileiiee  of  his  fellow  men.  He  removed  from 
Kentucky  to  Indiana  and  became  one  of  the  in- 
fluential and  leading  citizens  of  the  neighbor- 
hood. A  man  well  informed,  he  kept  in  touch 
with  all  ideas  of  modern  progress  and  im- 
provement    and    was    the    champion    of    every 


JUDGE    GEORGE    R.    COOPEE 


OF  TH€ 
-y  0c  !LL!No!5 


PAST  AND  PEESBNT  OF  MONTGOMERY  COUNT'S 


27 


measure  that  tended  to  promote  the  welfare  of 
his  community.  Although  reared  in  a  southern 
state  lie  was  an  ardent  abolitionist  and  was  a 
most  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist 
church.  He  died  in  November,  L877,  at  the 
age  iif  sixty-one  years.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Eliza  Robinson,  was  also  a 
native  of  Kentucky  and  with  her  parents  re- 
moved to  Indiana,  her  father  becoming  one  of 
the  pioneer  fanners  of  that  stale.  Earlier  gen- 
erations of  the  family  resided  in  Virginia.  Her 
father  was  also  a  Methodist  in  religious  faith 
and  in  his  political  views  was  a  Republican. 
In  1858  Jacob  R.  Cooper  removed  with  his 
family  to  Illinois,  settling  near  Coffeen.  Unto 
him  and  his  wife  were  born  six  children:  Sa- 
rah M.  became  the  wife  of  James  M.  Moore. 
who  served  his  country  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil 
war  and  died  in  1S7S ;  Mary  A.  became  the 
wife  of  Dayton  T.  Miller  and  after  his  death 
married  John  Deitriek,  of  Greencastle,  In- 
diana; Louisa  J.  became  the  wife  of  Harmon 
Young,  a  school  teacher  residing  in  Greenville, 
Bond  county.  Illinois,  and  her  death  occurred 
in  August,  181  I  ;  William  H.  is  a  traveling 
salesman  residing  in  St.  Louis:  George  R.  is 
the  fifth  of  the  family;  and  John  R.  is  a  coal 
miner  at  Coffeen.  Illinois. 

In  the  district  schools  George  R.  Cooper  ac- 
quired his  preliminary  education,  which  was 
supplemented  by  study  in  Hillshoro  Academy. 
He  afterward  engaged  in  teaching,  following 
that  profession  for  two  terms  in  Bond  county 
and  for  seven  years  in  Fillmore  township,  hut 
the  profession  of  law  attracted  him  and  he  en- 
tered the  office  of  Rice,  Miller  &  McDavid  in 
1880.  He  there  read  for  about  two  years, 
teaching  school  in  the  winter  months.  He 
afterward  spent  a  year  in  the  office  of  Judge 
Edward  Lane  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1882.  Through  the  succeeding  winter  he  again 
engaged  in  teaching  and  then  entered  the"  of- 
fice of  .Indue  Lane,  hut  thirty  days  later,  en- 
tirely without  his  solicitation,  was  elected  city 
attorney.  After  his  first  year  in  that  office,  in 
the  spring  of  1883,  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  Judge  Lane  and  the  business  connection 
has  continued  without  interruption  to  the  pres- 
ent time,  this  being  probably  the  oldest  law  firm 
in    southern   Illinois.    Mr.   Cooper  was  elected 


twice  te  the  office  <>f  eitj  attorney,  was  chosen 
to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  position  of  county 
judge  occasioned  by  the  death  of  . lodge  Lewis 
Allen,  in  November,  1891,  and  in  1894  was 
chosen  for  the  full  term,  lie  was  nominated 
for  supreme  judge  mi  the  Republican  ticket 
at  Vandalia  in  1901  to  till  a  vacancy  occasioned 
by  the  death  of  Judge  Jesse  J.  Phillips.  He 
has  won  distinction  at  the  bar  and  on  the 
bench.  A  man  of  unimpeachable  character,  of 
strong  intellectual  endowments,  with  a  thor- 
ough understanding  of  the  law.  patience,  ur- 
banity and  industry,  he  took  to  the  bench  the 
very  highest  qualifications  for  this  responsi- 
ble position  in  the  state  government  and  his 
record  as  a  judge  has  been  in  harmony  with 
his  record  as  a  man  and  a  lawyer,  distinguished 
by  unswerving  integrity  and  a  masterful  grasp 
of  every  question  which  was  presented  for 
solution.  In  the  private  practice  of  law  his 
clientage  has  been  of  a  most  important  char- 
acter and  the  firm  of  Lane  &  Cooper  is  always 
connected  with  every  important  litigated  in- 
terest of  the  district.  Mr.  Cooper  is  also  a 
director  and  stockholder  in  the  Hillshoro 
National  Bank. 

On  the  10th  of  June.  1886,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  George-  R  Cooper  and  Miss  Nettie 
Ireland,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  H.  M.  and  Sarah 
Ireland,  of  Columbia  City.  Indiana,  where 
Mrs.  Cooper  was  born.  Her  death  occurred 
February  24,  1887,  when  she  was  twenty-six 
years  of  age.  On  the  12th  of  December,  1894, 
Judge  Cooper  wedded  Estelle  S'.  Allen,  a 
daughter  of  Professor  A.  P.  and  Josephine 
Allen,  the  latter  a  niece  of  William  M. 
Springer.  Her  father  is  a  graduate  of  Asbury 
University  of  Greencastle,  Indiana,  and  had 
charge  of  the  schools  in  Hillshoro  as  principal 
for  siuiie  time.  He  and  his  family  were  resi- 
dents of  Erie.  Kansas,  at  the  time  of  the  mar- 
riage of  Judge  and  Mrs.  Cooper.  The  latter 
was  horn  al  Sullivan,  Indiana,  in  1873,  and 
was  liberally  educated.  Judge  Cooper  has  four 
children:  Josephine,  Lane.  Mary  and  George 
R,  Jr. 

Both  the  Judge  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  is  iden- 
tified with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  Modern 
Woodmen  Camp  and  the  Business  Men's  Club. 


28 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNT! 


In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  he  takes  an 
active  and  helpful  interest  in  community  af- 
fairs. He  was  the  first  president  of  the  board 
of  education  under  the  present  law  and  served 
in  that  capacity  for  seven  years,  his  labors  be- 
ing effective  and  greatly  promoting  the  school 
interests  of  the  city.  He  is  also  one  of  the 
trustees  of  his  church,  lakes  a  very  active  part 
in  church  work  .'111(1  is  now  serving  as  a  mem- 
ber  of   the    official  board.     Faultless  in  honoi, 

fearless  in  e In.-i   ami  stainless  in  reputation. 

he  is  no  less  honored  in  public  than  loved  in 
private  life. 


PIERSON    B.    UPDIKE. 

Pierson  B.  Updike,  now  deceased,  was  identi- 
fied with  the  business  interests  of  Litchfield, 
when:'  he  made  for  himself  an  honorable  name 
as  a  representative  of  commercial  interests.  He 
was  born  near  Trenton.  New  Jersey.  July  14, 
1834,  and  in  his  early  boyhood  days  was  brought 
by  his  parents  to  Illinois,  where  he  was  reared 
to  manhood  and  acquired  his  education.  After 
arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  was  married 
in  Woodburn,  Macoupin  county,  [llinois,  on 
the  23d  of  October,  1856,  to  Miss  Estella  Op- 
dyke,  wdio  was  of  Holland  lineage  and  there  was 
a  distant  relationship  between  the  Updike  and 
Opdyke  families.  They  became  the  parents  of 
two  children:  Ella  E.,  the  wife  of  G.  L.  Settle- 
mire,  h\  whom  she  has  two  sons,  David  P.  and 
Wilbur  Lynn,  aged  respectively  twenty-three 
and   twenty  years;  and   Mrs.  Cora    May   Crafty. 

Pierson  B.  Updike  became  a  resilient  of 
Litchfield  in  1864  and  through  more  than 
thirty  years  was  connected  with  its  commercial 
interests  as  a  dialer  in  machinery  and  hard- 
ware. His  patronage  steadily  increased  and  he 
continued  in  the  business  until  a  couple  of 
years  prior  to  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the 
28th  of  November,   I  sin;.     During  the  last  two 

years  of  his  life  succeeding  the  dissoluti f 

his  hardware  business  he  was  receiver  for  the 
Litchfield  Car  and  Machine  Company  and  this 
position  he  was  ably  filling  at  the  time  of  his 
demise.  Ee  was  always  straightforward  and 
honorable  in  his  dealing  and  his  reputation  in 
commercial  circles  was  unassailable.     Mr.  Up- 


dike also  took  an  active  and  helpful  part  in 
community  interests  and  his  public  spirit  was 
manliest  in  tangible  way  through  his  capable 
service  as  mayor  of  the  city.  lie  was  three 
times  called  to  that  office  and  his  administra- 
tion of  municipal  affairs  was  at  once  business- 
like, practical  and  progressive,  lie  introduced 
needed  reforms  and  promoted  various  improve- 
ments ami  the  city  benefited  by  his  efforts.  He 
gave  his  political  allegiance  to  the  Democratic 
party  for  many  years,  hut  in  189'!  voted  for 
William  McKinley  and  was  thereafter  promi- 
nent in  political  circles  until  his  demise.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  state  legislature  from  1891 
to  1S93. 

Mi'.  Updike  was  a  prominent  Mason  and  had 
received  the  honors  of  the  thirty-second  degree. 
A  Presbyterian  in  his  religious  faith  he  held 
membership  in  the  church  of  that  denomina- 
tion in  Litchfield,  took  a  very  ,'reti\e  and  help- 
ful part  in  its  work  and  was  superintendent  of 
its  Sunday-school  for  many  years.  His  life 
record  covered  sixty-three  years  and  was  tilled 
with  good  deeds,  with  successful  accomplish- 
ment in  business  and  with  loyalty  and  honor  in 
citizenship.  Mrs.  Updike  is  a  lady  of  strong 
intellectual  qualities,  broad-minded  and  cul- 
tured ami  has  a  very  large  circle  of  friends  in 
Litchfield,   where  she   still   makes  her  home. 


SAMUEL  L.   CRATTY. 

Samuel  L.  ('ratty,  who  was  classed  with 
Litchfield's  prominent  citizens,  was  born  April 
IT.  1858  near  Walshville,  Illinois,  and  his  life 
was  passed  upon  a  farm  in  that  locality  and 
also  near  Sorento,  Illinois,  lie  remained  in 
the  latter  neighborhood  until  his  removal  to 
Litchfield  in  the  fall  of  lssn.  He  acquired 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  and  follow- 
ing his  removal  to  Litchfield  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy ol'  Pierson  B.  Updike  in  his  hardware  and 
machinery  store.  In  1896  after  long  and  faith- 
ful service  with  Mr.  Updike  he  became  con- 
nected with  the  Mundy-Settlemire  Company, 
grain  merchants,  and  he  also  extended  his  ef- 
forts to  another  line  of  business  activity  by  be- 
eoming  ;r  member  of  the  firm  of  Rose  &  Cratty, 
insurance    agents.       Throughout    his    business 


LIBP. !   : 

OF  I 


ii  i  >v 


SAMUEL    L.    CEATTY 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST     VXD    I'UKSHXT    OF    MONTGOMERY    CO!   VIA 


33 


career  his  industry  and  perseverance  were  num- 
bered among  his  salient  characteristics  and  led 
to  a  gratifying  measure  of  success. 

On  the  17th  of  March,  L886,  Mr.  Cratty  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  May  Updike,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  two  children:  Fay 
and  Grace,  aged  respectively  seventeen  and  fif- 
teen years. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Cratty  was  a  stal- 
wart Republican,  having  firm  faith  in  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  party.  He  was  popular  with  his 
fellow  townsmen  because  of  his  genuine  worth, 
social  nature  and  unfailing  courtesy,  and  when 
he  died  on  the  16th  of  May,  1899,  his  death 
was  deeply  deplored  by  many  friends  as  well 
as  his  immediate  family.  He  died  very  sud- 
denly and  not  Long  after  the  death  of  Mr.  TTp- 
dike  and  his  loss  thus  came  particularly  hard 
upon  his  wife,  who  had  so  recently  Lost  her 
father.  Mrs.  Cratty  was  educated  in  the  Litch- 
field high  school  and  occupies  an  enviable  posi- 
tion in  social  circles  where  true  worth  and  in- 
telligence are  received  as  passports  into  good 
society.  She  is  a  very  earnest  worker  in  the 
Sunday-school,  a  most  capable  teacher  and  also 
assists  in  various  departments  of  the  church 
activities.  She  now  lives  with  her  mother  in 
a  beautiful  and  commodious  brick  residence 
at    Xo.  .V23  Union  avenue. 


D.  W.   XEISLER. 


1).  W.  Xeisler.  conducting  a  well  improved 
farm  on  section  27,  Witt  township,  wdiere  he 
not  only  engages  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil  but 
also  in  the  raising  of  stock,  was  born  in  Irv- 
ing township.  October  21.  1846.  He  is  a  son 
of  Henry  Milton  and  Elizabeth  E.  (Lipe) 
Neisler,  who  were  natives  of  Knox  county, 
North  Carolina.  The  father  was  a  millwright 
by  trade  and.  thinking  that  he  might  have  bet- 
ter business  opportunities  in  the  new  and  grow- 
ing west,  he  came  to  Irving  township,  Mont- 
gomery county,  about  1832.  Few  improve- 
ments had  been  made  here,  the  work  of  prog- 
ress and  civilization  being  scarcely  begun,  but 
with  characteristic  energy  he  began  the  de- 
velopment of  a  farm,  securing  his  land  from 
the  government.  Not  a  furrow  had  been  turned 


or  an  improvement  made  thereon,  but  with 
characteristic  energy  he  undertook  the  task  of 
breaking  the  fields  and  planting  the  crops.  For 
many  years  he  successfully  carried  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  and  at  Length  his  life's  labors 
were  ended  in  death  on  the  23d  of  August, 
1881.  His  widow  later  became  the  wife  of 
Joseph  Davis,  uov  deceased,  and  she  resides  in 
1  rving. 

I).  W.  Xeisler  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  Montgomery  county.  He  early  be- 
came familiar  with  all  of  the  duties  and  labors 
that  fall  to  the  Lot  of  the  agriculturist,  work- 
ing in  held  and  meadow  through  the  months 
of  summer,  while  in  the  winter  seasons  he  mas- 
tered the  branches  of  Learning  Laughl  in  the 
public  schools.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years 
he  began  Earming  on  his  own  account,  settling 
where  he  now  lives.  He  had  eighty  acres  of 
land,  which  was  then  raw  prairie,  and  he  bar- 
since  made  all  of  the  improvements  upon  the 
place,  building  fences,  planting  trees,  erecting 
buildings  and  tilling  the  soil.  He  now  has  a 
line  orchard  of  eight  acres,  and  his  fields  are 
producing  excellent  crops.  He  also  has  good 
grades  of  stock  upon  his  place. 

On  the  2.1  of  December,  L875,  Mr.  Xeisler 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ora  E.  Knodle, 
a  daughter  of  George  and  Margaret  (Spiel- 
man)  Khodle,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Maryland,  whence  they  removed  to  Ogle  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  in  18.");.  They  came  to  Mont- 
gomery county  in  the  spring  of  1864,  locating 
at  Hillsboro,  ami  Mr.  Knodle  purchased  land 
in  Witt  township.  He  was  identified  with 
farming  interests  for  a  number  id'  years,  but 
is  now-  living  retired  on  his  farm  in  the  en- 
joyment of  a  well  earned  rest.  He  is  one  of 
the  most  venerable  men  of  the  community,  hav- 
ing reached  the  age  of  ninety-two  years  on 
the  10th  of  April,  1001.  His  wife  is  now  de- 
ceased. 

The  home  id'  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Xeisler  has  been 
blessed  with  eight  children:  Oscar  L..  born 
Augusl  28,  1876,  is  a  machinist  with  the 
Lake  Shore  Railroad  and  is  located  in  Chicago; 
Henry  D..  born  July  31.  1878,  died  on  the 
28th  of  July.  1896;  Guy  K..  born  January  2, 
L882;  Milton  Earl,  born  December  17.  1883; 
George   A.,  born   September  16.   1885;  Ira  E., 


:;-: 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    01    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


born  March  1.  1888;  Walter  I.,  bora  Decem- 
ber S,  1889;  ami  Edgar  Lee,  bora  December 
■.'II.  LS93,  are  all  at  borne.  Mr.  ami  Mrs.  N  is- 
Ler  are  identified  with  the  Lutheran  church 
through  membership  relations,  ami  he  is  a 
member  of  tin1  school  board,  on  which  he  has 
served  I'm-  a  number  "1  years,  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation finding  in  him  a  warm  friend.  His 
political  affiliation  is  with  the  Democratic  par- 
ty, and,  keeping  well  informed  on  tin'  ques- 
tions and  issues  of  the  day.  he  is  enabled  to 
supporl  his  position  by  intelligent  argument. 


WILLIAM     RILEY     BLACKWELDER. 

William  Riley  Blackwelder,  a  retired  farmer 
living  in  Litchfield,  is  numbered  among  Mont- 
gomery county"?  native  sous,  his  birth  having 
occurred  July  28,  1840,  upon  his  father's  farm 
ten  miles  southwest  of  Hillsboro.  He  is  a  son 
of  Alfred  and  Joanna  (Scherer)  Blackwelder, 
the  latter  a  daughter  of  Frederick  Scherer,  a 
farmer  of  German  descent.  The  father.  Alfred 
Blackwelder.  was  horn  in  Cabarrus  county, 
North  Carolina.  July  17,  1811,  and  was  also 
of  German  lineage,  ami  his  wife  was  a  native 
of  the  same  state.  In  April,  1838,  he  became  a 
resident  of  Illinois  and  began  working  for 
Judge  Rountree  al  ten  dollars  per  month,  be- 
ing thus  employed  for  three  years.  When  he 
arrived  in  Illinois  be  owned  a  small  sorrel 
horse  and  had  ten  dollars  in  money.  Though 
poor,  he  possessed  a  courageous  spirit  and  ever 
made  the  most  of  bis  opportunities.  On  the 
19th  of  April.  1837'.  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Joanna  Scherer.  and  later  he  rented  land,  on 
which  he  lived  until  1840.  when  he  purchased 
eight}  acres,  on  which  he  built  a  house,  making 
that  place  his  home  for  sixteen  years,  lie  then 
sold  oul  and  bought  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres,  a  part  of  which  is  now  within  the  cor- 
poration limits  of  Litchfield.  He  afterward 
added  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  to  his 
tract,  so  that  his  landed  possessions  comprised 
four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  all.  This  is 
now  highly  improved  land,  constituting  one  of 
the  valuable  farms  of  the  county.  Mr.  Black- 
welder    continued     in    the    active    management 


and  cultivation  of  the  Earm  until  L878,  when 
he   retired   to  private   life. 

Into  him  ami  his  wife  were  born  twelve 
children,  of  whom  four  died  in  early  childhood, 
while  the  others,  who  are  yet  living,  are  resi- 
dents  of  Montgomery  county  and  are  identified 
with  farming  interests  here.  These  are: 
Daniel  M. ;  William  R. ;  M  inerva  ( '..  who  is  the 
wife  of  Robert  Morrison;  Jacob  Francis;  David 
Alexander;  John  M .  ;  Harriet  Louise,  the  wife 
of  Gid( Davis;  and  Samuel  R. 

Alfred  Blackwelder  was  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church  and  came  of  a  family  long 
identified  with  that  denomination,  the  repre- 
sentatives  of  the  name  in  differenl  generations 
being  id'  a  deeply  religious  nature.  He,  too. 
took  a  very  active  and  helpful  part  in  church 
work  ami  tilled  various  offices  in  the  church 
through  more  than  a  half  century.  His  po- 
litical allegiance  was  always  given  to  the  Dem- 
ocratic party.  His  wife  died  January  31, 
1876,  when  more  than  sixty  years  of  age,  and 
after  a  happy  married  life  of  forty  years.  His 
death  occurred  in  L900,  when  he  was  about 
eighty-sis  years  of  age.  He  was  one  of  the 
venerable  citizens  of  the  county  and  an  honored 
pioneer  resident  who.  casting  in  his  lot  with 
the  early  settlers,  took  an  active  pari  in  lay- 
ing broad  and  deep  the  foundation  for  the 
present  development  and  progress  of  this  part 

of    the    .-late. 

William  Riley  Blackwelder  obtained  his  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  and  remained 
under  the  parental  roof  until  after  the  inaugu- 
ration of  the  Civil  war.  when,  in  August,  1862, 
be  enlisted  in  Company  A.  Ninety-firsi  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  with  which  he  served  lor  about 
three  years,  being  mustered  out  in  July.  1865. 
He  was  promoted  from  the  rank  of  third  ser- 
geant to  orderly  sergeant  ami  commissioned 
brevet  lieutenant  in  L865.  He  served  under 
Canby  at  the  capture  of  Fort  Hudson  ami 
Fort  Blakeley.  On  the  28th  of  December,  1863, 
at  Elizabethtown,  Kentucky,  he  was  captured 
by  General  Morgan's  troops  ami  was  later 
paroled  and  sent  to  St.  Louis.  Missouri,  where 
he  was  exchanged  in  June.  1864,  after  which 
he  returned  to  active  service.  He  was  wound- 
ed at  the  battle  of  Morganza  and  he  par- 
ticipated in  the  battles  of  Mobile.  Spanish  Fort 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF     MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


35 


and  Fort  Blakeley.  He  was  a  war  Democrat, 
advocating  the  cause  of  the  Democracy,  yet  at 
the  same  time  being  an  unfaltering  supporter 
of  the  Union  cause. 

Orj  the  1st  of  December,  L865,  not  long  after 
his  return  from  the  army,  Mr.  Blaekwelder 
was  married  to  Miss  Mary  .lane  Fogleman,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  seven  children:  Ira 
Ulysses,  who  was  named  in  honor  of  General 
Grant,  was  born  September  25,  L866,  and  is 
engaged  in  business  as  a  dealer  in  agricultural 
implements  in  Raymond,  where,  having  been 
married,  he  maintains  bis  home.  Eva  J.,  born 
November  19,  1867,  is  the  wife  of  .1.  W.  Mc- 
Cowan,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  they 
have  two  children.  Julius  A.,  born  February 
21.  1869,  is  married  and  resides  upon  his 
father's  farm.  He  lias  five  children.  Amanda 
i;..  bom  December  •">.  L872,  is  the  wife  of 
Frank  Stuttle  and  resides  near  Raymond.  John 
W.,  born  March  19,  1874,  is  a  coal  miner  of 
Raymond,  and  is  married  and  has  two  children. 
Annie  M.,  horn  December  3,  1872,  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one.  Nellie  II..  born  December 
23,  1876,  died  Dec-ember  '24.1890.  The  chil- 
dren have  been  provided  with  excellent  educa- 
tional privileges,  and  Ira,  Eva  and  Rosa  were 
students  in  the  Indiana  Normal  School  at 
Valparaiso  and  were  successful  school  teach- 
ers. For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Blaekwelder 
chos,.  Amanda  E.  Fogleman,  a  sister  of  bis 
first  wife,  their  marriage  being  celebrated  Au- 
gust 6.  1878.  They  had  three  children:  Mary 
!•:..  who  was  born  March  23,  1882,  and  died 
June  22,  1883;  Ella  M.,  who  was  bom  Janu- 
ary 10,  1884.  and  died  February  16,  1893;  and 
Bertha  F..  horn  October  5,  1886.  The  young- 
est daughter  will  graduate  from  the  high 
school  of  Litchfield   in  the  class  of  1905. 

Mr.  Blaekwelder  is  a  member  of  the  English 
Lutheran  church,  takes  a  most  active  part  in 
its  work  and  is  now  a  teacher  in  the  Sun- 
day-school. The  cause  of  education  also  finds 
in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  he  does  all  in  his 
power  to  advance  its  interests.  Public  spirit- 
ed, he  has  ably  supported  many  measures  for 
the  general  good,  and  his  efforts  in  behalf 
of  public  progress  and  improvement  have  been 
far-reaching  and  effective.  His  business  career 
has  been   attended  with   success,   and   he   still 


owns  a  Farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres, 
which  is  in  excellent  condition,  the  land  being 
well  tilled.  He  also  raised  good  stock  and  Ins 
business  affairs  were  capably  conducted.  He 
is  new  a  stockholder  in  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Raymond.  Throughout  his  entire  life 
he  has  been  known  as  a  man  of  integrity  and 
unfaltering  honor,  and  in  his  business  dealings 
is  always  straightforward  and  reliable;  in 
fact,  his  religion  is  manifest  in  his  everyday 
life  and  is  a  motive  power  in  his  kindly  and 
just  treatment  of  his  fellow  men. 


JESSE   S.  GRIFFIN. 

Xo  history  of  Nokomis  would  be  complete 
without  mention  of  Jesse  S.  Griffin,  who  is 
one  of  its  leading  merchants.  In  his  business 
career  he  has  always  displayed  qualities  which 
ever  command  respect  and  secure  patronage. 
He  was  born  March  6,  1865,  in  Morgan  county. 
Illinois,  a  son  of  E.  and  Sarah  Griffin,  both  of 
whom  were  uatives  of  England,  the  father's 
birth  occurring  in  Devonshire  in  1828,  while 
ihe  mother  was  horn  in  Huntingdonshire.  They 
came  to  America  in  1850  and  finally  settled  in 
Illinois,  the  father  being  a  merchant  of  Mor- 
gan county  for  many  years.  He  passed  away 
in  1878  and  his  widow  now  resides  with  our 
subject  in  Nokomis,  occupying  a  beautiful 
home  in  the  western  part  of  the  town.  In  the 
family  were  ten  children,  id'  whom  five  are 
-nil  living,  Jesse  S.  and  All'  being  residents  of 
Montgomery   county. 

Jesse  S.  Griffin,  however,  -pent  his  boyhood 
days  in  Morgan  county,  assisting  his  father  in 
business.  In  the  summer  of  1S79  he  came 
io  Nokomis  and  found  employment  with  J.  W. 
Russell.  Later  he  accepted  a  position  in  the 
dry  goods  -lore  of  A.  F.  Weaver,  with  whom 
he  remained  until  1885,  when  the  firm  of 
Griffin  Brothers  was  organized,  succeeding  to 
ihe  ownership  of  the  store  formerly  the  proper- 
ty of  the  linn  of  Bliss  &  Griffin.  The  now 
linn  consisted  of  Alf  and  Jesse  S.  Griffin,  who 
.ariied  on  the  business  together  until  1S98, 
when  the  latter  purchased  hi-  brother's  inter- 
est and  his  since  continued  alone  in  trade.  He 
is    now    sole    proprietor    of   one   of   the    largest 


36 


PAST    AND    l'KESENT    OF    MONTGOMEKY    COUNTS 


and  most  elaborate  modern  mercantile  estab- 
lishments in  southern  Illinois,  earn  Jul;'  an 
extensive  line  of  hardware,  queensware,  guns, 
furniture,  buggies,  etc.  The  building  occu- 
pied by  him  is  built  of  brick,  is  two  stories  in 
height  and  fifty  by  one  hundred  feet  in  di- 
mensions. Besides  this  there  is  a  warehouse 
two  stories  in  height  ami  twenty  by  seventy 
feel,  so  that  the  entire  establishment  covers  a 
total  of  twelve  thousand  square  feet.  Every 
foot  of  space  is  occupied  and  the  store  is  spe- 
cially arranged  with  reference  to  the  con- 
\,  riient  handling  of  a  large  and  complete  stock. 
Mi-.  Griffin  has  been  at  his  present  location  for 
nineteen  years  and  his  name  is  inseparably 
connected  with  the  business  interests  of  No- 
komis,  for  he  has  contributed  in  a  large  meas- 
ure to  the  commercial  prosperity  and  develop- 
ment of  the  town. 

Politically  Mr.  Griffin  is  a  Democrat  and  is 
the  Montgomery  county  member  of  the  Demo- 
cratic congressional  committee  of  the  twenty- 
first  district  of  Illinois,  of  which  committee 
he  is  now  serving  as  secretary.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  county  central  committee,  of 
which  lie  has  been  secretary  ami  treasurer  and 
is  now  serving  for  the  second  term  as  iis  chair- 
man. 


C.  F.  EDWABDS. 


C.  F.  Edwards,  who  has  been  closely  associ- 
ated with  the  business  development  of  Mont- 
gomery county  through  agricultural  and  finan- 
cial interests,  and  who  has  also  figured  in  pub- 
lic affairs  as  the  promoter  of  many  measures 
for  the  general  good,  is  now  engaged  in  bank- 
ing in  Coffeen.  He  was  born  November  4. 
1856,  in  East  Fork  township,  Montgomery 
county,  his  parents  being  James  A.  and  Chris- 
tina T.  Edwards.  His  father  was  horn  in 
L818  in  North  Carolina  and  was  the  son  of 
Thomas  Edwards.  In  the  state  of  his  nativity 
he  was  reared  and  educated,  and  when  a  young 
man  he  came  to  Montgomery  county.  Illinois. 
and  purchased  land  here.  Thomas  Edwards  be- 
ing among  the  early  settlers  of  this  portion  of 
the  state.  From  that  time  forward  members 
of  the  familv  have  borne  an  active  and  helpful 


part  in  the  work  of  general  improvement  and 
upbuilding.  Thomas  Edwards  continued  as  a 
farm  resident  of  Montgomery  county  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1857. 

James  Allen  Edwards  continued  farming  in 
this  county  from  the  time  of  his  arrival  until 
his  demise.  He  was  married  in  1848  to  Miss 
Christina  T.  Cannon,  a  daughter  of  William 
Cannon,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  of  whom  nine  are  living:  William 
T.,  of  East  Fork  township;  Margaret,  who 
died  in  infancy;  John  \\\.  also  of  East  Fork 
township;  Julia  F..  who  is  the  widow  of  John 
W.  Major;  Mary  T..  who  is  the  wife  of  Jo- 
seph A.  Hanner;  ('.  I-".;  Samuel  II..  of  Cof- 
feen: Amos  li..  of  East  Fork  township;  Ida, 
who  married  William  A.  Boyd,  of  East  Fork; 
and  James  A.,  also  of  East  Fork.  The  father 
died  in  1867  and  was  buried  at  Edwards 
Chapel,  which  was  named  in  honor  of  his 
grandfather,  who  gave  the  land  upon  which 
the  church  was  built.  James  A.  Edwards  was 
deeply  interested  in  all  that  pertained  to  the 
welfare  of  his  community  and  was  a  co-operant 
factor  in  many  measures  for  the  general  good. 
At  the  same  time  he  conducted  important  and 
extensive  business  interests,  becoming  one  of 
the  leading  landowners  of  the  county,  having 
at  the  time  of  his  death  bought  nine  hundred 
acres.  In  his  political  affiliation  he  was  a 
Democrat,  taking  an  active  interest  in  politics 
and  keeping  well  informed  on  the  questions  of 
the  day.  His  barn  was  the  voting  place  of  his 
district.  After  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs. 
James  A.  Edwards  remained  upon  the  home 
farm  until  her  children  were  married  and  then 
removed  to  Coffeen.  where  she  is  now  living. 

C.  F.  Edwards  was  reared  to  farm  life  and 
acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools, 
while  in  the  summer  months  he  assisted  in  the 
labors  of  field  and  meadow.  When  twenty-one 
years  of  age  he  began  farming  for  himself  on 
bind  which  he  inherited  from  his  father.  After 
his  marriage  be  settled  upon  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  there  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits  with  good  success  for 
about  eight  years.  In  1888  he  removed  to 
Colleen,  where  he  purchased  a  lumber  yard, 
which  he  conducted  with  profit  for  ten  years, 
having  a  very  extensive  patronage  and  thereby 


C.    V.    EDWAEDS 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    l'KKSKNT    OF    M<  >.\TC<  )M  FRY    COUNTY 


39 


realizing  a  good   return   from  his   invesl nts 

and  his  labors.  In  L898,  however,  he  sold  the 
lumber  yard.  He  was  secretary  of  the  Build- 
ing &  Loan  Association  for  nine  years,  and  in 
1900  he  built  a  hank,  and  has  since  conducted 
a  private  hank,  which  has  become  the  leading 
financial  institution  of  the  township.  He  still 
owns  his  farm, which  is  now  rented.  After  re- 
moi  ing  to  ( loffeen  he  buill  a  nice  residence, 
which  he  occupies,  and  he  is  classed  with  the 
substantia]  citizens  of  his  community. 

When  twenty-four  years  of  age  Mr.  Edwards 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Mis-  Catherine  J. 
Nichols,  a  daughter  of  Gordon  Nichols,  of 
East  Fork  township.  Her  father  was  born  in 
Kentucky,  July  3,  1826,  and  with  his  parents 
removed  to  Indiana,  whore  he  was  reared.  He 
became  a  resident  of  Easl  Fork-  township, 
Montgomery  county,  in  1857,  and  made  for 
himself  a  place  among  the  substantia]  farmers 
of  the  community,  becoming  the  owner  of 
four  hundred  acres  of  rich  and  valuable  land. 
At  length  he  retired  from  active  farming  pur- 
suits and  in  1893  removed  to  Coffeen,  where  lie 
spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring 
on  the  6th  of  March,  1901.  He  was  married 
in  is  is  to  Miss  Jemima  F.  Robinson,  of 
Greeneastle,  Indiana,  who  is  now  living  in 
Coffeen.  The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edwards 
has  been  blessed  with  eight  children,  of  whom 
six  are  now  living:  Clarence  T...  Harvey  C, 
Lester  Franklin,  Floyd  Springer.  Russell 
Wayne  and  Chauncey  J.,  all  of  whom  are  ai 
home.  Rosetta  and  Grove  Allen,  the  second 
and  third  members  of  the  family,  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edwards  belong  to  the  Method 
i-i  church,  he  having  become  identified  with 
the  Edwards  Chapel  prior  to  his  marriage  and 
served  in  church  offices  since  his  removal  to 
Coffeen,  and  he  is  deeply  interested  in  the  va- 
rious church  activities,  contributing  generoush 
to  their  support  and  doing  nil  in  his  power 
for  their  upbuilding.  Tn  politics  he  is  a 
Democrat  with  accurate  information  concern- 
ing political  questions,  conditions  and  issues, 
and  the  important  service  which  he  has  ren- 
dered his  party  led  to  his  selection  for  a 
delegate  to  the  state  convention  held  in  Spring- 
field   in    1904.      lie   was   a    member  of   the  first 


town  board  of  Coffeen  and  is  now  filling  that 
position,  although  his  service  has  not  been  con- 
tinuous, lie  has  been  particularly  active  in 
opposition  to  the  saloons,  doing  all  in  his 
[lower  to  promote  temperance  sentiment  here. 
There  were  onlj  a  few  houses  in  Coffeen  when 
he  removed  to  the  (own.  and  he  has  been  a 
very  important  factor  in  the  upbuilding  of  the 
plaee.  He  is  quick  to  recognize  and  take  ad- 
vantage of  opportunities  Eor  the  public  wel- 
fare, as  well  as  bis  individual  business  inter- 
ests, and  his  career  ha-  been  marked  by  steady 
progression  and  characterized  by  the  develop- 
ment of  a  life  history  which  commands  uni- 
form respect  and  esteem. 


GEORGE    WILLIAM    PAISLEY. 

George  William  Paisley,  a  representative 
business  man  of  Montgomery  county,  who  at 
the  head  of  the  Montgomery  Coal  Company  is 
now  controlling  one  of  the  important  product- 
ive industries  of  this  section  of  the  state,  was 
horn  and  reared  within  the  borders  of  the 
county  and  obtained  his  earlj  education  in 
the  country  schools.  Later  he  attended  for 
three  short  terms  the  Hillsboro  Academy  and 
then  put  aside  his  textbooks  to  take  up  the 
active  work  of  the  farm.  At  a  later  date. 
however,  he  put  aside  agricultural  pursuits 
and  entered  upon  a  throe  years'  service  in  the 
Civil  war  as  a  member  of  an  Illinois  regimi  nt. 
He  did  bis  full  duty  as  a  soldier,  and  when 
hostilities  bad  ceased  returned  to  his  home. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Paisley  took  up  the  study 
of  law  and  for  a  time  served  as  county  sur- 
vevor  of  Montgomery  county,  while  later  be 
engaged  in  the  publicat  ion  of  a  newspaper.  1 L 
Pa-  always  been  a  man  of  much  activity  in 
belli  business  life  and  in  connection  with  pub- 
lic affairs,  and  from  1881  until  1883  he  was 
a  member  of  the  lower  house  of  the  Illinois 
legislature.  In  1805  he  was  chosen  to  repre- 
sent bis  district  in  the  slate  senate,  of  which 
hi>  continued  a  member  for  four  years.  Dur- 
ing President  Cleveland's  first  administration 
be  was  connected  with  the  interior  department 
of  the  government  and  had  charge  of  the  land 
offices   and    surveyor   general's   offices    in     the 


40 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


states  of  Michigan.  Wisconsin,  Minnesota, 
Iowa,  Missouri,  Kansas,  Arkansas,  Louisiana, 
Mississippi.  Alabama  and  Florida.  He  is  at 
present  engaged  in  the  mining  and  production 
of  coal  at  Paisley,  where  there  is  a  very  rich 
vein  of  bituminous  coal.  The  Montgomery 
Coal  Company,  the  corporation  with  which  Mr. 
Paisley  is  connected,  was  chartered  July,  1895. 
and  the  first  shaft  was  commenced  in  the  fall 
of  the  same  year,  while  mi  the  1th  of  July. 
L896,  coal  was  struck.  The  output  is  now  ex- 
tensive and  the  business   profitable. 


J.  A.  HAMPTON. 

J.  A.  Hampton,  a  retired  minister,  now  re- 
siding on  his  farm  on  section  21.  East  Fork 
township,  was  formerly  closely  connected  with 
agricultural  interests  in  Montgomery  county, 
and  his  unfaltering  purpose  and  strong  deter- 
mination in  the  face  of  obstacles  and  opposi- 
tion enabled  him  to  gradually  advance  upon 
the  high  road  to  success.  He  was  horn  in  East 
Fork  township.  November  3,  1835,  and  is  a 
son  of  William  E.  and  Nancy  A.  (Williams) 
Hampton.  In  tin1  maternal  line  he  is  a  rep- 
resentative of  one  of  the  oldest  families  of  the 
country,  for  the  Williams  home  was  established 
in  this  portion  of  the  state  in  1818.  W.  E. 
Hampton  was  horn  in  Kentucky  in  1814,  and 
his  wife  in  the  same  state  in  1816.  He  was 
twenty-one  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Illi- 
nois, and  here  lie  met  and  married  AI  iss  Wil- 
liams. He  was  a  tanner  by  occupation,  de- 
voting his  entire  life  to  the  tilling  of  the  soil, 
and  through  his  perseverance  ami  energy  he 
was  enabled  to  provide  a  comfortable  living 
for  his  family,  save  them  many  of  the  hard- 
ships and  t  rial-  of  pioneer  life  had  to  be  met. 
Hi-  death  occurred  about  1893,  and  thus  passed 
away  one  who  had  long  been  associated  with 
the  agricultural  development  of  Montgomery 
count  \ . 

J.  A.  Hampton  commenced  his  education  in 
the  old  log  sehoolhouse  in  Fast  Fork  township, 
which  was  one  of  the  pioneer  structures  of  the 
community.  There  were  no  glass  windows,  hut 
a  log  had  been  removed  from  one  side  of  the 
building   ami    covered    with   greased    paper,   so 


that  light  was  admitted  to  the  room  in  that 
way.  There  was  a  wooden  chimney  and  all 
the  furnishings  were  very  primitive.  The 
methods  of  instruction  also  were  rather  crude 
a-  compared  with  the  advanced  methods  of  the 
present  day,  hut  Mr.  Hampton  laid  tin-  foun- 
dation for  a  good  practical  knowledge,  which 
he    has   supplemented    by    experience,    reading 

and  observal in  later  years.     He  started  out 

for  himself  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  as  a 
farmer,  and  made  the  tilling  of  the  soil  his 
life  work,  although  lie  has  given  his  lime  ami 
energies  to  a  considerable  extent  to  the  labors 
of  the  church.  In  early  manhood  he  began 
studying  for  the  ministry,  and  while  working 
ai    farm   labor   he    would    frequently    take   his 

I k-   into   the   field   with   him.     He   received 

his  license  to  preach  when  twenty-one  years 
of  ago  and  became  a  local  minister,  preaching 
on  Sunday  while  continuing  at  farm  labor 
through  the  week.  He  was  a  local  preacher 
for  ten  years,  and  afterward  spent  thirty  years 
in  connection  with  the  southern  Illinois  con- 
ference. On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
entered  upon  su pern uiucra ry  relations  with  the 
ministry.  He  never  ceased  to  conduct  his  farm- 
ing interests,  ami  although  he  started  out  for 
himself  empty-handed  he  gradually  worked  his 
way  upward,  adding  to  bis  capital,  and  he  now 
own-  aboul  four  hundred  acres  of  land.  At 
the  prose  nt  time  In'  is  residing  on  his  farm, 
which  bis  son  operates. 

Ai  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  J.  A.  Hampton 
put  aside  all  business  and  personal  considera- 
tions and  with  patriotic  spirit  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany E.  One  Hundred  and  Seventeenth  Illi- 
nois Infantry.  Pie  participated  in  the  Red 
River  campaign  ami  in  the  battle  of  Nashville. 
was  also  in  the  fighting  at  Mobile  at  the  close 
of  tin'  war  and.  though  often  exposed  to  the 
fire  of  the  enemy,  he  was  never  wounded.  He 
was.  however,  in  the  hospital  because  of  illness 
during  the  last  year  of  his  service,  and  in  1865, 
following  the  close  of  the  war.  he  was  mus- 
tered out. 

Mi-.  Hampton  was  married  in  October.  1S55, 
to  Miss  Jane  Desart.  a  daughter  of  George 
Desart.  She  was  reared  in  Edgar  county,  ana 
by  her  marriage  became  the  mother  of  eight 
children,  and  only  two  are  now  living:    George 


MI! 8.    J.    A.    HAMPTON 


REV.    J.    A.    HAMPTON 


OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


43 


W..  ii  resident  of  Bond  county:  and  John  M., 
who  is  living  upon  the  homestead  rami.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hampton  held  membership  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  lived  earn- 
est, consistent.  Christian  lives.  He  cast  his 
first  presidential  ballot  for  John  C.  Fremont, 
the  first  candidate  of  the  Republican  party, 
and  continued  one  of  its  supporters  for  many 
years,  but  is  now  a  Prohibitionist.  He  for- 
merly belonged  to  the  Masonic  fraternity  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public. 

Ee  has  for  many  years — in  fact,  during  the 
entire  period  of  his  lift — been  a  resident  of 
Montgomi  ry  county,  and  has  therefore  wit- 
nessed many  of  its  changes  as  it  has  left  be- 
hind it  the  conditions  of  pioneer  life  and  has 
emerged  into  an  advanced  civilization.  His 
mother's  family  particularly,  was  one  of  the 
oldest  of  the  county,  and  his  mother  lived  here 
wben  the  Indians  were  still  very  numerous  in 
the  locality.  The  rise  of  ground  upon  which 
the  farmhouse  is  now  located  was  at  one  time 
the  site  of  an  Indian  camp.  Mr.  Hampton 
made  all  of  the  improvements  upon  his  farm. 
lie  secured  a  tract  of  land  which  was  unculti- 
vated and  unimproved.  There  were  no  fences 
upon  the  place,  and  over  the  wild  prairie 
roamed  deer  and  wolves,  but  with  characteris- 
tic energy  Mr.  Hampton  began  the  development 

of  his   property   and    in   tbe    course    of    ti 

reaped  good  harvests  as  the  reward  of  his  la- 
bors. His  life  has  been,  indeed,  an  active, 
busy,  useful  and  honorable  one,  and  over  tbe 
record  of  his  entire  career  there  falls  no  shadow 
of  wrong  or  suspicion  of  evil. 

Jobn  M.  Hampton,  who  is  now  operating 
the  home  farm,  was  born  in  East  Fork  town- 
ship and  supplemented  his  educational  privi- 
leges by  a  course  of  study  in  the  McKendree 
College  at  Lebanon.  Illinois.  He  there  pur- 
sued a  law  course  and  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1892.  Subsequently  he  published  a  news- 
paper and  practiced  law  in  Gillespie,  Illinois. 
His  health  then  became  poor,  and  he  went 
south.  After  returning  to  Illinois  he  resumed 
the  practice  of  law  and  published  a  paper  at 
Cerro  Gordo,  Illinois,  but  once  more  bis  health 
failed  and  again  lie  traveled  south  and  through 
the  west,  visiting  both  Mexico  and  California. 


About  a  year  ago.  however,  he  again  came  to 
Montgomery  county  and  settled  upon  his 
father's  farm,  where  he  now  lives,  lie  is  an 
enterprising,  progressive  man.  making  the  most 
of  his  opportunities  and  in  the  control  of  his 
business  interests  is  displaying  excellent  ability 
and  enterprise. 

In  November,  1903.  Air.  Hamilton  was 
united  m  marriage  to  Miss  Eva  Merriwether, 
a  daughter  of  .lames  Merriwether,  of  Macou- 
pin county.  His  wife  belongs  to  the  Presby- 
terian church.  Mr.  Eampton  is  identified  with 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  and  with 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and 
his  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Repub- 
lican party.  lie  is  a  worthy  representative  of 
a  family  that  has  long  stood  for  progress  and 
improvement  along  material,  social,  intellec- 
tual and  moral  lines  and  like  his  honored  father 
deserves  mention  in  this  volu 


WILLIAM     VAX     HOOSER. 

William  Van  Hooser,  whose  upright  life 
causes  his  memory  to  be  cherished  by  all  who 
knew  him.  was  born  in  Madison  county,  Illi- 
nois, October  1,  1816,  his  parents  being  Abra- 
ham and  Nancy  (Howard)  Van  Hooser,  who 
were  pioneer  settlers  of  Madison  county.  The 
father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  owned 
land  near  Collinsville.  where  he  resided  for 
many  years,  his  death  occurring  on  the  home- 
stead farm  there.  In  tbe  family  were  twelve 
children,  seven  sons  and  five  daughters,  of 
whom  William  Van  Hooser  was  the  fourth  in 
order  of  birth  and  he  was  the  last  survivor  of 
the  family. 

In  the  district  schools,  such  as  were  com- 
mon at  that  period.  William  Van  Hooser  ac- 
quired his  education.  The  little  temple  of 
learning  was  a  log  structure  and  the  methods 
of  instruction  were  equally  primitive.  Ee, 
however,  bad  the  privilege  of  attending  not 
more  than  three  months  in  the  year,  but  he 
made  good  use  of  bis  opportunities  during  that 
time.  The  remainder  of  the  year  was  devoted 
to  farm  work,  and  he  early  became  familiar 
with  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot 
of  the  agriculturist.     His    father  gave  him   a 


II 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


farm  in  Madison  count)'  of  eighty  acres,  which 
he  sold  in  December,  1859,  and  then  removed 
to  the  vicinity  of  Staunton  Station,  where  he 
resided  for  sixteen  years.  He  also  lived  for 
two  years  near  Troy,  Illinois,  and  on  taking 
up  his  abode  near  Nokomis  he  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land.  He  eventually  moved  to 
Nokomis,  where  occurred  his  death  in  1894. 
He  successfully  conducted  bis  agricultural  in- 
terests, placing  his  land  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  and  when  invention  brought  upon 
the  market  new  and  improved  machinery  he 
purchased  the  better  farm  implements  and  thus 
facilitated  his  work.  He  was  a  man  of  pro- 
gressive spirit  and  everything  about  his  place 
was  neat  and  thirfty  in  appearance. 

On  the  2d  of  February,  1840.  Mr.  Van 
Hooser  Tas  married  to  Miss  Jane  Hawks,  a 
daughter  of  Drury  and  Mary  Hawks.  Mrs. 
Van  Hooser  was  born  in  Grayson  county,  Vir- 
ginia, was  taken  in  early  childhood  to  eastern 
Tennessee,  and  when  quite  young  came  with 
her  widowed  mother  to  Illinois,  arriving  in 
1838,  at  which  time  the  family  home  was  es- 
tablished near  Troy,  in  Madison  county.  There 
her  mother  died  in  1854.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Van  Hooser  were  born  two  children:  Martha 
Jane,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  months; 
and  Mary,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty  years. 
She  was  married  when  nineteen  years  of  age 
to  Isaac  Wilson,  who  now  resides  near  No- 
komis. There  was  one  daughter  by  this  mar- 
riage, Martha  J.,  now  deceased. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Van  Hooser  was 
a  stanch  Republican  from  the  time  of  the  or- 
ganization of  the  party  until  his  death.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Christian  church  and  for 
more  than  sixty  years  was  a  representative  of 
its  ministry.  He  put  forth  every  effort  in  his 
power  to  advance  the  cause  of  Christianity  and 
upbuild  his  church  in  his  locality,  and  bis  in- 
fluence was  widely  felt.  A  kindly  spirit  and 
sympathetic  nature  had  endeared  him  to  all 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  and  his  memo- 
ry is  cherished  by  those  who  knew  him.  He 
died  in  the  year  1894  and  his  remains  were 
inferred  in  Nokomis  cemetery.  Mrs.  Van 
Hooser  still  survives  her  husband.  He  sold 
the  farm  before  his  death,  and  his  widow  is 
living  in  Nokomis,  occupying  a  pleasant  home. 


and  by  reason  of  his  industry  she  was  left  in 
comfortable  financial  circumstances.  She  has 
been  a  devoted  member  of  the  Christian  church 
for  sixty-four  years  and  her  Christian  life  fur- 
nishes an  example  that  is  indeed  well  worthy 
of  emulation. 


WILLIAM    A.    YOUNG. 

William  A.  Young  is  a  native  son  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Grisham  township,  one  mile  west  of  Donnell- 
son.  on  the  30th  day  of  August,  1836.  Within 
the  borders  of  his  native  county  he  has  lived 
and  labored,  being  one  of  the  representative 
farmers  and  leading  horticulturists  in  this  part 
of  the  state.  His  father,  William  Young,  came 
to  Montgomery  county  in  1830,  having  been 
born  and  reared  in  Maury  county,  Tennessee, 
near  Columbia.  The  journey  to  Illinois  was 
made  on  horseback,  and  after  remaining  a 
short  time  be  purchased  a  claim  on  forty  acres 
of  land,  which  had  a  pioneer's  log  cabin  built 
on  it  and  a  few  acres  under  cultivation.  On 
March  12,  1832,  he  was  married  to  Jane  C. 
Paisley,  of  Montgomery  county,  who  was  born 
and  reared  in  Guilford  county.  North  Carolina. 
Soon  afterward  William  Young  volunteered 
for  service  in  the  Black  Hawk  war  in  1831  as 
a  member  of  Captain  Rountree's  company,  and 
when  hostilities  had  ceased  he  returned  and  en- 
tered the  forty  acres  on  which  he  had  pre- 
viously purchased  the  little  improvements  with 
his  savings  while  in  the  service.  He  bought  a 
team  of  mule}"  oxen  and  made  for  himself  a 
wagon  with  wooden  axle  and  wooden  wheels, 
on  which  he  did  all  of  bis  hauling  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  As  the  years  passed  he  pros- 
pered, adding  continually  to  his  landed  pos- 
sessions  as  financial  resources  permitted  until 
he  was  the  owner  of  about  fourteen  hundred 
acres  of  farm  land.  He  served  twelve  years  as 
justice  of  the  peace,  and  in  1854  he  was  elected 
as  representative  to  the  state  legislature  from 
the  counties  of  Montgomery,  Bond  and  Clin- 
ton. He  strongly  advocated  the  Democratic 
principle-  as  set  forth  by  Andrew  Jackson,  for 
whom  he  cast  his  first  vote  for  president 

There  were  born  to  William  and  Jane  C. 
Young  nine  children,  namely:     James  J.,  who 


WILLIAM    A.    YOUNG 


OF  THE 
DIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMEEY    COUNTS 


47 


was  a  practicing  physician  in  Fremont  county, 
Iowa,  for  twenty  years  and  is  now  deceased; 
John  W.,  who  died  near  Donnellson.  Illinois, 
in  1899 ;  Harriett  E.,  who  became  the  wife  of 
William  J.  McCulach  and  died  May  22,  1901; 
Sarah  J.,  who  married  Ii.  M.  Powell,  of  Tay- 
lorville,  Illinois,  and  died  in  1S70;  Samuel, 
who  was  cashier  of  the  Haskell.  Harris  &  Com- 
pany Hank  and  died  in  1881 :  and  three  who 
died  in  infancy. 

William  A.  Young,  whose  name  introduces 
this  record .  is  the  only  survivor  of  the  nine 
children.  In  his  boyhood  days  he  worked  on 
his  fathers  farm  in  summer,  and  in  the  winter 
attended  the  subscription  schools  and  afterward 
continued  his  education  in  the  public  schools, 
which  had  been  organized  in  the  meantime. 
When  nineteen  years  of  age  he  entered  the 
Hillsboro  Academy,  in  which  he  spent  one 
year  and  afterward  engaged  in  teaching  for  a 
year.  In  1858  he  entered  McKondree  College 
and  remained  for  two  years.  In  I860  he  read 
law  cne  year  in  the  office  of  the  late  James  M. 
Davis,  of  Hillsboro.  On  the  7th  of  July,  L861, 
he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil  war.  be- 
coming quartermaster  sergeant  of  Company  E. 
First  Regiment  of  Illinois  Cavalry.  He  served 
in  Fremont's  campaign  in  Missouri  until  the 
surrender  of  Colonel  Mulligan  to  General  Price 
at  Lexington,  Missouri,  September  30,  1861. 
In  1862  he  resumed  his  studies  al  McKendree 
College  and  was  graduated  with  the  class  of 
that  year.  In  December.  1862,  he  was  ap- 
pointed deputy  sheriff,  which  position  he  filled 
with  entire  satisfaction  for  two  years,  and  in 
18(11  he  received  the  nomination  and  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  sheriff  of  Montgomery 
county  by  over  six  hundred  majority. 

After  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office 
as  sheriff  and  ex-officio  collector  of  Montgomery 
county.  William  A.  Young  was  united  in  mar- 
riage, November  '28.  1866,  to  Miss  Alary  E. 
Wave,  daughter  of  Obadiah  Ware.  The  follow- 
ing summer  the  young  couple  moved  to  the 
farm,  where  he  at  present  resides.  On  Janu- 
ary 1.  1870,  the  wife  and  mother  was  called 
from  this  life,  leaving  two  sons:  Anthony  O.. 
who  was  born  December  25.  1868,  and  is  now 
a  leading  physician  in  St.  Louis;  and  William 
A.,  Jr..  who  was  born   November  9.   1869,   and 


is  practicing  medicine  with  marked  success  in 
Springfield,  Illinois.  In  1871  our  subject  took 
as  bis  second  wife  Miss  Sarah  Muenscher,  of 
Mount  Vernon,  Ohio,  who  died  in  1898,  leav- 
ing four  children,  who  are  named  as  follows: 
Frederica,  Cornelia,  Charles  and  Eunice. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  State  Board  of  Agri- 
culture, in  1892,  Mr.  Young  was  elected  vice 
president  of  that  society  for  the  seventeenth 
congress al  district  and  served  ten  years,  be- 
ing re-elected  four  times  to  succeed  himself. 
While  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture 
lie  was  appointed  as  superintendent  of  the  Illi- 
nois exhibit  in  the  national  agricultural  build- 
ing at  tbi>  Columbian  Exposition  at  Chicago, 
in  1893.  Later  lie  served  three  years  as  super- 
intendent of  the  swine  department  and  six 
years  as  superintendent  of  the  horticultural 
department  of  the  State  Fair  at  Springfield. 
It  was  through  bis  vote  and  influence  that  the 
State  Fair  was  permanently  located  at  Spring- 
field, and  he  was  appointed  on  the  committee 
to  lay  out  the  grounds  and  locate  the  buildings. 
For  more  than  twenty  years  Mr.  Young  was 
associated  with  the  Montgomery  County  Agri- 
cultural Fair  Association,  and  served  continu- 
ously as  superintendent  and  director  and  three 
years  as  president  of  the  society.  He  was  one 
of  the  organizers  of  the  County  Farmers'  In- 
stitute and  was  elected  and  served  for  three 
years  as  president  of  that  organization.  At 
this  time  he  is  an  active  member  of  the  Illi- 
nois State  Horticultural  Society  and  Alton 
Eorticultural  Society,  and  is  often  called  upon 
to  give  a  talk  and  read  a  paper  on  horticultural 
topics  before  different  county  institute-. 

Eis  farm  is  bunted  one  mile  north  and  one 
mile  east  of  Butler,  in  Butler  Grove  township, 
and  upon  this  he  is  engaged  in  breeding  and 
raising  fine  stock,  always  procuring  the  best 
blood  obtainable  to  raise  from.  He  is,  perhaps, 
better  known  as  a  horticulturist  and  fruit- 
raiser.  From  his  boyhood  he  has  loved  trees, 
fruits,  birds  and  flowers,  and  the  study  of  na- 
ture is  ever  a  fascinating  and  interesting  pas- 
time to  him.  About  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago 
he  attended  a  meeting  of  the  Horticutural  So- 
ciety at  Alton,  Illinois,  and  flic  beautiful  ap- 
ples and  other  fruit  on  display  were  a  revela- 
tion to  him  and  aroused  his  ambition,  and  he 


48 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


said  to  himself,  Why  can  aoi  I  produce  equally 
as  fine  fruit?  Going  home,  he  read  and  drank 
in  everything  he  could  obtain  pertaining  to  the 
culture  of  fruit;  bought  textbooks;  read  pa- 
pers; mid  secured  official  reports  on  the  sub- 
ject. This  theory  he  put  into  practice,  and  by 
experimenting  ami  using  good  judgment  has 
succeeded  in  producing  fruit  that  has  not 
only  carried  off  many  prize-  at  the  state  fairs 
and  horticultural  meetings,  btit  his  fruit  was 
also  awarded  eight  gold  and  two  silver  medals 
at  the  great  Paris  Exposition  in  1900.  At  the 
Pan-American  Exposition,  at  Buffalo,  in 
L901,  he  was  awarded  a  gold  medal  on  apples 
and  peaches.  He  prepared  and  shipped  twelve 
barrels  of  apples  to  the  Paris  Exposition  which 
were  on  exhibition  from  May  until  November, 
ami  because  of  the  size,  shape  and  color  and 
fine  flavor  of  the  fruit  it  attracted  wide  at- 
tention and  made  [llinois  apples  famous  over 
western  Europe.  It  is  largely  due  to  the  ef- 
forts of  Mr.  Young  that  the  attention  of  fruit 
growers  has  been  attracted  to  Montgomery 
county  as  an  apple-producing  region,  and  thou- 
sands of  dollars  have  come  to  the  county  an- 
nually to  pay  for  fruit  through  the  advertising 
which  he  has  given  to  them.     Tn  this  work  he 

has   I n    eminently   successful   and    has   earned 

the  respect  and  gratitude  of  all  fruit  growers 
in  the  county.  'Sir.  Young  is  an  enthusiast 
upon  the  subject  of  forestry  and  thinks  that 
the  growing  of  timber  for  fuel  and  lumber 
will  be  a  profitable  industry  in  this  country  in 
the  future,  and  thinks  it  an  excellent  field 
for  a  young  man  to  engage  in.  He  has  more 
than  fifty  varieties  of  native  and  foreign  trees 
growing  on  his  grounds. 

On  the  31st  day  of  August,  1890.  Mr. 
Young  was  married  to  Mrs.  Emma  J.  Whit- 
ing, of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  whose  maiden 
Dame  was  Critchlow  and  who  was  born  in 
McKeesport.  Allegheny  county.  Pennsylvania. 
Her  parents,  Daniel  G.  and  Emma  .1.  Critch- 
low, emigrated  to  Illinois  when  she  was  two 
and  a  half  years  old  and  settled  at  Caseyville, 
Illinois.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war 
Mr.  Critchlow  enlisted  in  the  service  in  Com- 
pany E,  Second  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  was  at 
the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  where  he  died  the  day 
after  the  surrender,  leaving  a  widow  and   four 


children.  In  1861  Mrs.  Critchlow,  with  her 
daughter.  Emma  J.,  moved  to  Kansas  City, 
Missouri,  the  other  three  sisters  being  mar- 
ried and  living  at  Summerfield,  Illinois,  aft- 
erward moving'  to  Kansas  City.  Mrs.  Young, 
who  had  resided  in  Kansas  City  for  thirty-four 
years,  had  witnessed  the  phenomenal  growth 
of  that  place  from  a  small  steamboat  landing 
on  the  Missouri  river  to  the  great  metropoli- 
tan city  it  is  to-day.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young 
have  a  very  pleasant,  home  and  are  always  de- 
lighted to  entertain  their  many  friends  and 
visitors.  "The  latch-string  always  hangs  out." 
Socially  Mr.  Young  is  a  member  of  the  or- 
der of  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons  and 
Royal  Arch  chapter  of  Hillsboro.  and  in  poli- 
tics is  a  strong  adherent  to  the  Democratic 
doctrines  as  taught  by  Thomas  Jefferson.  He 
is  well  known  in  Montgomery  and  adjoining 
counties  as  one  of  its  most  enterprising  and 
progressive  men.  and  he  belongs  to  that  class 
of  typical  American  citizens  who,  while  ad- 
vancing their  individual  prosperity,  also  con- 
tribute  to  the  general  welfare  of  their  fellow 
men. 


ISAAC  A.  MILNER. 


Isaac  A.  Milner,  deceased,  represented  one 
of  the  old  and  honored  pioneer  families  of 
Montgomery  county.  A  native  of  Illinois,  he 
was  born  in  Edgar  county,  June  11.  1843,  and 
was  a  son  of  Robert  and  Mary  (Desart)  Mil- 
ner, both  of  whom  were  horn  in  Kentucky,  the 
former  April  IT.  1817,  and  the  latter  Decem- 
ber 1  1.  1822.  At  an  early  day  Robert  Milner 
cam.'  to  Illinois  and  first  settled  in  Paris,  but 
afterward  removed  to  Montgomery  county, 
where  he  owned  some  good  farming  property. 
His  first  wife  died  in  1864  and  he  subse- 
quently married  Mrs.  Emily  (Martin  Brown) 
Desart,  whose  death  occurred  in  1887.  He  died 
in  1881.  Religiously  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  church  and  politically  was  idem  i  Bed 
with  the  Republican  party.  In  his  family  were 
eight  children,  all  of  whom  are  now  deceased. 

During  his  boyhood  Isaac  A.  Milner  pursued 
his  -indies  in  a  log  school  house  at  Walnut 
Grove  and  n  hen  not  in  school  he  \\  orked  on  the 


ME.    AND    MRS.    1.    A.    MILXEE 


W.    A.    MILXEE 


MBS.    W.    A.    MILXEE 


ME.    AND    MES.    AAEON    HAWKINS 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


51 


farm,  early  acquiring  an  excellent  knowledge 
of  agricultural  pursuits.  At  the  time  of  the 
Civil  war  he  enlisted  at  Decatur,  Macon  county. 
in  1864,  as  a  private  in  the  First  Illinois  Cav- 
alry, but  was  afterward  promoted  to  corporal, 
and  remained  in  the  service  until  hostilities 
ceased.  He  then  returned  to  Montgomery 
county  and  engaged  in  farming  upon  land 
w  In.  li  his  father  had  given  him.  He  purchased 
additional  property  in  East  Fork  township  and 
engaged  in  its  operation  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  November  6,  1879,  bis 
remains  being  interred  in  Elm  Point  cemetery, 
Bond  county. 

Mr.  Milner  was  married  December  28,  18G5, 
near  Hillsboro,  to  Miss  Emma  J.  Frame,  who 
was  born  near  Coffeeu.  in  East  Fork  township, 
September  -1.  1847.  Her  father,  Robert  T. 
Frame,  was  born  near  Dayton,  Ohio,  in  De- 
cember, 1819,  and  at  an  early  day  came  witli 
his  parents  to  Montgomery  county.  He  ac- 
cumulated considerable  property.  In  politics 
he  was  a  Republican,  but  never  desired  office, 
and  in  religious  connection  he  was  a  member  of 
of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  church.  He 
died  in  February,  1879.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Cyrena  McCaslin.  was 
born  in  Kentucky,  December  8.  1822,  and  is 
still  living,  her  home  being  near  MeCune, 
Crawford  county,  Kansas.  In  their  family 
were  nine  children,  the  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  all  are  living  with  the  except  inn 
of  Maggie. 

By  his  ballot  Mr.  Milner  supported  the  Re- 
publican party  anil  was  eaUed  upon  to  fill  sev- 
eral local  offices.  While  advancing  his  indi- 
vidual interests  he  also  aided  in  promoting  the 
public  welfare  through  hearty  co-operation  in 
many  measures  and  movements  I'm'  the  general 
trood . 


W.  A.  MILNER. 


W.  A.  Milner  was  born  od  the  old  home- 
stead farm  in  East  Fork  township,  September 
4,  1873,  a  son  of  I.  A.  ami  Emily  J.  (Frame) 
Milner.  In  bis  early  boyhood  days  he  pur- 
sued his  education  under  the  instruction  of  J. 
E.  Traylor,  and  when  a  youth  of  eighteen  years 


he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account. 
Eowever,  in  the  meantime,  when  a  lad  of  only 
twelve  years,  he  had  been  a  most  able  assistant 
to  his  mother  in  the  management  and  care  of 

tl Id  home  farm  and  to  her  gave  the  benefit 

of  his  services  until  about  twenty  years  of  age. 
He  had  perhaps  more  advantages  than  some 
an]  less  than  others,  but  at  all  times  he  realized 
that  labor  is  the  basis  of  all  true  and  desir- 
able success  and  because  of  this  he  has  worked 
steadily  and  persistently  to  acquire  a  com- 
petence and  his  efforts  have  been  rewarded, 
for  he  is  now  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of 
Ins  community. 

"On  October  17,  1894,  Mr.  Milner  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Alma  Hawkins,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Aaron  and  Julia  (Miller)  Hawkins,  of 
East  Fork  township,  and  they  now  have  three 
children:  Mary  Eva,  Julia  E.  and  Isaac  A. 
Mi'.  Milner  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
fraternity  at  Coffeen  and  in  politics  he  is  a 
Republican,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired 
office,  preferring  to  give  his  attention  to  his 
business  affairs,  which  are  now  bringing  to 
him  a  very  gratifying  financial  return.  He  is 
raising  stock  of  all  kinds  for  the  market  and 
makes  his  own  shipments.  He  has  now  two 
hundred  and  seventy-live  acres  of  valuable 
laud.  He  learned  farming  through  experience 
and  in  his  labors  he  has  displayed  not  only 
practical  knowledge  but  excellent  business 
ability.  He  built  all  of  the  fences  upon  his 
place  and  made  all  of  the  improvements  and 
now  has  a  splendid  residence,  commodious 
barns  ami  substantial  outbuildings.  He  had 
mi  farm  implements  when  he  started  out  and 
in  fact  bis  capital  was  extremely  limited.  For 
sometime  he  rented  land  ami  was  then  enabled 
tii  purchase  one  hundred  and  forty  acres,  but 
as  the  years  advanced  his  work  resulted  in 
bringing  to  him  a  very  gratifying  prosperity. 
In  addition  to  general  fanning  he  began  rais- 
ing stuck  and  has  raised  some  excellent  mules 
and  lias  owned  some  high-bred  horses.  He  at 
one  time  handled  Illinois  Boy,  the  highest 
price  horse  in  the  county,  it  being  owned  by 
his  uncle.  He  also  raises  good  draft  horses  and 
fat  stock  produced  on  his  farm  is  a  guarantee 
of  its  high  grade.  He  is  yet  a  young  man,  but 
has   already   won   a    prosperity   that  many   an 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

ILLINOIS  LIBRAR1 

<U  UKBANA-CHAMPA 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


older   farmer   mighl    well    envy,  and   undoubt- 
edly greater  success  awaits  him  in  the   future. 


WILLIAM   S.   CHESS. 


William  S.  Cress  was  born  on  the  farm 
where  he  now  lives  in  Butler  drove  township, 
his  natal  day  being  February  11,  1848.  His 
father.  Jacob  Cress,  was  horn  in  Indiana  in 
1818,  and  the  grandfather.  Jacob  Cress,  Sr., 
was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  whence  he 
started  overland  in  1817,  but  on  reaching  In- 
diana he  settled  there,  remaining  in  that  slate 
for  a  year.  His  son  Jacob  was  born  there  in 
the  spring  of  1818  and  soon  afterward  the 
family  came  to  Montgomery  county,  Illinois, 
settling  in  Butler  Grove  township.  His  grand- 
father entered  land  from  the  government  on 
section  3.3  and  upon  the  place  built  a  log  cabin. 
He  then  began  the  development  of  a  farm, 
breaking  the  prairie  preparatory  to  the  tilling 
of  the  soil  and  in  due  course  of  time  gathering 
rich  harvests  as  the  result  of  his  labors.  Ho 
was  interested  in  the  Lutheran  church  and 
contributed  to  it-  support.  His  death  oc- 
curred when  he  had  reached  the  advanced  age 
of  eight\ -six  years.  In  the  family  were  eight 
children,    two   sons   and    six   daughters. 

Jacob  Cress,  dr..  was  reared  upon  the  old 
family  homestead  in  Butler  Grove  township 
and  remained  with  his  parents  until  the  time 
of  his  marriage,  which  occurred  on  the  23d  of 
January.  1840.  Miss  Helena  Scherer  becoming 
his  wife.  She  was  born  in  Virginia  in  ISIS 
and  was  the  daughter  of  Rev.  Daniel  Scherer, 
one  of  the  pioneer  Lutheran  ministers  of  this 
section  id'  the  country.  After  their  marriage 
the  young  couple  located  upon  the  farm  where 
William  Cress  now  resides  ami  the  husband 
erected  a  log  cabin  where  a  beautiful  and  com. 
modious  residence  now  stands.  The  pioneer 
home,  however,  contained  but  one  room  and 
Jacob  Cress  built  their  first  table.     He  brought 

his  bride  to  his  1 m   horseback  and  there 

lived  in  true  pioneer  style  for  some  time,  hut 
as  the  years  advanced  they  were  enabled  to 
add  many  of  the  comforts  and  conveniences 
of  the   time  to  their   place.      In    this    county 


Jacob  Cress  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years 
and  his  wife  has  also  passed  away. 

William  S.  Cress  was  reared  to  farm  life 
upon  the  old  family  homestead  and  attended 
the  conn i  schools,  hut  later  he  had  the  ad- 
vantage of  a  course  in  the  Illinois  State  Uni- 
versity under  the  auspices  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  He  spent  three  years  in  that  institu- 
tion and  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  began  teach- 
ing school,  being  employed  m  several  district 
and  high  schools,  while  at  one  time  he  was. 
principal  of  the  schools  of  Butler.  From  1873 
until  1875,  inclusive,  he  was  the  teacher  in  the 
school  which  was  removed  from  Springfield  to 
Carthage,  Illinois,  becoming  Carthage  College. 
He  was  assistant  to  the  chair  of  mathematics 
in  that  institution  for  three  years  and  in  1876-7 
he  taught  in  the  Butler  school.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  he  went  to  Hillsboro, 
where  he  and  his  brothers  were  engaged  in  the 
agricultural  implement  business  for  four  years. 
They  then  sold  out  and  William  S.  Cress  later 
spent  a  year  in  St.  Louis  and  Kansas  City.  He 
afterward  went  to  Wichita,  Kansas,  where  he 
was  connected  with  an  agricultural  implement 
house  for  four  years.  Later  he  went  to  Port- 
land, Oregon,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the 
real-estate  business  for  li\e  years,  returning 
thence  to  Wichita,  where  he  again  entered  into 
business  relations  with  the  house  with  which 
he  had  formerly  been  connected.  Owing  to  the 
death  of  his  younger  brother  he  returned  to 
Montgomery  county  and  took  charge  of  the 
old  home  place,  thus  relieving  his  father  of  its 
care. 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1900,  Mr.  Cress  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mattie  Schopf, 
of  Wichita.  Kansas,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren: John  B..  three  years  of  age:  and  Marie 
L.,  about  two  years  old.  There  are  seven  hun- 
dred and  fifty-five  aires  of  land  in  the  home 
farm  and  the  entire  amount  is  tmder  the  per- 
sonal  supervision  of  Mr.  Cress,  whose  practical 
training  at  farm  labor  in  early  years  makes  him 
an  agriculturist  whose  ability  is  widely  recog- 
nized, lie  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  rais- 
ing of  horses,  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep  and  now 
has  a  rloek  of  four  hundred  head  of  merino 
sheep.  In  community  interests  he  takes  an 
active  and  helpful   part  and   in   1902  served  as 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


W.    S.   CHESS 


MRS.    W.    S.    CRESS 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

--ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


:.; 


trusti f    Butler   Grove   township.      Ee   is   a 

member  of  the  Fraternal  Aid  Association  and 
Insurance  Society;  he  gives  his  political  al- 
legiance to  the  Democracy  and  is  a  member  <>£ 
the  Lutheran  church.  Ee  lias  had  a  varied 
business  experience  ami  has  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance, and  in  the  different  localities  in 
which  he  has  resided  fur  any  length  of  time 
he  has  made  warm  friends  because  of  his  relia- 
bility, social,  genial  nature  and  his  recognition 
of  worth  in  others. 


P.  .1.   BERMAN,  M.  D. 

The  medical  profession  of  Montgomery 
county  finds  a  capable,  conscientious  and 
worthy  representative  in  Dr.  P.  J.  Eerman, 
who  has  hern  practicing  within  its  borders  for 
nearly  a  half  century.  A  native  son  of  Illi- 
nois, he  was  horn  near  Chatham,  Sangamon 
county,  nu  the  22d  of  December,  1833,  and 
comes  of  German  ancestry,  the  family  having 
been  established  in  North  Carolina  in  early 
colonial  days.  David  Eerman,  the  grand- 
father, was  there  born,  and  David  II.  Eerman, 
the  father,  was  also  a  native  of  thai  state. 
born  in  1805.  About  1810  David  Herman  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  Kentucky,  settling 
in  Grant  county,  where  his  son,  David  H.  Her- 
man, grew  to  manhood.  Ee  was  married  there 
to  Sarah  Mills,  a  native  of  that  stale  and  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  Mitts,  also  one  of  the  early 
residents  of  Kentucky  of  German  ancestry.  Mr. 
Herman  removed  to  Illinois  in  1830,  establish- 
ing his  home  in  Sangamon  county  when  it  was 
largely  an  unimproved  district,  the  greater  part 
of  the  land  being  still  in  possession  of  the  gov- 
ernment, while  the  work  of  progress  and  im- 
provement was  scarcely  begun.  Tie  located 
near  Chatham,  where  he  entered  a  tract  of 
land  and  opened  up  a  farm,  which  he  continued 
to  make  his  home  for  more  than  sixty  years. 
There  he  reared  his  family  and  lived  an  active, 
useful  and  honorable  life,  proving  a  valued 
citizen  of  the  community  from  which  he  was 
called  by  death  in  1891.  His  wife  had  de- 
parted this  life  about  ten  years  before. 

Dr.  Herman  is  one  of  a  family  of  six  sons 
and  three  daughters  that  were  reared  to  adult 


age  upon  the  old  family  homestead,  and  of 
these  three  sons  and  laughter  are  yet  liv- 
ing. Like  the  others  of  the  family,  he  re- 
mained under  the  parental  roof  through  the 
period  of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  His  com- 
mon school  advantages  were  supplemented  by 
a  course  of  study  in  the  high  school  at  Spring- 
field, and  he  entered  upon  preparation  for  his 
profession  in  Chatham  as  a  student  in  the 
office  of  Dr.  N.  Wright,  one  of  the  old  practi- 
tioners of  Sang; n  county.  He  began  read- 
ing medicine  in  L855  and  pursued  his  first 
course  of  lectures  in  Rush  Medical  College  in 
18.58-59.  Before  this  time  he  had  engaged  m 
teaching  in  Sangamon  county,  but  he  regarded 
this  merely  as  an  initiatory  step  to  other  pro- 
fessional labor.  After  completing  his  first 
course  of  lectures  he  came  to  Montgomery 
county  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine here.  In  1862  he  went  to  Chicago  and 
completed  a  medical  course  in  Rush  Medical 
College,  in  which  he  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1863.  Again  locating  in  Raymond,  he 
not  only  practiced  medicine  and  surgery,  but 
also  conducted  a  drug  store,  in  which  he  com- 
pounded hi.-  own  medicines.  His  practice 
called  him  to  many  points  over  a  wide  area  and 
he  built  up  a  large  and  successful  business,  lie 
is  now  the  oldest,  practitioner  in  this  part  of 
the  county  and  has  long  maintained  a  foremost 
position  J7i  Ihi'  ranks  of  the  fraternity.  He 
belongs  to  (he  Montgomery  County  Medical 
Society,  ami  continued  reading  and  investiga- 
tion bave  kept  him  thoroughlj  informed  con- 
cerning the  advancement  made  by  the  profes- 
sion. He  now  largely  confines  himself  to 
office  practice,  and  in  as  far  as  possible  is  put- 
I  ing  aside  professional   labors. 

Dr.  Herman  was  married  April  II.  1863, 
to  Miss  Eliza  A.  Xeal.  a  native  of  Sangamon 
county,  who  was  reared  in  Montgomery  coi  □ 
ty.  Her  father.  Elijah  B.  Xeal.  formerly  of 
Kentucky,  became  a  resident  of  Sangamon 
county.  Illinois.  Into  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Herman 
have  been  horn  four  children,  who  are  yet  liv- 
ing: Julia  A.,  the  wife  of  frank'  If  Schafer, 
of  Nokomis;  Hattie  L..  who  occupies  a  posi- 
tion in  a  mercantile  establishment  in  Ray- 
mond; Flora  Belle,  the  wife  of  William  \. 
Ray,  of  Chicago;  ami   Blanche   Mav,  the  wife 


58 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


of  Stephen  0.  Seward,  of  Montgomery  coun- 
ty.     They  also   lost  their  first   child,   Frances 

Ellen,  who  died  in  early  wornanh I. 

Politically  Dr.    Herman  is  a  Democrat,  who 
east    his    first   presidential    vote    for    Franklin 
Pierce  and  his  last  ballol  for  William  Jennings 
Bryan.      He    has   never   had   time   to   seek   or 
fill  public  office,  although  he  served  as  presi- 
dent of  the  village  board  for  three  terms  and 
also   as   village  trustee.     He  has   ever   been   a 
warm    friend  of   the   cause  of  education,   and 
while    serving    on    the    school    hoard    has    put 
forth  effective  effort  for  the  upbuilding  of  the 
schools  and  the  raising  of  the  standard  of  edu- 
cation   in    Raymond.      He   is     a   Royal     Arch 
Mason  and   was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Masonic  lodge  at  Raymond,  of  which  he  served 
as  master  for  a  number  of  terms,  while  at  the 
present  time  he  is  again  filling  that  position. 
He  has  likewise  represented  his  lodge  in  the 
grand  lodge  of  the  state  on  three  different  oc- 
casions.     He   belonged    to    Hillsboro    chapter, 
hut    was   afterward    dimitted.      His   wife    is   a 
member    of    the    Methodist    Episcopal    church. 
Dr.    Herman    has    resided    in    this    section    of 
Illinois    throughout    his    entire    life,    and    for 
nearly    fifty    years    lias    been    identified    with 
the    growth,  development    and    prosperity    of 
Raymond  and  Montgomery  county.     Few  have 
so  lone-  resided  in  this  district  as  lias  Dr.  Her- 
man, and  none  have  a  wider  or  more  favorable 
acquaintance.      He   is   always   an   honored   at- 
tendant at  the  old  settlers'  picnics  of   Sanga- 
mon and   of   Montgomery  counties,  and   he   is 
well  known  in  central  Illinois  as  a  man  who 
is  entitled  to   the  highest  regard    and    respect 
by    reason   of   an   upright  life,   as   well    as   su- 
perior professional  skill  that  has   rendered  his 
lifework  of  the  utmost  benefit  and  value  to  his 
fellow  men. 


GEORGE   N.   ALLEN. 

George  N.  Allen,  one  of  the  most  progressive 
residents  of  East  Fork  township,  following 
farming  on  sent  ion  ~>.  was  born  in  that  town- 
ship. April  '.".i.  1858,  a  son  of  Robert  and 
Harriet  (Ohmart)  Allen.  His  father  was 
born   in   North  Carolina,  spent   flu1  days  of  his 


boyhood  and  youth  there  and  came  to  Mont- 
gomery county  when  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
settling  in  East  Fork  township.  Pioneer  con- 
ditions existed  here  at  that  early  period.  Much 
of  the  land  was  still  in  possession  of  the  gov- 
ernment, having  not  been  reclaimed  for  the 
purpose  of  civilization.  Mr.  Allen,  however, 
took  an  active  part  in  developing  this  portion 
of  the  state  and  was  recognized  as  one  of  the 
leading  men  of  his  community,  doing  much 
to  promote  social,  religious  and  political  inter- 
ests,  as  well  as  the  material  development  of 
Montgomery  county.  His  life  was  actuated  by 
high  and  honorable  purpose  and  principles, 
and  he  commanded  the  respect  and  good  will 
of  all  who  knew  him.  He  died  August  1, 
1891,  leaving  two  sons,  William  A.  and 
Georue  X. 

George  N.  Allen  was  reared  upon  the  old 
family  homestead,  working  in  the  fields 
through  the  summer  months,  while  in  the  win- 
ter seasons  he  attended  the  public  schools  and 
acquired  a  fair  practical  English  education. 
He  started  out  in  life  for  himself  when 
eighteen  years  of  age.  His  father  was  then 
in  poor  health  and  gave  to  him  the  manage- 
ment of  the  farm,  which  he  conducted  as  his 
father's  partner.  He  also  purchased  a  tract 
of  land  about  the  same  time,  incurring  an  in- 
debtedness in  order  to  do  this,  but  within  a 
short  period  be  discharged  the  obligation.  Later 
he  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Donnellson, 
where  he  resided  for  four  years,  but  through- 
out that  period  he  continued  as  overseer  of  his 
father's  farm.  After  his  father's  death  he 
settled  upon  the  home  plan',  where  he  now  re- 
sides. He  has  added  to  this  farm  from  time  to 
time  and  is  today  the  owner  of  a  valuable 
property  of  four  hundred  and  thirty-six  acres 
in  East  Fork  township.  Much  of  his  land  is 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  he  an- 
nuallv  harvests  good  crops.  For  about  ten 
vears  be  has  engaged  in  shipping  stock,  and 
this  has  added  materially  to  his  income,  for 
he  is  an  excellent  judge  of  farm  animals  and 
thus  is  enabled  to  make  purchases  and  sales 
which  vield  a  good  profit.  He  has  become 
well  known  as  a  stock-raiser,  and  be  also  han- 
dles a  pood  breed  of  cattle,  wdiich  he  feeds  for 
the  market.    He  has  made  a  close  study  of  how 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNT! 


59 


to  import  stock  in  the  best  way  and  in  the 
shortest  time,  and  his  knowledge  is  compre- 
hensive and  practical.  At  this  writing,  in  1904, 
he  owns  a.  herd  of  registered  Ohio  Improved 
Chester  White  hogs,  and  he  now  has  about  sev- 
enty hogs  eligible  to  be  registered.  He  has 
also  handled  many  sheep.  He  and  his  brother 
had  very  little  in  boyhood  and  worked  on  a 
threshing  machine  for  fifty  cents  per  day,  but 
as  time  passed,  through  industry  and  economy 
Mr.  Allen  gradually  worked  his  way  upward 
financially,  and  is  today  the  possessor  of  a 
very  valuable  farm  and  is  also  one  of  the  stock- 
holders and  directors  of  the  First  National 
Bank  at  Hillsboro.  He  and  his  brother  also 
own  nine  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres  of  land 
m  Arkansas,  a  part  of  which  is  covered  with 
timber,  while  the  remainder  is  devoted  to  cot- 
ton raising. 

In  November,  1882.  Mr.  Allen  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Zilphia  Wilson,  a  daughter 
of  George  Wilson,  and  unto  them  have  been 
born  seven  children,  all  of  whom  are  living: 
Orin  K.,  who  is  now  attending  the  State  Nor- 
mal School  at  Charleston,  Illinois ;  Cullen  F. ; 
Robert  W. ;  William  F. ;  Charlotte;  Mary;  and 
Dorothy.  All  of  the  children  are  at  home. 
Mrs.  Allen  belongs  to  the  Methodist  church  and 
Mr.  Allen  holds  membership  relations  with  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  being  made  a  Mason  atDon- 
nellson  in  1800.  and  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  lodge  and  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks.  He  keeps  well  informed 
on  the  political  questions  and  issues  of  the 
day,  votes  with  the  Democracy  ;md  has  filled 
the  office  of  assessor,  but  would  never  consent 
to  occupy  other  official  positions,  preferring  to 
give  bis  time  and  energies  to  his  business  af- 
fairs. He,  however,  takes  a  deep  and  active 
interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  wel- 
fare of  his  township  and  is  the  champion  of 
many  measures  that  have  resulted  in  the  pub- 
lic good.  He  has  been  a  delegate  to  the  state 
and  congressional  conventions  and  a  member 
of  the  federal  court  at  Hillsboro.  He  is  an 
advocate  of  gravel  roads  for  the  county  and 
of  graded  township  schools  instead  of  the  dis- 
trict schools,  and  he  was  instrumental  in  se- 
curing the  establishment  of  the  rural  mail  de- 
livery along  its  present  route.     His  ideas,  while 


always  progressive,  are  at  the  same  time  practi- 
cal, and  his  efforts  have  proved  very  beneficial 
to  the  county,  and  lie  has  also  conducted  his 
business  affairs  so  as  t"  win  most  gratifying 
ami  honorable  success. 


L.  V.  HILL. 

L.  V.  Hill,  who  is  filling  the  position  of 
prosecuting  attorney  at  Hillsboro,  is  one  of 
the  younger  representatives  of  the  Montgom- 
ery county  bar,  hut  his  years  seem  no  obstacle 
in  his  success,  which  has  been  of  a  most  de- 
sirable character.  He  seems  to  have  been  en- 
dowed by  nature  with  the  peculiar  qualifications 
that  combine  to  make  a  successful  lawyer.  He 
is  patiently  persevering,  possesses  an  analytical 
mind  and  one  that  is  readily  receptive  and  re- 
tentive of  the  fundamental  principles  and  in- 
tricacies of  the  law.  He  applies  himself  with 
great  thoroughness  to  the  mastery  of  his  case, 
is  fearless  in  its  alvocacy,  is  quick  to  com- 
prehend subtle  problems  and  logical  in  his 
conclusions  and  thus  he  has  won  for  himself 
an  enviable  position  as  a  representative  of  the 
legal  fraternity. 

Mr.  Hill  is  a  son  of  Isaac  and  Mary  (Sears) 
Hill.  His  father,  now  residing  in  Joplin,  Mis- 
souri, was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Illinois,  and 
in  early  manhood  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming.  About  1888,  however,  he  turned  his 
attention  to  the  lumber  business  and  he  is 
now-  extensively  interested  in  zinc  mines  near 
Joplin,  Missouri.  Through  marked  enterprise 
and  keen  discrimination  in  business  affairs  he 
has  become  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of 
I  he  community  in  which  be  makes  his  home. 
His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Democ- 
racy. He  married  Mary  Sears,  also  a  native 
of  Illinois,  a  ml  a  daughter  of  Thomas  andJoicey 
(Alexander)  Sears,  who  removed  to  Missouri 
during  the  childhood  of  their  daughter,  re- 
maining for  several  years  in  thai  state.  Mr. 
Sears  was  :i  farmer  by  occupation.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hill  were  horn  five  children,  of  whom 
four  are  yet  living,  the  second.  Louisa,  hav- 
ing passed  away.  Those  who  still  survive  are 
L.  Y..  of  this  review:  .T<  sse.  who  is  a  stockman 
of    Fillmore    township,    Montgomery    county; 


GO 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


Lona,  who  married  Fred  Hendrix  arid  resides 
aear  her  parents;  and  Nora,  who  married 
Houston  King  and  is  also  living  aear  Joplin, 
M  issouri. 

L.  V.  Jlill  acquired  his  early  education  in 
the  village  of  Fillmore  and  alA  rward  attended 
the  Alexander  school  of  that  locality.  On  put- 
ting aside  his  text  books  he  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  at  Fillmore  in  connection  with 
his  father,  remaining  there  until  L897,  whm 
he  removed  to  Hillsboro.  hi  the  meantime  he 
had  devoted  a  year  to  the  reading  of  law.  and 
in  May.  1897,  he  entered  the  law  office  of  How- 
ett  &  Jett,  with  whom  lie  continued  his  read- 
ing until  the  fall  of  1899,  when  he  was  ad- 
milted  to  the  bar.  He  at  onee  began  to  prac- 
tice at  Hillsboro,  where  he  has  met  with  very 
desirable  success,  securing  a  clientage  of  a  dis- 
tinctively representative  character.  In  1900  be 
was  elected  to  (be  office  of  states  attorney  of 
Montgomery  county  and  in  the  spring  of  l!Ni  + 
lie  successfully  prosecuted  the  work  of  a  mur- 
der case  in  which  the  culprit  was  given  the 
full  extent  of  the  law.  His  has  bei  n  a  remark- 
able career  in  the  prosecution  of  important 
eases  and  during  his  term  as  attorney  has  prose- 
cuted three  murder  eases  in  this  county  and  bis 
presentation  of  a  case  indicates  thorough  prep- 
aration, a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the 
principles  of  jurisprudence  and  Ins  logical  de- 
ductions, lie  has  gained  high  rank  among  his 
professional  brethren  by  bard  work  and  by 
evidencing  bis  ability  to  lill  the  position  with 
which  thi  people  have  intrusted  him.  Aside 
from  bis  law  practice  be  is  interested  in  flu. 
Eillsboro  Electric  Railway  Company  and  with 
his  father  lias  large  interests  in  zinc  mines  at 
Joplin,  Missouri.  In  connection  with  four 
others  he  laid  out  the  park  subdivision  to  Hills- 
boro,  recently  incorporated  within  the  limits 
of  the  city,  lie  bus  been  watchful  of  every  sign 
pointing  to  progress  ami  advancement  in  the 
community,  has  endorsed  all  measures  for  the 
general  g 1  ami  has  given  hearty  co-opera- 
tion to  many  movements  which  have  tended 
toward  material   1"  aefil    to   II  tllsboro. 

In  tSPo  Mr.  Hill  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Mis-  Josie  Williams,  a  native  of  Fillmore  town- 
ship, and  a  daughter  of  Webster  ami  Katherine 
Williams.     Her    father   is   a   harnessmaker   of 


Fillmore,  line  child  was  born  of  this  mar- 
riage. Harold,  luit  lii>  death  occurred  when  be 
was  but  four  months  old.  Mr.  Hill  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  the 
Benevolent     Protective     Order    of     Elks,     the 

Modern  W Imen    camp  and  the   Knights    of 

the  Maccabe  s  and  bis  political  allegiance  is 
given  to  the  I  (emocracy. 


HENRY    II.   WARNSING. 

Henry  11.  Warnsing,  who  devotes  his  time 
and  energies  to  auctioneering  and  general 
farming,  lives  on  section  28,  Rountree  town- 
ship. He  is  a  representative  of  the  worthy 
class  of  citizens  that  Germany  has  furnished 
to  Montgomery  county,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  Hanover,  Germany,  on  the  1st  of 
December,  1844.  He  was  Left  an  orphan  when 
only  a  year  old  and  at  the  age  of  seven  he 
accompanied  Ins  grandparents  on  their  emigra- 
tion to  the  United  .States,  the  family  home 
being   established   in  Madison  county.  Illinois. 

Henry  II.  Warnsing  was  educated  largely  in 
Germany,  having  no  instruction  in  the  English 
tongue,  save  that  he  attended  an  evening 
school.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  lie  began 
learning  the  marble-cutter's  trade  in  Fdwards- 
ville,  Illinois,  where  be  was  employed  until 
1864,  when  in  the  month  of  August  he  en- 
listed in  Company  F.  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-fourth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He 
served  for  eleven  months  and  on  the  expiration 
of  that  period  was  discharged  at  (.'amp  Butler 
in  July,  1865,  for  tin'  war  bad  ended  and  the 
country  no  longer  needed  bis  aid.  He  after- 
ward resumed  farm  work,  being  employed  by 
the  month  in  Madison  county.  After  two  and 
a  ball'  years  be  resolved  to  engage  in  farming 
on  In-  own  account  and.  renting  a  tract  of  bind 
in  Montgomery  county,  be  took  up  his  abode 
thereon  in  ISM.  He  continued  renting  until 
1873,  and  during  that  period  prospered  in  his 
work  so  that  in  the  latter  year  he  was  enabled 
to  purchase  forty  acre-  of  land,  constituting 
tbe  nucleus  of  his  present  extensive  and  val- 
uable landed  possessions.  As  opportunity  has 
increased  be  has  made  judicious  purchases  of 
other  land  and  now  owns  aboui   seven  hundred 


[I.    II.    WAENSING    AND    FAMILY 


LIBRARY 
OF  TH£ 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


G3 


acres  in  Montgomery  county,  the  greater  part 
in  Rountree  township.  He  has  placed  most  of 
the  improvements  upon  the  farm  where  he 
now  lives  and  he  lias  here  a  very  attractive 
place  equipped  with  all  modern  conveniences 
and  accessories.    The  buildings  and   fences  are 

kept    iii  g I   repair,  the  fields  are   well   tilled 

and  everything  about  the  place  indicates  the 
careful  supervison  of  an  enterprising  owner. 
Be  is  also  agent  for  the  Home  Mutual  Insur- 
ance Company  and  he  lias  been  an  auctioneer 

for  the  last  thirty-one  years,  the  lir f  Warn- 

sing  &  Son  being  the  leading  auctioneers  of 
tli is  section  of  the  state. 

On  the  24th  of  February,  1871,  Mr.  Warh- 
sing  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Londa 
M.  Weller,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  ( '.  Weller, 
both  now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warosmg 
have  become  the  parents  of  eight  children: 
John,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years;  Wil- 
liam, who  died  at  the  age  of  a  year  and  a  half; 
Fred,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nine  months; 
Robert  P>. ;  Daniel  J.,  of  Rountree  township; 
Martin  Luther,  who  is  also  living  in  this 
township;  Fred   IT.  and  Lena  L..  both  at  borne. 

The  parents  are  members  of  the  English 
Lutheran  church  and  Mr.  Warnsing  is  con- 
nected with  Cunningham  Post,  G.  A.  I!.  Rec- 
ognized  as  one  of  the  influential  men  of  his 
township  whose  interest  in  the  public  affairs 
is  of  an  unselfish  and  patriotic  nature,  be  lias 
been  called  upon  to  fill  many  of  the  township 
offices,  perhaps  serving  to  a  greater  extent  in 
such  a  way  than  any  other  man  of  the  town- 
ship. He  is  now  school  treasurer  and  in  this 
office  as  in  all  others  that  lie  has  filled  be  lias 
discharged  his  duties  with  notable  prompt- 
ness and  fidelity.  Tie  is  a  man  id'  genuine 
worth,  true  ti>  every  trust  reposed  in  him,  and 
the'  sterling  traits  of  bis  character  have  gained 
him  warm   friendship  in   Montgomery   county. 


WILLIAM     SIMS. 

William  Sims,  for  many  years  identified  with 
agricultural  interests  in  Montgomery  county, 
hut  now  living  a  retired  life  in  Raymond,  is 
of  Scotch  birth  and  parentage.  He  was  born 
in  Aberdeenshire.   Scotland,  May   12,   1845.   a 


Miii  of  William  and  Ann  (Breody)  Sims,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  Scotland.  The  fa- 
ther's birth  occurred  in  Aberdeenshire  in  1821 
and  in  ls;>n  he  emigrated  to  the  new  world  in 
company  with  his  family,  locating  in  Bucks 
enmity.  Pennsylvania,  where  he  purchased  a 
trait  el  land  and  engaged  in  farming.  In 
1851  he  Mild  that  properly  and  came  to  Illinois, 
settling  in  Clinton  county,  where  he  purchased 
raw  land  and  opened  up  a  farm,  residing  there- 
on lor  a  number  of  years.  Later  he  came  to 
Monte/mii  ry  enmity  and  purchased  a  farm  near 
Hillsiioro.  where  he  spent  the  last  years  of  his 
life,  passing  away  there  on  the  9th  of  June, 
is  is.  Throughout  his  entire  business  career 
he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  and  as  the 
result  of  his  activity  and  perseverance  he  was 
enabled  to  provide  a  comfortable  living  for  his 
family.  He  possessed  many  excellent  traits  of 
character  which  endeared  him  to  those  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact  and  won  for  him  the 
confidence  and  good  will  of  all  with  whom 
be  was  associated.  His  wife  survived  him  sev- 
eral years,  dying  March  26,  1885.  In  their 
family  were  six  sons  and  two  daughters,  of 
whom  one  daughter  died  in  infancy  and  another 
at  the  age  of  about  five  years,  while  live  of  the 
sons  are  yet  living. 

William  Sims  grew  to  manhood  upon  the 
old  homestead  farm  and  remained  with  his 
father  until  be  had  attained  his  majority,  as- 
sisting in  the  labors  of  field  and  meadow  as 
bis  age  and  strength  permitted.  His  educa- 
tional privileges  were  those  afforded  by  the 
common  schools.  He  was  married  in  Clinton 
county.  August  6,  1866,  to  Miss  Julia  Ash- 
lock',  who  was  horn  at  Belleville,  Illinois,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  Robert  Ashlock,  a  cabinet- 
maker and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the 
-laic  living  in   St.   Clair  county. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Sims  located  in  Clin- 
ton county,  llliinus.  where  he  carried  on  gen- 
eral farming  I'm-  several  years  and  about  1870 
he  came  to  Montgomery  county,  where  he  rent- 
ed a  tract  of  land  for  one  year.  He  then  pur- 
chased a  farm  in  Raymond  township,  consti- 
tuting one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  and  this 
he  began  to  break  and  improve,  adding  many 
modern  equipments  and  placing  his  fields  un- 
der a  high  state  of  cultivation.     Later  he  pur- 


Ill 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


chased  more  land  from  time  to  time  until  he 
now  owns  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  com- 
prised within  the  borders  of  two  well  improved 
farms.  He  continued  in  the  active  operation 
of  his  land  until  1891,  when  he  rented  the 
farms  and  removed  to  Raymond,  when'  he  pur- 
chased the  residence  that  he  now  occupies.  He 
lias  since  given  his  supervision  to  his  farming 
interests,  but  if  not  connected  with  the  active 
work.  In  Raymond  he  purchased  a  lot  and 
erected  a  business  house  and  he  also  remodeled 
and  added  to  his  residi  nee,  which  is  a  neat 
and  attractive  home.  Tie  also  own-  some  val- 
uable property  in  Pueblo,  Colorado.  Tlis  busi- 
ness affairs  have  claimed  the  greater  part  of 
his  time  and  attention,  yet  he  has  neveT  been 
remiss  in  the  duties  of  citizenship  and  in  a 
quiet  way  has  assisted  in  many  measures  for 
the  general  good.  Politically  he  i-  a  stanch 
Republican,  having  given  unfaltering  support 
to  the  party  since  casting  his  first  presidential 
y<  te  for  U.  S.  Granl   in  1868. 

I  tito  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sims  have  been  born 
three  children,  but  they  lost  their  oldest, 
Charles,  who  reached  mature  years,  was  mar- 
ried and  was  successfully  engaged  in  business 
in  Raymond  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Their 
daughters  are  Libbie  and  Ethel,  the  former  the 
wife  of  George  It.  Lynch,  of  Pueblo,  Colo- 
rado: and  Ethel,  now  living  with  her  sistei.. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sims  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
church  and  he  is  a  Master  Mason,  belonging  to 
the  lodge  at  Raymond.  During  thirty-four 
years'  residence  in  Montgomery  county  Mr. 
Sims  is  widely  known  to  many  of  its  citizens 
and  there  has  been  in  his  life  record  no  cle- 
ment, which  awakt  ns  harsh  criticism  or  con- 
demnation. On  the  other  hand  his  career  has 
been  characterized  by  laudable  ambition  to 
achieve  success  and  honorable  methods  of  win- 
ning prosperity,  and  he  certainly  deserves  cred- 
it for  what  he  has  accomplished. 


.lolIN   W.  CHAMBERLIN. 

John  W.  Chamberlin,  one  of  the  best  known 
representatives  of  industrial  interests  in  Litch- 
field, has  been  identified  with  building  opera- 
tions here  for  many  years,  and  has  contributed 


in  large  measure  toward  improving  and  beauti- 
fying the  city.  lie  i.-  al-o  engaged  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  brick,  and  his  business  career  has 
Keen  characterized  by  unfaltering  diligence  and 
perseverance.  Moreover,  he  is  an  active  ad- 
vocate .if  intellectual  and  moral  progress,  and 
as  a  citizen  is  foremost  among  those  who 
champion  all  measures  for  the  general  good. 

Mr.  Chamberlin  was  bom  in  Kanawha 
county.  West  Virginia,  April  17.  1840,  a  son 
of  Nathaniel  and  Joanna  (Willis)  Chamber- 
lin. The  father  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  was  of  English  lineage,  tracing  his  ancestry 
back  to  on,'  of  the  band  of  Pilgrims  who  came 
to  America  in  the  Mayflower.  Nathaniel 
Chamberlin  was  reared  upon  a  farm,  but  be- 
came a  contractor  and  builder.  He  removed 
to  Virginia  when  twenty-three  years  of  age 
and  there  operated  a  sawmill.  On  his  removal 
to  the  west  he  settled  in  St.  Louis,  where  he 
began  contracting  and  building,  and  was  one 
id'  the  leading  citizens  and  business  men  of 
the  Missouri  metropolis  of  that  time.  While 
ii.  Virginia  he  married  Miss  Joanna  Willis, 
who  was  born  in  Winchester,  that  state,  a 
daughter  of  William  Willis,  who  was  of  Ger- 
man birth.  There  was  also  an  English  strain 
in  the  maternal  ancestry.  Her  father  was  a 
harnessmaker  by  trade  and  for  many  years  fol- 
lowed that  business  in  Virginia,  where  his 
death  ultimately  occurred.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Chamberlin  were  horn  eight  children,  but  with 
the  exception  of  John  W.,  of  this  review,  all 
have  passed  away.  The  father  died  in  1863  at 
the  age  of  sixty-three  years  and  the  mother's 
death  occurred  in  Litchfield  in  1890  when  she 
was  seventy-six  years  of  age.  Mr.  Chamber- 
lin held  membership  in  the  Cumberland  Pres- 
byterian church,  while  his  wife  was  a  member 
of  the  Metholist  Episcopal  church.  In  politics 
he  was  a  radical  Republican,  espousing  the 
cause  of  the  party  at  a  time  when  it  required 
personal  courage  to  uphold  one's  political  con- 
viction-, lie  enjoyed  the  highest  regard  of  all 
with  whom  he  was  associated  and  his  upright 
career  ami  fidelity  to  duty  made  him  one  of 
nature's  noblemen. 

In  the  public  schools  of  St.  Louis.  Missouri, 
John  W.  Chamberlin  acquired  his  education 
ami  on  putting  aside  his  text  books  entered  a 


JOHN    W.    CHAMBEELIN 


OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


67 


printing  office,  where  he  worked  for  a  year. 
He  afterward  learned  the  trade  of  brick-lay- 
ing and  throughout  the  greater  pari  of  his 
business  career  lias  been  engaged  in  contract- 
ing and  building.  His  business  interest-,  how- 
ever, were  put  aside  at  the  time  of  the  Civil 
war.  fur  in  September,  1861,  at  St.  Louis,  he 
enlisted  in  Fremont's  Engineering  Corps  and 
served  in  that  organization  until  it  was  dis- 
banded. He  was  then  with  William  Hitchcock, 
known  as  "Wild  Bill,"  on  a  transportation 
train  through  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  trans- 
porting provisions  for  the  army  for  eighteen 
months.  In  1865  he  came  to  Litchfield  and  has 
since  been  identified  with  its  building  opi  ra- 
tions. He  has  ^rm  the  town  grow  and  expand 
and  has  taken  a  very  active  part  in  its  improve- 
ment, building  many  sehoolhouses,  churches, 
business  blocks  and  private  residences  here  and 
also  in  other  parts  of  Montgomery  county  ana 
in  adjoining  counties.  The  buildings  which  he 
has  constructed  would  constitute  a  considerable 
town  in  themselves,  lie  is  still  actively  en- 
gaged in  work  ami  now  has  the  contract  for 
the  Carnegie  library  building.  His  success 
is  attributable  to  his  skill  in  the  builder's  art 
and  is  thoroughly  reliable,  for  he  lives  fully  up 
to  the  terms  of  an  agreement.  As  soon  as  bis 
sons  were  old  enough  to  become  factors  in  in- 
dustrial circles  hi'  admitted  them  to  the  firm 
and  the  business  is  now  carried  on  under  the 
style  of  .1.  W.  Chamberlin  &  Sons.  In  1885 
Mr.  Chamberlin  also  established  a  brickyard 
and  manufactures  a  machine-made  brick,  em- 
ploying twelve  men  in  the  operation  of  tic 
plant.  Although  this  is  being  worked  to  its 
full  capacity  the  supply  is  not  equal  to  the 
demand. 

In  December.  1864,  Mr.  Chamberlin  was 
married  to  Mrs.  Victoria  V.  Keese,  the  widow 
of  Albert  C.  Keese  and  a  daughter  of  Wesley 
and  Elizabeth  Nelson  Simmons.  Her  father 
removed  from  Ohio  to  Montgomery  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  in  1833.  and  settled  three  miles 
west  of  Hillsboro.  where  he  remained  for 
a  short  time.  He  afterward  took  up  bis  abode 
in  the  city  and  from  that  point  superintended 
his  farming  operations.  His  death  occurred  in 
Hillsboro  in  1881.  In  1855  he  had  established 
the  Simmon-    Hotel,  winch  he  conducted  until 


L865.  His  life  was  an  honorable  and  upright 
mie.  covering  a  long  span  of  eighty-one  years, 
ami  be  lived  m  constant  harmony  with  bis 
professions  as  a  member  id'  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  His  wife,  also  a  life-long  mem- 
ber of  the  church,  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
two  years.  Both  toolc  an  active  part  in  church 
work  and  Mr.  Simmons  served  as  trustee  and 
steward.  In  their  family  were  eighl  children, 
of  whom  three  are  now  living,  Mrs.  Chamberlin 
and  Pilcher  and  Julia  Simmons.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Chamberlin  were  born  four  children: 
William  S..  a  brick-layer  of  Litchfield;  Annie, 
the  wife  of  Marshall  Titsworth.  who  is  em- 
ployed in  the  Latham  store  in  Litchfield;  Lucy, 
at  home;  and  Nathaniel,  who  is  associated  with 
his  father  and  brother  in  business.  There  are 
now  ten  grandchildren.  By  her  first  mar- 
riage Mrs.  Chamberlin  bad  one  son.  who  is  yet 
living,  Pilcher  G.  Keese,  who  is  a  brick-layer. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chamberlin  hold  membership 
in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  have 
co-operated  in  its  various  activities,  doing  all 
in  their  power  to  promote  its  growth  and  ex- 
tend its  influences.  At,  the  present  writing 
Mr.  Chamberlin  is  serving  as  one  of  its  trustees. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  is  assistant 
supervisor  of  North  Litchfield  township.  He  is 
a  man  of  high  standing  in  the  community  be- 
cause of  his  genuine  personal  worth.  His  mar- 
riel  life  has  been  a  happy  one  and  his  home 
largely  embodies  ideals  of  domestic  felicity. 
Those  traits  of  character  which  are  esteemed 
as  of  most  value  in  character  building  are  his 
and  he  is  to-day  one  of  the  most  honored  and 
respected  men  of  his  adopted  city. 


LEE  M.  PAUL. 

The  business  circles  of  Farmersvillc  find  a- 
worthy  representative  in  Lee  M.  Paul,  who  is 
assistant  cashier  of  the  hanking  firm  of  John 
Pell  &  Company,  in  which  capacity  he  has  ac- 
ceptably  served  for  ten  years  and  his  unfalter- 
ing courtesy  as  well  as  business  capacity  have 
made  him  popular  with  the  patrons  of  the 
institution  and  gained  him  a  large  circle  of 
warm  friends.  A  native  of  Illinois,  he  was 
born  in  Macoupin  county,  September  16,  1861. 


68 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


His  father,  Jacob  Paul,  was  born  near  Wheel- 
ing, West  Virginia,  on  the  16th  of  September, 
1815,  and  during  his  early  boyhood  days  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  removal  west- 
ward, the  family  home  being  established  in 
Indianapolis,  win  re  Jacob  Paul  grew  to  ma- 
ture years  and  was  married,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  being  Miss  Ellen  McClain,  a  native  of 
Kentucky.  In  the  year  1836  Jacob  Paul  re- 
moved to  Alton,  Illinois,  where  he  resided  for 
more  than  twenty  yiars  and  on  the  expiration 
of  that  period  he  purchased  land  and  located 
in  Macoupin  county,  where  he  resided  until 
is;  i. 

It  was  upon  the  old  family  homestead  there 
that  Lee  31.  Paul  spent  his  boyhood  days. 
He  had  good  educational  privileges,  his  course 
in  the  public  schools  being  supplemented  by  a 
few  terms  of  study  in  the  Indianapolis  high 
school.  In  1874  he  returned  to  the  home  farm 
and  later  removed  the  family  to  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  where  they  remained  for  two  years. 
Returning  in  1876  to  Illinois,  the  family  home 
was  established  upon  a  farm  in  Montgomery 
county  near  the  village  of  Parmersville  and 
there  the  father  and  son.-  engaged  in  general 
agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-raising,  mak- 
ing a  specialty  of  the  raising  of  horses.  Jacob 
Paul,  the  father,  was  an  active  and  capable 
business  man  and  continued  a  resident  of  this 
locality  until  his  death,  which  occurred  Sep- 
tember 30,  1893.  His  wife  passed  away  Oc- 
tober I.  1892.  The  remains  of  both  were  in- 
terred in   the  Morrisonville  cemetery. 

After  leaving  school  Lee  M.  Paul  continued 
to  assist  his  father  upon  the  home  farm  and 
after  the  hitters  death  engaged  in  the  culti- 
vation of  the  old  home  place  until  1894,  when 
he  rented  the  land  and  removed  to  Farmers- 
ville,  to  accept  a  position  in  the  banking  house 
of  John  Bell  &  Company.  He  has  now  served 
as  assistant  cashier  for  ten  years  and  is  very 
efficient  and  faithful  in  the  performance  of 
all  the  duties  which  devolve  upon  him  in  con- 
nection with  the  conduct  of  this  strong  and 
reliable  financial  institution.  He  is  also  con- 
ducting some  private  business  interests  as  a 
dealer  in  real  estate  and  as  an  insurance  agent, 
and  he  displays  good  business  ability,  hav- 
ing tin'  power  to  readily   recognize  and   utilize 


an  opportunity.  Moreover  he  possesses  tact  and 
has  a  good  fund  of  common  sense,  which  is 
too  often  lacking  in  the  business  world,  and 
has  been  the  source  of  more  failures  than  any 
other  one  element. 

Mi'.  Paul  was  married  in  Montgomery  coun- 
ty. May  25,  1898,  to  Miss  Hattie  Carroll,  a 
native  of  this  county  and  a  daughter  of  James 
Carroll,  one  of  its  worthy  pioneers.  He  was 
a  prominent  farmer  here  for  some  years  and 
is  now  living  retired  in  Farmersville.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Paul  have  a  pleasant  home  in  the 
town  and  the  hospitality  of  the  best  families 
in  this  part  of  the  county  is  freely  extended 
to  them.  Mr.  Paul  is  nnfalti  ring  in  his  ad- 
vocacy of  Democratic  principles  and  is  an  ac- 
tive supporter  of  (he  party,  being  recognized 
as  a  local  leader  here.  He  has  served  as  vil- 
lage treasurer  for  a  number  of  years,  was  alsi. 
township  collector  for  two  terms  and  has  filled 
other  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He  has 
long  been  a  notary  public  and  does  all  such 
work  in  connection  with  the  bank.  He  belongs 
to  the  Masonic  lodge  at  Girard  and  is  also 
identified  with  the  Loyal  Neighbors  and  the 
Modern  Woodmen.  1 1  is  interest  centers  in  bis 
adopted  county  and  bis  hearty  co-operation  is 
given  to  every  movement  which  he  believes  will 
contribute  to  its  upbuilding  and  improvement. 
In  manner  he  is  unostentatious,  but  his  gen- 
uine worth  is  recognized  by  a  large  circle  of 
friends. 


JESSE  J.  CAEEY. 


Jesse  J.  Carey,  who  is  one  of  the  prominent 
business  men  of  Harvel,  where  he  has  been 
successfully  engaged  in  dealing  in  lumber  for 
the  past  fifteen  years,  has  spent  almost  his  en- 
tire life  in  Illinois,  dating  his  residence  here 
from  1837.  Montgomery  county  has  numbered 
him  among  its  valued  citizens  since  1875.  He 
was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  December  1, 
1831,  and  was  brought  to  this  state  by  his 
father,  Jesse  Carey,  who  located  in  Pike  county 
in  1837.  There  the  father  purchased  a  tract 
of  wild  land  and  opened  up  a  good  farm. 
Pioneer  conditions  existed  at  that  time  and  the 
nearest   neighbor  to  the  Carey  home  was  three 


ME.    AND    MES.    J.    J.    CAREY 


OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


71 


miles  away.  Hardships  and  difficulties  were 
to  be  endured,  but  the  family  persevered  in 
their  efforts  to  build  a  new  home  on  the  fron- 
tier. 

Jesse  J.  Carey,  who  was  the  oldest  son,  was 
reared  on  the  farm  in  Pike  county  and  enjoyed 
fair  school  advantages,  but  has  largely  sup- 
plemented his  knowledge  by  lessons  gained  in 
the  school  of  experience  and  through  reading 
and  observation.  The  word  work  would  sum 
up  most  concisely  his  entire  life,  for  his  career 
lias  been  characterized  by  unflagging  diligence. 
Early  in  youth  he  learned  lessons  of  industry, 
enterprise  and  integrity  and  these  have  been 
salient  features  in  his  career  down  to  the  pres- 
ent time.  In  earlj  manhood  he  was  married 
and  then  engaged  in  farming  in  Pike  county 
i'nr  three  or  four  years.  In  1SG9  he  removed  to 
Logan  county,  where  he  purchased  a  tract  of 
land  and  continued  to  engage  in  agricultural 
pursuits  until  1875.  He  then  sub  I  his  property 
there  and  went  to  Christian  county,  arriving 
on  the  1st  of  March,  1875.  He  secured  a  tract 
of  land  near  Harvel,  which  he  operated  for  a 
number  of  years  and  then  putting  aside  agri- 
cultural pursuits  he  removed  to  the  village  in 
1889  and  bought  out  a  lumber  and  coal  yard 
that  he  has  since  conducted.  As  the  years  have 
passed  he  has  built  up  a  profitable  trade  and 
he  is  now  one  of  the  active  business  men  of  his 
community,  having  for  fifteen  years  dealt  in 
coal  and  lumber  with  good  success.  This  has 
been  sufficient  time  to  test  his  capability,  his 
honorable  methods  and  his  earnest  desire  to 
please  his  customers — qualities  which  have  been 
the  strong  elements  in  his  prosperity. 

In  Pike  county,  Illinois.  Mr.  Carey  was  mar- 
ried, November  5.  1863.  to  Miss  Helen  M. 
Ross,  a  daughter  of  T.  J.  and  Annie  (Hovey) 
Ross,  early  settlers  of  Illinois.  She  was  born 
in  Ohio,  but  was  reared  in  this  state  Her 
death  occurred  in  Harvel,  February  19,  1892, 
ami  she  left  four  children.  Those  still  living 
are:  Phoebe,  the  wife  of  A.  X.  Banes,  who  is 
deputy  county  clerk  of  Montgomery  county; 
Harvilla,  at  home;  and  Helen  J.,  the  wife  of 
D.  A.  Renning.  of  Girard.  Kansas.  One  son, 
George  A.,  died  when  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
two  years. 

Mr.   Carey  purchased   an  attractive  home  in 


Harvel,  which  he  now  occupies.  He  is  an  ear- 
nest advocate  of  Democratic  principles  and  has 
supported  the  parly  since  casting  his  first  pres- 
idential ballot  for  James  Buchanan  in  1856. 
He  was  elected  and  served  as  supervisor  in 
Christian  county  for  six  years  and  for  four 
years  in  Montgomery  county,  but  he  has  al- 
ways rather  avoided  office,  preferring  to  do 
his  public  duty  as  a  private  citizen.  He  has 
given  his  time  and  attention  to  his  business 
affair:-,  which  have  been  crowned  with  success. 
Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows bulge  at  Harvel  and  passed  through  all  of 
the  chairs,  is  a  past  grand  and  has  been  repre- 
sentative of  the  subordinate  lodge  to  the  grand 
lodge  of  the  state  on  two  or  three  different  oc- 
casion.-. He  belongs  to  the  Christian  church, 
of  which  he  is  one  of  the  elders  and  bis  life 
has  exemplified  his  Christian  faith,  being  at 
all  times  honorable  and  straightforward.  His 
is  a  kindly  spirit  and  ready  sympathy  and  he 
has  put  forth  earnest  effort  to  advance  the  wel- 
fare of  the  church  and  extend  its  influence; 
He  is  well  known  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county  as  a  respected  and  honorable  business 
man  and  Harvel  classes  him  with  its  repre- 
sentative citizens. 


CARL  F.  BARTLING. 


Carl  F.  Bartling.  well  known  in  Litchfield 
and  respected  because  of  bis  many  sterling  qual- 
ities, is  now  conducting  a  mercantile  enterprise 
in  the  interest  of  the  heirs  of  the  Hoffman  es- 
tate. He  is  one  of  Illinois'  native  sons,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Woodburn.  Macoupin 
county,  on  the  13th  of  February.  1864.  His 
father.  Henry  W.  Bartling,  was  born  in  Swit- 
zerland and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1856, 
locating  in  iVlton.  In  1863  lie  removed  to  Ma- 
coupin county,  where  Ik1  carried  on  general 
farming.  He  married  Annie  Tuscher,  who  was 
born  in  Switzerland  and  was  a  daughter  of 
Benjamin  ami  Elizabeth  Tuscher,  who  came  to 
the  United  Slates  in  1856,  settling  at  Alton, 
hut  afterward  removing  to  Macoupin  county, 
where  they  located  near  Hornsby.  Her  father 
also  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  Both 
Mr.  and   Mrs.    Bartling   were  members  of  the 


72 


AST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


German  Lutheran  church.  His  death  occurred 
m  1870,  when  he  was  thirty-five  years  of  age, 
and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1876,  at  the  age 
of  thirty-eight  years.  They  were  the  parents 
of  five  children:  Henry  \\\,  who  is  now  liv- 
ing in  Litchfield;  Carl  I".:  Elizabeth,  the  wife 
of  George  Siegel,  at  Trenton,  Illinois;  Annie, 
the  wife  of  John  Freloish,  of  Alton;  and 
Ti  enie,  the  wife  of  George  Smith,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  grocery  business  in  Alton. 

Carl  F.  Bartling  is  indebted  to  the  district 
schools  for  the  early  educational  privileges 
which  he  enjoyed  and  which  were  supplement- 
ed by  two  years'  study  in  the  schools  of  Litch- 
field. He  then  entered  upon  his  business  career 
in  the  store  of  V.  Hoffman  and  remained  in 
his  employ  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Hoffman, 
in  1899.  Mr.  Bartling  was  then  appointed  ex- 
ecutor of  the  Hoffman  estate  and  has  since 
been  conducting  the  business  for  the  heirs. 
He  is  well  qualified  for  the  trust  reposed  in 
him  and  in  carrying  on  this  enterprise  has 
displayed  excellent  business  ability  as  well  as 
unremitting  fidelity  to  the  interests  of  those 
whom  he  represents.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Bartling  Brothers,  wholesale  deal- 
ers in  and  shippers  of  poultry  and  produce.  . 
On  the  18th  of  February,  1885,  Mr.  Bart- 
ling was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ella  Hoff- 
man, a  daughter  of  V.  and  Martha  Huffman 
and  a  native  of  Litchfield,  born  in  1861.  They 
became  the  parents  of  five  children,  but  Val- 
entine. Carl.  Gertrude  and  Mary  are  all  now 
deceased.  The  only  living  child  is  Roscoe 
Blaine,  the  second  in  order  of  birth.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bartling  hold  membership  in  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  and  fraternally  he  is 
connecti  d  with  the  Odd  Fellows,  the  Elks  and 
the  Mutual  Protective  League.  He  supports 
the  Republican  party  by  his  ballot  and  has 
several  times  hern  elected  collector.  He  has 
also  been  a  member  of  the  school  board  and 
the  library  board  and  was  count]  treasurer 
from  1894  until  1898,  thus  being  closely  as- 
oeiated  with  the  public  interests  of  his  com- 
munity. Whatever  tends  to  promote  the  gen- 
eral welfare  receives  his  endorsement  and  he 
has  been  the  champion  of  many  measures 
which  have  proven  of  great  benefit  to  Mont- 
gomery eonntv.     His  social  manner  and   kind- 


ly disposition  render  him  popular  and  the  circle 
of  his  frit  nds  has  been  extruded  by  reason  of 
the  fact  that  he  is  always  considerate  of  others' 
opinions  and  shows  to  all  the  deference  which 
condition   and   time   warrant. 


E.  F.  CANADAY. 

E.  V.  Canaday,  who  as  a  stock  dealer  has 
built  up  a  profitable  business  in  Coffeen,  was 
born  in  North  Litchfield  township,  Au- 
gust 5,  1869,  He  is  a  son  of  C.  W. 
and  Martha  L.  Canaday.  the  former  a 
native  of  Kentucky  and  the  latter  of  Illi- 
nois. When  the  father  was  only  a  yeai 
old  he  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Mont- 
gomery county,  the  family  home  being  estab- 
lished here  in  1834  among  the  pioneer  resi- 
dents. The  members  of  the  Canaday  house- 
hold bore  their  full  share  in  the  work  of  early 
development  and  improvement,  living  in  true 
pioneer  style  and  meeting  as  best  they  could  the 
hard  conditions  which  are  always  to  be  faced 
by  the  frontier  settler.  After  attaining  to 
man's  estate  C.  W.  Canaday  began  farming  on 
his  own  account  and  is  a  representative  of  ag- 
ricultural interests  of  North  Litchfield  town- 
ship, lie  aided  in  surveying  the  land  in  this 
county  and  could  have  purchased  any  amount  of 
it  at  twelve  and  a  half  cents  per  acre.  He  has 
witnessed  many  changes  as  the  years  have  gone 
by  and  the  county  has  emerged  from  primitive 
conditions  to  lake  its  place  with  the  leading 
counties  of  this  great  commonwealth. 

E.  F.  Canaday  acquired  his  education  in 
North  Litchfield  township  and  remained  upon 
his  father's  farm  until  twenty-five  years  of  age. 
He  then  conducted  a  butcher  shop  for  six  years. 
spending  four  years  of  thai  time  in  Hillshoro 
and  tin'  remaining  two  years  at  Coffeen.  On 
selling  his  meal  market  he  began  shipping 
stock  and  now  handles  most  of  the  stock  sent 
from  this  point,  lie  also  raises  and  feeds  cat- 
tle, hogs  and  mules,  and  he  is  gaining  a  very 
desirable  success  in  handling  stock,  being  an 
excellent  judge  of  domestic  animals,  so  that  he 
makes  judicious  purchases  and  profitable  sales. 

On  December  6,  1900.  Mr.  Canaday  was 
married  to  Miss  Matt ir  Perkins, a  daughter  of 
Willis   and    S'amantha    (Heskett)    Perkins,  the 


OF  THE 

FY  OP  ILL"*10,10 


MRS.    E.    F.    CANADAY 


E.    F.    CAN  AD  AY 


OF  TH£ 
HXIVEP.SITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AXD    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


77 


former  a  native  of  Alton,  [llinois,  and  the 
latter  of  Edwardsville,  this  state.  The  Cana- 
day  home  is  a  hospitable  one  and  is  a  Favorite 
resorl  with  their  many  friends.  Mr.  Canaday 
votes  with  the  Democracy,  but  has  never  sought 
or  desired  office,  preferring  to  erive  his  undi- 
vided attention  to  his  business  interests. 


JACOB  M.  ELWELL. 


Jacob  M.  Elwell,  who  built  the  first  frame 
house  on  the  prairie  on  which  the  town  of 
Pana  has  been  founded — a  house  which  is  still 
standing  as  one  of  the  landmarks  of  pioneer 
times— has  been  closely  associated  in  helpful 
manner  with  the  upbuilding  and  progress  of 
this  portion  of  Montgomery  county.  He  was 
born  May  1,  1832,  in  Bridgeton,  New  Jersey, 
a  son  of  William  and  Catherine  (Miller)  El- 
well. The  father  was  of  English  lineage,  while 
the  mother  was  descended  from  a  family  from 
northern  Germany.  Both,  however,  were. born 
in  New  Jersey,  and  the  father,  who  through- 
out his  entire  life  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits, was  the  owner  of  three  farms  in  that 
state.  His  was  a  long,  useful  and  active  life, 
in  which  he  commanded  the  respect  and  trust 
of  his  fellow  men.  He  died  in  1881,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty  years,  and  his  wife 
passed  away  in  1878,  when  seventy  years  of 
age.  They  were  members  of  the  Baptist  church 
and  in  that  faith  they  reared  their  fan i i I \  of 
eleven  children,  six  sons  and  five  daughters,  of 
whom  eight  are  now  living.  The  record  of  the 
family  is  as  follows:  Jacob  N. ;  Isaac,  who 
is  living  at  Bridgeton,  New  Jersey;  Margaret, 
the  wife  of  David  Brooks,  a  resideni  of  Mill- 
ville,  New  Jersey;  William,  who  is  married 
and  makes  his  home  in  Bridgeton,  that  state; 
George,  who  is  married  and  is  located  in  Pana. 
Illinois;  Catherine,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Hil- 
liard.  also  of  Bridgeton,  New  Jersey;  Sally, 
who  is  living  in  Vincentown,  New  Jersey; 
Samuel  S.,  of  Bridgeton;  Annie,  the  deceased 
wife  of  Frank  DuBois,  who  has  also  passed 
away,  having  been  killed  in  a  wreck;  Ann 
Maria,  who  died  in  infancy;  and  one  that  died 
unnamed. 


Jacob  M.  Elwell  attended  school  in  his  na- 
tive town  and  in  early  youth  assisted  in  the 
work  of  the  home  farm,  continuing  to  give  his 
father  the  benefit  of  bis  services  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  when  he  started  out  in  life 
on  bis  own  account,  working  by  the  month 
for  ten  dollars  as  a  farm  hand.  He  afterward 
went  to  .Miami  county,  Ohio,  and  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Covington  was  employed  at  farm  labor 
ami  in  a  sawmill,  lie  afterward  drove  a  team 
from  that  place  to  Audubon,  Illinois,  in  1855, 
and  for  four  years  he  continued  in  the  service 
of  others  in  tins  state,  when  with  the  capital 
he  had  acquired  through  his  own  persistent 
labor  lie  purehased  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land,  upon  which  he  now  resides  in 
Audubon  township,  the  purchase  price  being 
ten  dollars  per  acre.  In  1856  he  was  engaged 
in  farming  near  Pontiac,  where  he  met  the 
lad\  who  aft'  rward  became  bis  wife  and  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Jane  Cilery. 
They  were  married  in  1860  and  Mr.  Elwell 
then  turned  bis  attention  to  farming  upon 
bis  home  place,  beginning  its  improvement  and 
continuing  the  further  work  of  cultivation  and 
development  until  he  has  produced  the  pres- 
ent high  state  of  productiveness  for  which 
his  farm  is  now  noted.  He  broke  the  prairia 
with  oxen  and  used  various  farm  implements 
which  now  seem  crude  in  comparison  to  the 
improved  machinery  seen  upon  his  farm  at  the 
present  day.  He  has  utilized  every  facility  for 
promoting  bis  work  along  practical  lines  and 
has   prospered    in   bis   undertakings. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elwell  were  born  five 
children,  a  son  and  four  daughters,  namely: 
Mary  C,  the  wife  of  Charles  C.  Brown,  a  resi- 
dent of  Audubon  township,  by  whom  she  has 
three  children;  Margaret,  who  was  a  teacher 
and  died  in  1891  at  the  age  of  twenty-eighl 
years:  Lottie,  who  also  followed  teaching  prior 
to  her  marriage  to  Edward  Howe,  by  whom 
she  had  one  child  that  died  in  infancy;  Bertie, 
who  engaged  in  teaching  in  the  public  schools 
and  also  teaching  music  and  is  now  the  wife 
of  Harry  Cutler,  who  resides  near  Rosemond, 
Christian  county,  by  whom  she  has  three  chil- 
dren; William  J.,  who  is  employed  as  a  line- 
man by  the  telephone  company  and  resides  at 
Pana.     The  mother  passed  away  July  14,  1900, 


78 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


at  the  age  of  fifty-seven  years  and  her  re- 
mains were  inti  rred  in  the  Rosemond  ceme- 
tery. She  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church,  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Chris- 
tian church  and  her  entire  life  was  in  har- 
mony with  her  religious  principles  and  cob- 
mi  linns.  She  was  devoted  to  her  family  and 
loyal  (n  her  friends,  her  many  good  1  raits  of 
heart  and  mind  endearing  her  to  those  with 
v,  horn   she   was  associati  d. 

Mr.  Elwell  has  joined  no  church,  but  has 
lived  an  honorable,  straightforward  life,  at- 
tempting to  follow  the  golden  rule  in  Ins  treat- 
ment of  his  fellow  men.  In  politics  he  has 
been  a  stalwart  Republican  since  casting  his 
first  presidential  vote  for  .John  ('.  Fremont. 
Few  men  have  a  more  intimate  or  accurate 
knowledge  concerning  the  early  history  of  his 
section  of  the  county.  He  -a\\  the  first  train 
that  passed  through  Nokomis,  running  over 
the  Torre  Haute  &  Alton  Railroad,  now  a  part 
of  the  Big  Four  system,  the  town  at  that  time 
being  called  Fillmore.  lie  also  Temembers 
when  the  first  load  of  stock  was  shipped  over 
the  road,  although  Nokomis  was  nut  founded 
at  that  time.  Deer  and  other  wild  game  were 
seen  in  large  numbers  upon  the  prairie  and 
there  were  many  wolves  throughout  this  sec- 
tion of  the  country.  Other  indications  of  pio- 
neer conditions  were  also  in  evidence,  but  grad- 
ually these  have  given  way  before  the  advanc- 
ing civilization  and  the  result  has  been  the 
upbuilding  of  a  county  that  is  a  credit  to 
its  citizens  and  to  the  commonwealth  at  large. 


CHARLES  ALEXANDER  RAMSEY. 

In  the  field  of  political  life  and  commer- 
cial activity  Charles  Alexander  Ramsey  has 
won  distinction  and  to-day  is  numbered  among 
the  leading,  influential  and  honored  citizens 
of  Hillsboro,  while  as  president  of  the  Hills- 
boro  National  Bank  he  is  occupying  a  promi- 
nent position  in  financial  circles.  For  many 
years  he  has  been  engaged  in  helpful  manner 
in  I  he  development  of  the  natural  resources  of 
the  stati  .  in  the  upbuilding  of  his  adopted  city 
and  in  the  promotion  of  the  enterprises  which 


add  not  alone  to  his  individual  prosperity,  hut 
also  advance  the  general  welfare  and  prosperity 
of  this  city. 

Mr.  Ramsey  was  horn  in  Mifflin  county. 
Pennsylvania,  on  the  8th  of  January,  L845, 
his  parents  being  William  II.  and  Mary  (  Rar- 
er) Ramsey.  The  father  was  of  Irish  descent, 
Inn  his  parents  were  of  the  Presbyterian  faith. 
The  mother  was  of  German  lineage  and  both 
were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  where  the}'  spent 
their  entire  lives.  Mr.  Ramsey  was  a  very 
strong  and  energetic  man  and  his  death  re- 
sulted from  accident  in  1894,  when  he  was 
seventy-three  years  of  age.  He  followed  car- 
pentering and  building  hut  was  living  retired 
at  the  time  of  his  death.  His  wife  had  died 
in  188G.  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years. 

Charles  A.  Ramsey  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  and  at  the  Pine  Grove  Academy 
in  Cent  r  county.  Pennsylvania,  the  institu- 
tion being  located  in  the  town  of  Pine  Grove 
Mills,  lie  left  the  Keystone  state  in  1865 
when  twenty  years  of  age  and  located  in  Shel- 
by county.  Illinois,  where  he  resided  for  a 
brief  period.  He  then  removed  to  Irving  in 
Montgomery  county,  where  he  established  a 
drug  store,  conducting  the  same  for  eleven 
years.  In  1877  he  removed  to  Hillsboro, 
where  he  established  a  hardware  and  imple- 
ment business,  becoming  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Challacombe  &  Ramsey.  This  relation  was 
maintained  lor  about  fifteen  years  or  until 
is!!-.'.  uh<  n  Mr.  Ramsey  sold  out  to  his  part- 
ner. The  entire  period  had  been  one  of  pros- 
perity in  which  well  directed  business  interests 
lad  resulted  in  the  acquirement  of  a  hand- 
som  competence.  In  1882  he  assisted  in  the 
organization  of  the  Hillsboro  National  Bank. 
was  elected  its  president  and  has  since  remained 
at  the  head  of  the  institution,  being  annually 
re-elected.  His  practical  and  progressive  spir- 
it has  made  this  one  of  the  sound  financial 
concerns  of  the  county  ami  the  business  has 
constantly   grown    in   volume   and   importance. 

On  the  -27th  of  October.  1870,  Mr.  Ramsey 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Cor- 
ley.  a  daughter  of  l>.  \Y.  F.  Corley,  a  promi- 
nent citizen  of  Shelby  county.  Illinois,  and 
an  e\i  nsive  farmer.  This  union  was  blessed 
with    two    children.      The    elder,    a    daughter, 


PAST    AND    l'RKSFAT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


79 


Mae,  born  in  Irving  in  1872,  died  in  Hillsboro 
in  1895.    The  other,  a  son.  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Ramsey  is  a  standi  Republican  and  has 
long  been  a  recognized  leader  in  the  ranks 
of  the  party  in  this  Locality.  He  was  elected 
mayor  of  Hillsboro  in  1891  and  as  the  chief 
executive  officer  he  gave  to  the  city  a  public- 
spirited,  progressive  administration  that  re- 
sulted in  substantial  benefit.  In  1892  he  was 
nominated  and  elected  to  the  Legislature,  and 
as  a  member  of  tlie  thirty-eighth  general  as- 
sembly again  did  good  service  fur  his  constit- 
uents. In  1904  he  was  chosen  a  delegate  to 
the  state  convention  which  will  go  down  in 
history  memorable  because  of  the  great  dead- 
lock that  occurred  over  the  nomination  for 
governor,  the  leading  contestants  being 
Richard  Yates,  then  governor  of  the  state, 
Prank  Lowden,  and  Charles  Deneen,  state's 
attorney  of  Chicago,  the  contest  at  length  re- 
sulting in  the  selection  of  the  last  named. 
Mr.  Ramsey  has  also  been  township  super- 
visor and  was  president  of  the  board  for  rva, 
terms.  lie  is  a  trustee  of  the  Soldiers  &  Sail- 
ors Widows  Home  at  Wilmington,  Illinois,  and 
has  always  been  deeply  interested  in  military 
affairs  and  kindred  subjects  since  the  time  of 
the  Civil  war,  tor  then  he  espoused  the  cause 
of  the  Union,  having  enlisted  in  1862,  as  a 
member  of  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-eighth  Pennsylvania  Infantry.  He  was 
mustered  out  at  Harrisburg  in  1865  after  three 
years  of  service.  He  had  been  promoted  to 
the  rank  of  sergeant  major  in  August,  1864, 
and  to  adjutant  in  January,  1865.  He  served 
in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  participated 
in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  and  others  of  the 
most  hotly  contested  engagements  of  that  long 
and  sanguinary  struggle.  Honored  and  re- 
spected in  every  class  of  society,  he  has  for 
some  time  been  a  leader  in  thought  and  action 
in  the  public  life  of  the  stale. 


WILLIAM    GAMLIN. 

For  nearly  forty  years  William  Hamlin  was 
a  representative  of  farming  interests  in  Mont- 
gomery county  and  during  that  period  he 
labored  to  such  good   purpose  that  be  acquired 


a  handsome  competence  that  now  enables  him 
to  live  a  retired  life  in  Raymond.  Ho  dates 
his  residence  in  tin-  slate  from  1856  and  in 
Montgomery  county  from  1887.  He  was  born 
in  Somersetshire,  England,  November  5.  1822, 
and  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  upon  a  farm, 
i  lure  working  in  the  fields  at  an  early  age 
and  thus  becoming  familial'  with  the  prac- 
tical methods  of  carrying  on  agricultural  pur- 
miiIs.  lie  was  married  in  his  native  country 
in  1852  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Hart,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Somersetshire. 

The  yeaT  1856  witnessed  the  emigration  of 
Mr.  Gamlin  to  the  new  world.  He  took  pas- 
sage at  Liverpool  upon  a  sailing  vessel  and 
after  five  weeks  spent  upon  the  broad  Atlantic, 
during  which  time  they  encountered  some  se- 
vere storms,  anchor  was  dropped  in  the  har- 
bor of  New  York.  He  arrived  in  New  York 
in  the  fall  of  that  year,  but  did  not  tarry 
long  in  the  eastern  metropolis,  coming  direct 
to  Illinois.  He  made  his  way  to  Alton  and 
previously  he  had  made  arrangements  to  ope- 
rate a  farm  in  Macoupin  county.  He  resided 
upon  thai  place  for  one  year  and  then  en- 
gaged in  cultivating  a  rented  farm  for  eight 
years.  He  afterward  removed  to  another  farm 
property  and  continued  to  engage  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  that  county  for  ten  years, 
or  until  1887,  when  he  came  to  Montgomery 
county  and  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
aid  nine  acres  near  Raymond.  There  he  car- 
ried mi  agricultural  pursuits  for  seven  years, 
when  be  sold  that  property  and  bought  his  pres- 
ciu  home  in  Raymond,  erecting  a  neat  and 
attractive  residence,  his  lot  covering  sixty 
acres.  He  also  bought  a  farm  near  the  village 
which  be  cultivated  for  several  years  and  then 
sold.  He  bad  little  capital  when  he  came  to 
America,  but  lie  improved  the  opportunities 
which  are  open  to  all  ambitious  young  men, 
and  through  bis  persistency  of  purpose  and 
euergv  la'  accumulated  a  handsome  competence. 

In  the  fall  of  1903  Mr.  Gamlin  was  called 
upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  passed 
away  on  the  7th  of  September.  Soon  after- 
ward be  started  for  England,  sailing  on  the 
28th  of  that  month.  There  he  visited  his  old 
home  and  spent  three  months  in  renewing  the 
acquaintances  of  Ins  youth  and  early  manhood. 


80 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


He  had  a  very  pleasant  trip  and  it  was  a 
happy  period  which  lie  passed  amid  the  scenes 
iif  his  early  life,  but  when  his  visit  was  over 
he  willingly  returned  to  his  adopted  land. 
Since  the  death  of  his  wife  his  nephew  John 
G-amlin  and  his  family  have  lived  with  Mr. 
'iaiiilin  of  this  review. 

Politically  William  Gamlin  is  an  earnest 
Democrat  and  cast  his  first  ballot  for  Gkrover 
Cleveland.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Raymond 
Presbyterian  church,  to  which  his  wife  also 
belonged.  He  has  now  reached  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-two  years,  but  is  yet  quite  hale 
and  hearty  and  life  holds  for  him  many  en- 
joyable  moments.  He  has  not  been  disap- 
pointed in  the  hopes  that  led  him  to  America, 
for  here  he  realized  a  handsome  competence 
from  his  labors,  gained  a  good  home  and  won 
the  friendship  of  many  with  whom  he  has  been 
associated. 

John  Gamlin.  now-  living  in  Raymond  with 
his  uncle  William  Gamlin,  was  born  in  Som- 
ersetshire, England,  February  17.  184G.  and 
there  spent  the  first  twenty-two  years  of  his 
life,  living  upon  a  farm.  Crossing  the  Atlan- 
tic in  1868  he  made  his  way  westward  to  Ma- 
coupin  county,  Illinois,  where  he  joined  bis 
uncle  and  in  that  locality  he  was  employed 
at  farm  labor.  He  was  married  in  Novem- 
ber, 1868.  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Baker,  who  was 
also  horn  in  Somersetshire,  England,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Benjamin  Baker,  who  died  in  that  coun- 
try. Mrs.  Gamlin  came  to  the  new  world  with 
her  brother's  wife  in  1868  and  lived  in  Ma- 
coupin county,  Illinois,  where  she  gave  her 
hand  in  marriage  to  Mr.  Gamlin.  They  re- 
mained in  Macoupin  county  for  eight  years 
ami  then  removed  to  Missouri,  settling  in  Pet- 
tis county  near  Sedalia.  where  Mr.  Gamlin 
owned  and  operated  a  farm,  having  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land.  In  1801  he  sold 
that  property  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Henry 
county  near  Blairstown.  hut  in  the  fall  of  1893 
he  returned  to  Illinois  and  took  charge  of  his 
uncle's  place  in  Raymond,  Montgomery  county. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Gamlin  have  been 
born  eight  children:  Catherine  M..  the  wife 
of  William  Rector,  of  Henry  county,  Mis- 
souri ;  John  B.,  who  is  married  and  is  an  agri- 
culturist  of  Henry  county,  Missouri;  William 


H..  of  Johnson  county.  Missouri;  Nathan  A., 
of  Henry  county,  Missouri  ;  Mary  Ann,  the 
wife  of  Gust  Burke,  of  Henry  county,  Mis- 
souri:  Joseph  E.,  a  farmer  of  this  county; 
Virginia  M. ;  and  Naomi  E.  The  parents  hold 
membership  in  the  Presbyterian  church  and 
Mr.  Gamlin  is  a  man  of  strong  temperance 
principles  who  gives  his  political  support  to 
the  Prohibition  party. 


L.  THOMAS  DOYLE. 


A  valuable  farm  of  five  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  is  the  property  of  L.  Thomas  Doyle,  who, 
living  on  section  29.  Raymond  township,  is 
devoting  his  time  and  energies  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  his  fields  and  to  the  raising  and  feeding 
of  stock.  He  has  a  wide  acquaintance  and  his 
popularity  among  his  friends  is  indicated  by 
the  fact  that  he  is  usually  called  Tom  by  thost 
who  know  him.  His  manner  is  genial,  his  dis- 
position kindly  and  cordial,  and  he  has  the 
warm  regard  and  genuine  friendship  of  many 
with  whom  he  has  been  associated. 

A  native  son  of  Montgomery  county,  Mr. 
Doyle  was  horn  in  Raymond  township.  March 
8,  1868.  His  father.  James  Doyle,  was  born 
in  Greene  county,  Illinois,  in  1835.  was  reared 
there  in  the  usual  manner  of  farm  lads  of  the 
period,  and  when  he  started  out  in  life  for  him- 
self he  wedded  Miss  Julia  Overby,  a  native  of 
Greene  county,  thus  securing  a  companion  and 
helpmate  for  life's  journey.  Removing  to 
Montgomery  county,  he  became  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Butler  township  and  transformed  a 
tract  of  raw,  wild  land  into  a  good  farm,  the 
richly  tilled  fields  yielding  him  fine  harvests. 
There  he  carried  on  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  his  death,  which  occurred  July  5, 
1903.  His  wife  had  died  several  years  before. 
They  are  survived  by  four  of  their  seven  chil- 
dren. 

Thomas  Doyle  spent  his  youth  upon  the  home 
farm,  attending  the  common  schools,  where 
he  mastered  the  branches  of  English  learning 
usually  taught  in  such  institutions  and  thus 
became  well  prepared  for  the  discharge  of  his 
business  duties  and  obligations.  He  has  always 
followed  farming  as  a  life  work.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Raymond  township  on  the  14th  of  Feb- 


JAMES  DOYLE 


L.  T.  DOYLE  AND  FAMILY 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


83 


ruary,  1891,  to  Miss  Fanny  Seward,  who  spent 
her  girlhood  days  in  this  locality  and  attended 
the  school  in  which  her  husband  was  pursuing 
his  education.  Eer  ratlin-.  Oscar  Seward,  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Montgomery  county. 
Mrs.  Doyle  inherited  some  of  her  father's  farm 
and  Mr.  Doyle  extended  the  boundaries  of  this 
place  by  making  extensive  additional  purchases 
until  he  now  1ms  five  hundred  and  fifty-five 
acres  of  land.  He  has  continued  the  work  of 
cultivation  and  improvement,  lias  repaired  and 
remodeled  the  house,  has  built  two  barns,  has 
planted  a  young  orchard  and  now  has  n  very 
valuable  property,  situated  within  two  miles 
of  Raymond,  so  that  the  advantages  and  oppor- 
tunities of  the  town  are  easily  accessible.  In 
addition  to  general  farming  he  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Raymond  National  Bank, 
took  stock  therein  and  is  still  interested  in  the 
institution.  He  is  progressive  in  both  business 
life  and  citizenship,  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  industrious  agriculturists  of  his  locality 
and  is  continually  putting  forth  effort  to  im- 
prove his  farm  and  add  to  its  convenience  and 
to  supplement  its  fertility  and   value. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doyle  has  been 
blessed  with  two  children:  Oscar  J.  and  Lemar 
S.  Mr.  Doyle  votes  with  the  Democratic  party 
and  served  for  one  term  as  supervisor  and  also 
as  a  member  of  the  honorable  county  hoard. 
He  has  been  a  delegate  to  the  county  and  state 
conventions  of  his  party  and  is  deeply  inter- 
ested in  its  succes>.  doing  all  in  hi-  power  to 
promote  its  growth  and  to  secure  its  victory. 
He  is  a  man  of  integrity  and  honor  and  his 
character  development  has  been  along  lines  that 
ever  command  respeel  and  good  will.  The  fact 
that  his  stanchest  friends  are  among  those  who 
have  known  him  longest  is  an  indication  that 
his  career  has  been  worthy  of  respect  and  as  one 
of  the  valued  native  son>  id'  Montgomery 
county  we  present  hi-  record  to  our  readers. 


JAMES   11.  ATTERBURY. 

James  Hardin  Atterbury,  of  Litchfield,  Illi- 
nois, was  born  two  miles  northwest  of  that  city, 
March  7,  1858.  The  Atterbury  family  is  of 
English  descent.    The  first  of  the  name  in  this 


country  is  believed  to  have  been  James  Atter- 
hurv,  who  lived  before  the  Revolution  at  Cam- 
den, South  Carolina.  lie  was  the  lather  of 
Charles  Atterbury,  and  the  latter  was  the  father 
of  Michael  Aiterbury,  the  father  of  Ahram  D. 
Atterbury,  the  father  of  .1.  11.  Atterbury,  of 
this  sketch.  Michael  Atterbury  was  married 
to  Elizabeth  Kissinger,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
Eessinger,  a  son  of  Solomon  Kessinger.  The 
latter  was  horn  near  Wittenburg,  Germany, 
and  died  near  Millerstown,  Hart  county,  Ken- 
tucky, in  is:::,  at  the  age  of  one  hundred 
years. 

Ahram  D.  Atterbury  was  born  in  Grayson 
county.  Kentucky.  February  26,  1827;  came  to 
rilinois  in  1850,  and  on  October  19,  1853,  at 
Eardinsburg,  in  Montgomery  county,  was  mar- 
ried to  Mrs.  Julia  A.  Ogle,  mv  McEarland,  the 
widow  of  Joseph  T.  Ogle  and  the  mother  of 
Joseph  T.  Ogle,  now  a  retired  farmer  living 
in  the  suburbs  of  Litchfield.  Mrs.  Ahram  D. 
Atterbury  was  the  daughter  of  David  McFar- 
land.  of  near  O'Fallon,  in  St.  Clair  county, 
Illinois.  The  latter  was  the  son  of  Donald  Mc- 
Farland, the  -on  of  Malcomb  McFarland,  the 
son  of  Duncan  McFarland.  Mrs.  Ahram  D. 
Atterbury's  mother  was  Ruth  Sparks,  daughter 
if  David  Sparks,  the  son  of  Joseph  Sparks. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Atterbury  had  three  sons:  George 
W.,  of  Buffalo,  New  York;  James  IT.,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  review;  and  Charles  M.,  of  Chicago. 
Ahram  D.  Atterbury  died  at  Litchfield,  April 
■!', .   1898.     His  widow  still   lives  in  this  city. 

.Tame-  11.  Atterbury  acquired  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  country  school,  and  then  went  to 
the  high  school  of  this  city,  where  he  lacked 
three  months  of  graduating.  He  attended  Mc- 
Kendroe  College  at  Lebanon.  Illinois,  from 
is;  I  to  1879,  graduating  in  the  classical  course 
in  June  of  the  latter  year.  He  then  went  to 
the  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor, 
where  he  completed  the  law  course  in  1881. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  Michigan  bar  at  De- 
troit, hut  returned  to  Litchfield  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  of  Illinois  in  May.  1881, 
after  which  for  several  years  lie  was  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Southworth  X  Atterbury.  He 
was  afterward  admitted  to  the  liar  of  the  su- 
preme  court  of  the  United  States  at  Washing- 
ton. 


SI 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    UOXTGOMERY    COI'XTY 


As  a  lawyer  he  has  been  connected  with  some 
important  litigation,  and  lias  represented  some 
large  financial  interests.  In  1883  he  was 
elected  secretary  of  the  Chicago,  Springfield  & 
St.  Louis  Railway  Company,  which  began  the 
construction  of  the  line  now  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad  Company  between  Springfield  and 
St.  Louis.  In  1890  he  instituted  a  suit  result- 
ing in  the  appointment  of  a  receiver  of  the  St. 
Louis.  Alton  &  Springfield  Railroad  Company. 
In  1894  he  organized  and  was  elected  president 
of  the  Belleville  Electric  Railway  Company, 
which  converted  the  horse  railway  to  an  elec- 
tric one.  In  1895  lie  organized  and  was  made 
a  director  and  secretary  of  the  Williamson 
County  Coal  Company.  In  the  same  year  he 
was  a  director  ami  secretary  of  the  Chicago, 
Paducah  &  Memphis  Railway  Company  (now 
a  part  of  the  Chicago  &  Eastern  Illinois  Rail- 
road), ami  was  its  general  solicitor,  having 
charge  of  its  legal  department,  and  moved  his 
family  to  Mt.  Vernon,  Illinois,  where  he  lived 
for  three  years.  In  1899  he  was  elected  a  direc- 
tor and  secretary  of  the  St.  Louis,  Oklahoma 
&  Southern  Railway  Company  (now  a  part  of 
the  Frisco  system),  and  had  charge  of  its  legal 
department  while  it  constructed  its  line  from 
Sapulpa,  Indian  Territory,  to  Denison,  Texas. 
a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles.  He  has  since 
practiced  his  profession  at  Litchfield,  where  he 
is  also  active  in  the  promotion  of  anything 
which  promises  to  lie  of  public  good  to  the  city. 

On  January  31.  1894,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Fannie  Kathan,  a  daughter  of  A.  J.  and  Eliza 
(Perry)  Kathan.  His  wife  was  horn  in  St. 
Louis,  August  24,  1872.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James 
PL  Atterbury  have  one  son.  James  Hardin  At- 
terbnry,  Jr..  horn  December  23,  L895.  Mr. 
Atterbury  in  politics  has  always  been  an  active 
Republican,  but  has  never  held  nor  sought  pub- 
lic office. 


S.  W.  ELDRED. 


S.  W.  Eldred,  a  substantial  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  living  on  section  9,  Bois  Dare 
township,  is  the  owner  of  extensive  landed 
possessions,  his  farm  comprising  seven  hun- 
dred acres.     He  is  a  native  -on  of  Illinois  ami 


his  life  history  is  such  of  which  the  state  can 
well  be  proud,  for  in  his  career  he  has  dis- 
played the  enterprising  spirit  which  has  led 
to  tin'  substantial  and  rapid  development  of  the 
great  west. 

He  was  born  in  Greene  county,  Illinois,  No- 
vember 12,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of  Jeduthan  B. 
Eldred,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Herkimer 
county,  New  York.  July  23,  1S20.  The  grand- 
father, William  Eldred,  was  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut and  in  1820  he  removed  westward  with 
his  family  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Greene 
county  in  1821.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
residents  of  that  part  of  the  state,  taking  up 
his  abode  in  a  locality  where  there  were  few 
settlements,  when  the  greater  part  of  the  land 
was  unimproved  and  when  the  now  thriving 
cities  were  small  villages,  or  had  not  yet  been 
founded.  There  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  fron- 
tier life  J.  B.  Eldred  was  reared  and.  seeking 
a  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's  journey, 
he  was  married  in  Greene  county  to  Miss  Jane 
E.  Thomas,  whose  birth  occurred  in  that 
county.  June  6.  1823,  and  who  was  a  daughter 
of  Samuel  Thomas,  said  to  be  the  first  white 
settler  of  that  county.  Mr.  Eldred  became  an 
active  farmer  of  Greene  county  and,  making 
judicious  investments  in  land,  became  the 
owner  of  nearly  five  hundred  acres.  The  life 
of  the  farmer,  especially  at  that  day  when  there 
was  little  improved  machinery,  was  particularly 
arduous,  but  he  worked  on  year  after  war  and 
in  due  course  of  time  accumulated  a  handsome 
competence.  He  reared  his  family  upon  the 
old  homestead  there  and  made  it  his  place  of 
residence  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  April  13.  1887.  His  wife  still  sur- 
vives him  and  now  makes  her  home  with  her 
children. 

S.  W.  Eldred  was  reared  under  the  parental 
roof  in  Greene  county  and  at  the  usual  age  he 
entered  the  public  schools,  therein  acquiring  a 
good  practical  education.  He  received  man- 
ual training  at  farm  labor  under  the  direction 
of  his  father,  whom  he  continued  to  assist  upon 
the  old  homestead  up  to  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage. In  Jacksonville.  Illinois,  on  the  21st 
of  December,  1876,  he  was  joined  in  wedlock 
to  Miss  Mary  .1.  Robertson,  a  native  of  Mor- 
s  in   eountv,  Illinois,  ami   a   daughter  of  John 


ME.    AND    MRS.    S.    W.    ELDHED 


UBRAIW 

OF  ^l 

m,VBSw  of  u*» 


; 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


87 


and  Mary  Robertson,  also  natives  of  that 
county.  She  was  reared  in  the  county  of  her 
nativity,  pursuing  her  education  in  the  schools 
of  Jacksonville. 

Mr.  Eldred  came  to  his  present  home  in 
1874  and  began  the  development  of  his  farm, 
which  at  that  time  had  few  improvements 
The  place,  however,  was  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  in  extent  and  with  characteristic 
energy  he  began  to  till  the  fields,  construct 
buildings  and  continued  the  farm  work  along 
progressive  lines  that  have  led  to  substantial 
and  gratifying  results.  As  his  financial  re- 
sources increased  he  has  bought  more  land  from 
time  to  time  and  he  now  has  seven  hundred 
and  fourteen  aires.  He  has  erected  a  large 
two-storv  residence,  also  three  barns,  corn 
cribs,  sheds  and  other  outbuildings,  has  planted 
fruit  and  shade  trees  and  now  has  an  excellent 
property  equipped  with  all  modern  conven- 
iences and  accessories  and  displaying  in  its 
excellent  appearance  the  careful  supervision  of 
the  owner.  The  farm  is  enclosed  with  a  hedge 
and  wire  fence,  which  also  divide  the  place  into 
fields  of  convenient  size.  In  the  pastures  are 
found  good  grades  of  stock  and  annually  he 
ships  about  four  carloads  of  fat  hogs,  from  four 
to  six  carloads  of  steers  and  two  carloads  of 
sheep.  He  is  very  successful  as  a  stock- 
raiser  and  dealer  and  is  accounted  one  of 
the  leading  agriculturists  of  this  part  of  the 
county.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  and  director 
in  the  Carrollton  Bank.  His  father  was  one 
of  the  organizers  of  this  institution  and  his 
brother  has  been  in  this  hank  for  twenty-seven 
years  as  cashier. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eldred  have  been  born 
two  sons  anil  a  daughter:  John  J.,  who  is 
now  occupying  a  position  in  the  Carrollton 
Bank;  William  S.,  who  assists  in  the  operation 
of  the  home  farm;  and  Jennie,  also  under  the 
parental  roof.  The  parents  hold  membership 
in  the  Baptist  church  of  Bois  Dare,  to  which 
their  children  also  belong  and  they  are  deeply 
interested  in  the  various  church  activities  and 
contribute  generously  to  the  support  of  the 
church.  Mr.  Eldred  cast  his  first  presidential 
vote  in  1S72  for  General  Grant  and  has  sup- 
ported each  presidential  nominee  of  the  Re- 
publican  party   since   that    time,    having   firm 


faith  in  the  Republican  principles  and  ear- 
ne-ih  desiring  their  adoption.  He  served  as 
commissioner  of  highways,  but  otherwise  has 
held  no  office,  preferring  to  give  his  undivided 
attention  to  his  business  affairs.  He  has  been 
blessed  with  remarkably  good  health,  having 
never  hail  to  employ  the  services  of  a  physician 
for  over  thirty  years.  His  entire  life  has  been 
passed  in  Illinois  and  he  has  assisted  materially 
in  making  Montgomery  county  what  it  is  to- 
day, never  neglecting  any  duty  of  citizenship, 
while  at  the  same  time  promoting  his  indi- 
vidual business  interests  with  success.  He  is 
one  of  the  honored  residents  of  his  community, 
having  the  good  will  and  confidence  of  those 
with  whom  he  has  been  associated  for  in  all  his 
trade  transactions  he  has  been  strictly  reliable. 
making  the  most  of  his  opportunities,  yet  never 
taking  advantage  of  the  necessities  of  his  fid- 
low  men  in  any  business  transaction. 


JAMES  VERRICKER. 


James  Yerricker.  interested  in  fanning  as 
the  owner  of  a  rich  ami  arable  tract  of  land 
well  improved  with  modern  equipments  -and 
located  on  section  22,  Witt  township,  was  born 
in  County  Kilkenny.  Ireland,  on  the  15th  of 
September,  1846.  His  parents  were  Edward 
and  Margaret  (Powers)  Yerricker,  also  natives 
of  Ireland,  whence  they  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1850,  settling  in  Ohio.  The  fathei 
there  engaged  in  farming  for  some  time  and 
afterward  removed  to  Jersey  county,  Illinois, 
arriving  in  this  state  in  1855.  He  died  in  I860 
at  the  age  of  sixty-live  years,  and  his  wife 
passed  away  in  Montgomery  county  in  March, 
1892,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years. 

James  Yerricker  is  indebted  to  the  public 
schools  of  Jersey  county  for  the  educational 
privileges  which  he  enjoyed  in  his  youth.  He 
was  but  four  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the 
emigration  to  America  ami  was  a  lad  of  nine 
summers  when  he  arrived  in  this  state.  On  the 
11th  of  April.  1864, when  but  seventeen  years 
of  age,  he  offered  his  services  to  the  country 
in  defense  of  the  Union,  enlisting  in  Company 
0.  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Illinois 
Infantry.     He   participated   in  the  battles  of 


88 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


Jackson,  Mississippi,  and  Mobile,  together  with 
several  other  engagements,  and  was  honorably 
discharged  on  the  7th  of  August,  1865,  at 
Vicksburg,  Mississippi.  He  then  returned  to 
Jersey  county,  but  the  hardships  and  rigors 
of  war  had  so  undermined  his  health  that  he 
was  ill  for  two  years  and  unable  to  do  any- 
thing. He  afterward  conducted  a  saloon  at 
Fidelia,  Jersey  county,  but  when  six  months 
had  passed  he  engaged  in  teaming  in  Macoupin 
county,  following  that  pursuit  for  a  year  and 
a  half.  He  afterward  worked  by  the  month  for 
two  years  and  in  1871  he  came  to  Montgomery 
count  v.  where  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land, 
winch  became  the  nucleus  of  his  present  farm. 
He  has  since  added  to  the  place  at  different 
times  as  his  financial  resources  have  permitted 
until  he  now  owns  two  hundred  acres  of  val- 
uable land,  constituting  a  productive  farm, 
lie  put  all  of  the  improvements  on  the  place 
and  transformed  the  tract,  which  was  at  first 
swamp  land,  into  very  arable  fields,  annually 
returning  to  him  good  crops. 

On  the  27th  of  July,  1874,  Mr.  Verrieker 
was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Gaughen,  a 
daughter  of  Austin  and  Julia  (Fleming)  Gau- 
ghen,  the  former  horn  in  County  Mayo  and  the 
latter  in  County  Carlow,  Ireland.  They  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1841,  settling  in  Will 
county.  Illinois,  whence  they  removed  to  Jer- 
sey county  in  1857.  There  Mrs.  Verrieker 
was  born  on  the  25th  of  December,  of  that 
year.  After  three  years  the  parents  removed 
to  Montgomery  county,  where  the  father  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  six  years.  He  afterward 
lived  in  Fayette,  Illinois,  and  in  1875  returned 
to  Montgomery  county,  locating  near  Nokomis. 
His  wife  died  July  lit.  1893,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-live  years,  but  Mr.  Gaughen  is  still  liv- 
ing al  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years  and  makes 
his  home  with  Mr.   and    Mrs.  Verrieker. 

Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been 
horn  thirteen  children:  Julia,  who  was  horn 
December  7.  1873.  and  died  when  nine  months 
old;  Margaret  Mary,  who  was  born  August  11, 
1876,  and  is  the  wife  of  John  Lanahan,  a  far- 
mer of  this  county:  Edward  James,  born  No- 
vember 17,  1878,  who  is  at  home:  Augustine 
Leo,  who  was  born  April  1.  1881,  and  is  mar- 
ried and   lives  in   Nokomis  township;  Thomas 


Henry,  who  was  born  March  13.  ISM:  Brid- 
get Catherine,  who  was  horn  May  1,  1887,  and 
is  at  home;  Mary  ami  Alice,  twins,  horn  Jan- 
uary 10,  1886,  who  died  in  infancy;  John  Cle- 
mont,  who  was  horn  October  1,  1889,  and  is 
also  at.  home;  William,  born  February  5,  1892, 
Michael,  horn  March  20,  1894,  Elizabeth  Ellen, 
born  in  July,  1896,  and  James,  born  May  15, 
1900,  are  all  at  home.  The  parents  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Catholic  church  of  Nokomis  and  in 
bis  political  views  Mr.  Verrieker  is  independ- 
i  nt,  supporting  the  men  whom  he  thinks  best 
qualified  for  office. 


MICHAEL  J.  McMUERAY. 

Michael  J.  McMurray,  who  for  six  years  has 
been  a  member  of  the  bar  of  Montgomery 
county,  is  now  known  as  one  of  the  strong 
representatives  of  this  calling  in  his  adopted 
county  and  is  serving  as  county  judge.  He 
was  born  in  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  on  the 
8th  of  March,  186-1.  a  son  of  Michael  and 
Mary  F.  (Dugan)  McMurray.  His  father,  a 
native  of  Ireland,  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1848  and  located  in  Morgan  county.  Illi- 
nois, where  he  engaged  in  general  farming  and 
stock-raising.  In  1861  he  removed  to  Sanga- 
mon county,  hut  his  last  days  were  spent  at 
Farmersville.  this  county.  In  his  political  faith 
he  was  a  Democrat  and  in  religious  belief  was 
a  Catholic.  He  wedded  Mary  E.  Dugan,  also 
a  native  of  Ireland,  ami  in  1850  came  to  the 
United  States  with  her  parents,  the  family 
home  being  established  in  Jersey  county,  Illi- 
nois. Her  father.  Michael  Dugan.  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  became  a  very  ex- 
tensive landowner.  He,  too,  was  identified 
with  the  Catholic  church  and  in  that  faith 
Mrs.  McMurray  was  reared.  By  her  marriage 
she  became  the  mother  of  fourteen  children, 
eleven  of  whom  are  now  living,  seven  sons  and 
four  daughters. 

Michael  J.  McMurray  acquired  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  and  afterward  at- 
tended Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville,  sub- 
sequent, to  which  time  he  engaged  in  teaching 
school  for  six  years.  He  read  law  in  the  office  of 
Conklinp  &  Grout,  of  Springfield,  and  in  1892 
was    admitted    to    the    bar    after    careful    and 


JUDGE    M.    J.  McMURBAY 


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91 


thorough    preparation.      Ee  entered   upon    the 
practice  of  his  chosen  profession  at    Litchfield, 
Illinois,  where  he  remained   for  six  years,  and 
then  removed  to  Hillsboro  in    1898.      He   is  a 
Democrat    in    his    political    allegiance   and    in 
1896  upon  that  ticket  lie  was  chosen  by  popu- 
lar liallut   the  first  city  attorney  of   Litchfield, 
Ins  predecessors  having  been  appointed  by  the 
council.      In   1898  he  was  elected  to  the  office 
of  county  judge  and  was  re-elected  in    1902  by 
an  increase, 1  majority,  so  that  he  is  new  seining 
upon   the  bench.     In  the  practice  of   his  pro- 
fession   he    has   been   very   successful    and    his 
is  one  of  the  fine  legal  minds  of  this  part  of 
i  he  state,     lie  is  a  safe  e( hi nsel< >r.  well  versed 
in   law.  ami  during  his   two  terms  en  tin'  bench 
has   been   distinguished    For  high    Legal   ability. 
To  wear  the  ermine  worthily  it  is  not  enough 
that  one  possess  legal  acumen,  is  learned  in  the 
principles     of     jurisprudenc  ,     familiar     with 
precedents  and  thoroughly  honest.     Many  men. 
even    when    actin_i    uprightly,    are    wholly    un- 
able to  divest  themselves  of  prejudice  ami  are 
unconsciously    warped    in    tie  ir    judgments    by 
their   own     mental    characteristics    or    educa- 
tional    peculiarities.       This     unconscious     and 
variable    disturbing    force   enters   more   or   less 
into  the  judgments  of  all  men.  but  in  the  ideal 
jurist    this    factor  becomes   so  small    as    not   to 
be  discernible  in   results  and  loses  its  potency 
as   a    disturbing   force.     Judge    McMurray    is 
exceptionally  free  from  all  judicial  bias.     Iiis 
varied    legal    learning   and    wide   experience   in 
the    courts,    the    patient    care    with    which    he 
ascertains  all  the  facts  bearing  upon  every  case 
wdiieh  comes  before  him,  give  his  decisions  a 
solidity  and   an  exhaustiveness  from   which  no 
member  of  the  liar  can  take  exception. 

Judge  McMurray  was  married  in  1903  to 
Miss  .Juliet  K.  Fink,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Isaac 
W.  and  Sarah  ('.  (Sawyer)  Fink.  She  was 
horn  in  Hillsboro  and  is  a  lady  of  superior 
education  and  ability.  She  attended  Monti- 
cello  Seminary  and  afterward  went  abroad  to 
finish  her  education,  taking  up  painting  and 
other  art-  under  some  of  the  best  instructors  of 
Europe.  She  has  displayed  much  more  than 
ordinary  ability  as  an  artist. 

Judge  McMurray  is  a  man  of  high  character, 
displaying    public    spirit    and    unfaltering    loy- 


alty to  the  obligations  ami  duties  imposed  upon 
him  by  his  professional  ami  official  career. 
His  acquaintances  ami  friends — and  they  are 
main  -entertain  for  him  that  warm  personal 
regard  which  arises  from  trui  aobility  of  char- 
acter, kindness,  genialty  ami  deference  for  the 
opinion  of  others. 


HENRY   W.  BARTLING. 

Henry   \V.   Bartling,  who  was  a   member  of 
the  firm  of  Bartling  Brothers,  is  doing  a  whole- 
sale  business  as   a    shipper  of   poultry   ami    pro- 
duce   at    Litchfield,    was    born    in    Alton.    Illi- 
nois, in   lsii'.'.  ami  is  a  son  of  Henry  \V.   Hart- 
ling.     Coming  to  this  city  in  early  boyhood  he 
attended     its     public     schools     and     afterward 
worked    upon   a    f; until    1881,   when    he   se- 
cured   a    situation    in    the    hardware    store    of 
Caudry  &    Rhoades,  of  Litchfield,  and  here  he 
remained 'for   four  years,      lie  then  went    west, 
spending    two    years    in    thai     section   of    the 
country,   after   which    he    returned    and    entered 
the  hardware  store  of  Qpdike  &  ('ratty,  being 
employed    therein    from    1886    until    1891.      In 
1891    he    formed    a    stock    company    with    the 
members      of   that     firm    and     the    name     was 
changed  to  the  Updike,  Cratty  Hardware  Com- 
pany,   with    the     following    officers:     Samuel 
('ratty,    president;     llenn     W.    Bartling,    vice 
president;  P.  F.   Updike,  secretary    ami  treas- 
urer: and   the  business  was  capitalized   for  t <  n 
thousand    dollars.      In    duly,    1894,    however, 
Mr.   Bartling  sold  his  interesi   ami  entered  the 
employ  of  II.   II.  Henson,  a  dealer  in  proluce 
and    poultry,    with    whom    he    remained    until 
January,  1897,  when  he  and   his   brother  Carl 
purchased    their   employer's    business,   forming 
the  present  well-known  firm  of  Bartling  Panth- 
ers, wholesale  shippers  of  poultry  and  produce. 
They  do  a  business  amounting   to  sixty  thou- 
sand   dollars   a  year  and    their   business  is  not 
only  proving  profitable  to  themselves  but    also 
furnishes  an  excellent  market  for  the  surround- 
ing districl  as  they  make  large  purchases  from 
the    farmers   and    poultry   raisers.      Henry    W. 
Bartling  is  also  identified  with  other  business 
interests  of  this  city,  being  a   member  of  the 
firm   of    II.    W.   Bartling   &   Company,   dealers 


92 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


in  ice  and  coal  and  a  director  in  the  Oil  City 
Building  &  Loan  Association. 

In  1892  occurred  the  marriage  of  Henry 
\Y.  Bartling  and  Miss  Lena  Craft,  who  was 
born  in  Mount  Olive,  Illinois,  in  1868.  They 
have  four  children:  Wilmont,  Arthur,  Paid 
and  Henry.  They  also  lost  a  daughter,  Eliza- 
beth. 

Mr.  Bartling  gives  his  political  support  to 
the  Democracy  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day  so  that  by  in- 
telligent argument  he  can  uphold  his  political 
positon.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  fraternity  and  of  the  Odd  Fellows 
lodge  of  Litchfield  and  Ids  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  church.  His  progress  and  ad- 
vancement in  the  business  world  are  due  not 
to  any  fortunate  combination  of  circumstances, 
but  result  from  persistent,  earnest  labor,  the 
utilization  of  opportunity  and  unfaltering  de- 
termination combined  with  creditable  ambi- 
tion. 


T.  L   LANE. 


T.  L.  Lane,  possessing  the  business  enter- 
prise which  is  characteristic  of  the  middle  west 
and  has  been  the  strong  element  in  the  rapid 
growth  and  development  of  this  portion  of  the 
county,  is  now  successfully  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising in  Fillmore.  He  was  born  in  Fill- 
more township,  Montgomery  county,  March  2  1. 
1850,  and  has  passed  his  entire  life  here.  His 
parents  were  Jonathan  B.  and  Sarah  (Ha ins) 
Lane,  but  the  latter  died  at  the  birth  of  our 
subject.  About  one  years  later  the  father  mar- 
ried Rachel  Bost,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Bost, 
one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Montgomery 
county.  She  is  now  living  at  the  old  home 
place.  The  father  was  born  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, September  10,  1826,  was  reared  in  the 
old  Granite  st'ate  to  the  age  of  twelve  years  and 
in  1838  came  to  Illinois,  the  family  home  being 
established  near  Galesburg.  He  entered  upon 
his  business  career  as  a  farmer  and  followed 
that  pursuit  continuously  until  1860,  when  he 
turned  his  attention  to  merchandising,  conduct- 
ing a  business  upon  his  farm  west  of  Fillmore. 
He  was  also  a  very  extensive  farmer  and  at  the 


time  of  his  death  was  the  owner  of  five  hun- 
dred and  seventy-four  acres  of  valuable  land. 
His  son,  T.  L.  Lane,  was  made  executor  of  his 
estate.  His  residence  in  Montgomery  county 
dated  from  1840,  and  thus  he  was  one  of  its 
earliest  settlers.  He  took  an  active  and  helpful 
part  in  community  affairs,  never  withheld  his 
co-operation  from  any  enterprise  which  tended 
to  prove  of  public  benefit.  In  the  month  of 
April  following  the  twenty-first  anniversary  of 
his  birth  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  and 
held  that  office  continuously  for  about  twenty 
years,  his  decisions  being  characterized  by  the 
utmost  fairness  and  impartiality,  a  fact  which 
is  plainly  indicated  by  his  long  continuance  in 
office.  He  was  postmaster  at  Fillmore  for 
more  than  forty  years,  or  until  President  Cleve- 
land's administration.  He  died  March  16,  1902, 
and  the  county  thus  lost  one  of  its  most  hon- 
ored and  valued  pioneer  settlers.  In  the  family 
were  eight  children,  and  with  one  exception  all 
are  yet  living. 

T.  L.  Lane,  whose  name  introduces  this  rec- 
ord, was  reared  under  the  parental  roof  and 
was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of  this 
county.  He  started  upon  his  business  career 
in  1872.  settling  upon  a  farm,  and  there  re- 
sided until  thirteen  years  ago,  when  he  removed 
to  Fillmore  and  began  clerking  for  the  old  firm 
of  J.  B.  Lane  &  Son,  remaining  in  that  employ 
for  twelve  years.  After  his  father's  death  he 
purchased  the  store,  which  he  is  now  conduct- 
ing, it  becoming  his  property  on  the  7th  of 
June,  1902.  He  is  the  sole  proprietor,  and 
handles  a  good  and  well  selected  line  of  gro- 
ceries, dry  goods,  notions,  clothing,  hats  and 
caps,  boots  and  shoes,  glassware  and  tinware,  in 
fact,  his  stock  is  such  as  is  the  demand  of  the 
village  and  country  trade,  and  his  honorable 
dealing  and  earnest  desire  to  please  his  patrons 
has  secured  to  him  a  large  and  growing  busi- 
ness, which  brings  to  him  a  good  profit. 

In  October,  1872.  Mr.  Pane  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Minerva  Barringer.  a  daugh- 
ter of  Alfred  Barringer,  of  East  Fork  township, 
and  unto  them  have  been  horn  four  children, 
of  whom  three  are  living:  Estella  C.  Lottie 
M.  and  Orville  B.  The  family  are  all  member* 
of  the  Evangelical  church  and  Mr.  Lane  is 
identified  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  frater- 


LIBRARY 
OF  TH£ 
'"     TY  OF  ILLINOIS 


MR.    AND    MRS.    T.    L.    LANK 


MR.    AND    MRS.    JONATHAN    B.    LANE 


LIBRAE 

OF  THE 

n^yppglTY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PKESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COI'XTY 


97 


nity  of  Fillmore.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republi- 
can, and  the  father  was  one  of  the  first  to  vote 
that  ticket  in  this  district.  Mr.  Lane  belongs 
to  that  class  of  representative  American  men 
who,  while  devoted  to  individual  interests,  also 
advance  the  general  welfare,  and  in  Fillmore 
and  throughout  the  surrounding  district  he  is 
known  as  one  who  is  thoroughly  reliable,  pro- 
gressive and  public-spirited. 


JAMES  D.  KENDALL. 

James  1>.  Kendall,  who  is  usually  known  as 
Judge  Kendall,  is  activelj  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  Zanesville  township  on  section  11,  and 
is  a  recognized  leader  in  Democratic  circles 
in  Montgomery  county.  He  was  born  in  Jer- 
sey county.  Illinois,  December  30,  1839.  His 
father.  Samuel  T.  Kendall,  was  a  native  of  the 
adjoining  state  of  Indiana,  born  in  1808,  and 
came  to  Illinois  with  bis  mother  in  1821,  the 
family  home  being  established  in  Macoupin 
county,  where  the  present  town  of  Carlim  Hie 
now  stands.  Mrs.  Kendall  and  her  sons.  Thom- 
as, Samuel  S.  and  John  H..  built  the  first 
house  in  that  locality.  It  was  a  rude  pioneer 
cabin,  but  it  served  to  shelter  the  family  until 
a  belter  home  could  be  erected.  Samuel  Ken- 
dall was  twice  married,  but  his  first  wife  died 
soon  after  the  wedding  and  later  he  was  mar- 
ried in  St.  Charles,  Missouri,  to  Catherine  J. 
Sumner,  a  native  of  Tennessee.  Locating  in 
Jersey  county,  Illinois,  he  there  engaged  in 
farming  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1849.  Hi-  served  as  adjutant  of  an  Illinois 
regiment  during  the  Black  Hawk  war  and  was 
a  member  of  the  state  legislature  for  two  terms 
when  the  capital  was  at  Vandalia.  In  his 
family  were  five  sons  and  two  daughters  and 
four  of  the  sons  and  the  daughters  reached  ma- 
ture years,  while  three  sons  and  the  daughb  rs 
are  yet  living. 

Judge  Kendall  spent  his  early  youth  in  Jer- 
sey county,  Illinois,  upon  the  home  farm,  where 
he  lived  with  an  aunt  until  nineteen  years  of 
age.  He  then  began  working  as  a  farm  hand 
by  the  month  and  was  employed  in  that  way 
for  several  years.  When  the  country  needed 
the  aid  of  its  loyal  sons  he  enlisted  in  Jersey 


county  in  March,  L862,  joining  the  boys  in 
blue  of  the  Second  Illinois  Cavalry.  When 
the  regiment  arrived  at  Cairo  he  was  detailed 
for  service  in  the  quartermaster's  department 
and  acted  as  wagonmaster  under  General  John 
M.  Palmer,  tilling  that  position  continuously 
until  discharged  for  physical  disability,  by  or- 
der of  the  secretary  of  war  late  in  18(1:!.  He 
was  home  on  a  furlough  ill  with  typhoid  fever 
when  discharged. 

On  recovering  his  health  Mr.  Kendall  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Jersey  county  until  1866 
and  then  came  to  Montgomery  county,  where 
he  rented  a  tract  of  land  which  he  cultivated 
for  a  number  of  years.  The  capital  he  acquired 
through  his  earnings  and  which  he  saved  by 
his  commendable  economy  was  then  invested 
in  land  and  he  began  the  improvement  of  his 
own  farm,  which  he  has  transformed  into  a 
line  property.  It  is  a  good  place  of  seventy 
acres,  on  which  he  has  planted  an  excellent 
orchard.  He  has  also  fenced  the  place  and 
made  other  substantial  improvements  and  in 
connection  with  general  farming  he  has  en- 
gaged in  the  breeding  of  horses,  keeping  a  good 
stallion  and  also  a  jack  for  breeding  purposes. 
Upon  his  place  is  found  only  high  grade  stock. 

On  Christmas  day  of  1864,  Judge  Kendall 
was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Margaret  Hack- 
ney, who  was  born  and  reared  in  Jersey  coun- 
ty and  is  a  daughter  of  William  Hackney,  for- 
merly of  New  York.  Four  sons  and  two 
daughters  have  been  born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Kendall:  Albert  A.,  a  farmer  of  Montgom- 
ery county;  Harry  S.,  of  Springfield,  Illinois; 
John  E.,  of  East  St.  Louis;  Carrie  J.,  the 
wife  of  Harry  H.  Birch,  of  Waggoner,  Illi- 
nois; George  M.,  of  East  St.  Louis;  and  Laura 
II.   White,  at  home. 

Politically  Judge  Kendall  is  a  stalwart  Dem- 
ocrat and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  foremost 
representatives  of  his  party  in  this  portion  of 
the  county.  He  cast  his  first  presidential  bal- 
lot for  the  Little  Giant  of  Illinois — Stephen 
A.  Douglas — in  1860,  and  has  \oted  for  each 
presidential  nominee  since  that  time  and  also 
the  Democratic  nominees  for  governor  and  for 
congress.  lie  has  served  as  justice  of  the 
peace,  was  deputy  sheriff  of  the  county  for 
six    years    and    has    assessed    his    township    five 


98 


PAST    AMi    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


times.  He  is  now  serving  for  the  eighth  year 
as  a  member  of  the  honorable  county  board  of 
supervisors  and  was  at  one  time  chosen  presi- 
ded of  the  board.  He  is  now  serving  on  the 
committees  on  fees  and  salaries  and  roads  and 
bridges.  He  was  appointed  postmaster  of 
Waggoner  under  President  Cleveland's  admin- 
istration and  occupied  that  position  for  three 
years.  Judge  Kendall  has  frequently  been  a 
delegate  to  the  county  and  state  conventions 
of  his  party  and  has  served  on  the  Democratic 
centra]  committee  of  Montgomery  enmity  for 
twenty-six  years.  He  and  his  wife  arc  mem- 
bers id'  the  Baptisl  church,  in  which  he  i» 
serving  as  a  deacon,  and  he  belongs  to  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  the  Modem  Woodmen 
camp.  He  is  well  known  in  Hillsboro  and 
throughout  the  county  where  he  has  so  long 
resided,  and  is  justly  accounted  one  of  its  pro- 
gressive, prominent  and  influential  residents  of 
Zanesville  township,  lie  is  proud  of  his  rec- 
ord a-  a  stanch  life-long  Democrat  and  one 
of  hi,-  sterling  characteristics  is  his  unbending 
fidelity  to  whatever  lie  believes  to  he  right. 


JOHN    ROBERT    CHALLACOMBE. 

John  Robert  Challacombe,  well  known  m 
Montgomery  county,  is  one  whose  extensive  and 
varied  business  interests  have  resulted  in  the 
acquirement  of  a  comfortable  competence.  To- 
day  he  is  engaged  in  contracting  for  the  con- 
struction  of  steel  bridges  and  water  towers  at 
Hillsboro,  is  also  a  director  and  stockholder  iu 
the  Decatur  Bridge  Company  of  Decatur,  Illi- 
nois, and  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Challacombe 
Brothers,  dealers  in  farm  implements  at  No- 
komis. 

A  native  son  of  Illinois,  he  was  born  in  Ma- 
coupin county  in  1845.  His  father.  John 
Challacombe,  was  born  in  Devonshire, 
England,  near  Ifracombe.  The  grandfather, 
John  Challacombe,  Sr.,  was  likewise  a  native 
of  the  county  of  Devonshire,  born  in  1785.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Parminter  in  1814.  Her 
father,  James  Parminter,  was  appointed  super- 
intendent to  oversee  the  removal  of  the  sick 
and  infirm  women  and  children  at  the  time 
of  the  threatened  invasion  of  England  hv  Na- 


poleon. John  Challacombe,  Sr..  died  at  the 
age  of  sixty  years  and  was  buried  at  Carlin- 
ville,  Illinois.  Hi:-  wife  had  departed  this  life 
three  years  before.  In  their  family  were  eight 
children,  of  whom  John  Challacombe,  Jr.,  \\;i- 
the  third  in  order  of  birth.  He  came  to  the 
United  State-  in  is:;.",,  the  voyage  being  suc- 
eessfully  accomplished,  although  while  iu  mid- 
sea  a  severe  storm  was  encountered.  It  was 
the  intention  id'  the  family  to  locate  in  Illinois, 
but  they  stopped  first  at  Brockport,  m  western 
New  York,  on  the  Erie  canal.  Not  long  after- 
ward Mr.  Challacombe  purchased  a  farm  iu 
Genesee  county,  New  York,  forty  miles  east 
of  Buffalo.  In  1840  he  sold  that  property  and 
removed  to  Macoupin  county,  Illinois,  settling 
on  the  farm  now  known  as  the  John  M.  Palmer 
place,  three  miles  southwest  id'  Carlinville.  On 
the  removal  westward  the  trip  was  made  from 
Buffalo  to  Cleveland  by  water,  thence  by  way 
of  the  Ohio  canal  to  Portsmouth,  thence  down 
the  Ohio  river  and  up  the  Mississippi  and  Illi- 
nois rivers  to  Columbiana.  Illinois,  and  on  to 
Carrollton. 

John  Challacombe,  father  of  our  subject, 
spent  the  early  part  of  his  life  a-  a  farmer  and 
was  engaged  in  the  raising  of  stock  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  at  Alton.  Finally  he  turned  his 
attention  to  the  grain  trade  and  to  contracting, 
doing  paving  and  building.  Through  his  well 
directed  efforts  he  won  prosperity  and  at  one 
time  had  a  large  property  in  Alton.  He  died 
in  Litchfield.  May  '29,  1904,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-six  years.  His  political  allegiance  was 
given  to  the  Republican  party  and  his  re- 
ligious belief  was  indicated  by  his  member- 
ship in  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  married 
Rachel  Padgett,  who  was  born  in  Virginia. 
March  22,  1822,  and  died  February  18,  1850, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years.  Her  father 
was  Robert  Padgett,  a  native  of  England,  who. 
on  crossing  the  Atlantic  to  America,  settled  in 
Virginia,  whence  he  afterward  removed  to  Pal- 
myra. Macoupin  county.  Illinois,  where  he  car- 
ried on  agricultural  pur-nils.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Challacombe  were  bom  three  children. 
William  Brotherton  is  now  living  in  Sedalia, 
Missouri.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Twelfth 
Illinois  Cavalry  and  served  throughout  the 
war.   lie  was  detailed  at  headquarters  most  of 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


99 


the  time,  at  Sheridan's  headquarters,  and  was 
engaged  in  writing  the  history  of  the  engage- 
ments and  movements  of  the  army.  John  Rob- 
ert is  the  next  of  the  family.  James  Paxminter 
is  engaged  in  the  implement  business  at 
Xokomis.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  the 
father  of  our  subject  married  Elizabeth  Boulter, 
whose  parents  settled  near  Brighton,  Illinois,  at 
a  very  early  day.  The  children  of  this  mar- 
riage were  Anna.  George  and  Lizzie.  The  last 
named  died  in  1884. 

In  the  public  schools  at  Alton.  Illinois.  John 
Roberl  Challacombe  acquired  his  early  educa- 
tion, which  was  supplemented  by  study  in  Mc- 
Kendree  College  at  Lebanon,  Illinois,  and  in 
Bacon's  Commercial  College  ai  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.       After    leaving    school    he    engaged    in 

1 kkeeping   in    a    wholesale  grocery    house   at 

Alton,  Illinois,  and  was  afterward  employed  in 
the  Alton  postoffice.  Subsequently  he  became 
cashier  and  bookkeeper  for  L.  EL  Church  & 
Company,  wholesale  dealers  in  dry-goods  at 
Leavenworth,  Kansas,  being  located  there  dur- 
ing the  last  years  of  the  war.  In  1864  he  went 
to  trying.  Illinois,  where  he  conducted  a  grain 
elevator  that  bad  been  built  by  his  father,  this 
being  the  first  one  constructed  along  the  line 
of  the  Big  Four  Railroad  to  handle  grain  in 
hulk.  Mr.  Challacombe  continued  in  the  busi- 
ness there  for  twelve  years,  on  the  expiration  of 
which  period  he  removed  to  Hillsboro  and  the 
firm  of  Challacombe  &  Ramsey  was  formed. 
This  relation  was  maintained  for  eighteen 
years  and  in  1892  Mr.  Challacombe  purchased 
the  interest  of  his  partner.  Not  long  afterward 
he  sold  the  hardware  department  to  the  Hills- 
boro Hardware  Company,  but  continued  in  the 
implement  business  until  1900,  when  lie  sold 
out  to  George  W.  Brown.  Jr.  Since  then  he 
has  been  contracting  for  steel  bridges  and 
water  towers,  with  offices  in  connection  with 
A.  A.  Cress  &  Son.  in  the  News  building. 

In  IS'rl  Mr.  Challacombe  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Marcella  hi  Walter,  who  was 
horn  in  Hillsboro  in  18.ri4.  To  this  union  one 
child  was  horn.  Esther  Challacombe.  Mrs. 
Challacombe's  parents  were  Colonel  Paul  and 
Nancy  E.  Walter.  Her  father,  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  is  now  deceased,  and  her  mother  is 
still  living  in  Hillsboro.     Mr.  Challacombe  be- 


longs to  the  United  Commercial  Travelers'  As- 
sociation of  America  and  to  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  hi  his  political 
views  he  is  a  Republican,  a  recognized  leader 
in  the  local  ranks  of  his  party.  He  has  been 
supervisor  id'  Irving  township,  has  served  as 
councilman  of  Eillsboro  and  was  the  repre- 
sentative front  the  thirty-eighth  senatorial  dis- 
tr.et  of  Illinois  to  the  thirty-ninth  genera]  as- 
sembly. Few  men  are  more  prominent  or 
more  widely  known  in  the  enterprising  city 
of  Hillsboro  than  John  Robert  Challacombe. 
lie  has  been  an  important  factor  in  business 
circles  and  his  popularity  is  well  deserved,  as 
in  him  are  embraced  the  characteristics  of  an 
unbending  integrity,  unabating  energy  and  in- 
dustry that  never  Hags.  He  is  public-spirited 
and  thoroughly  interested  in  whatever  tends  to 
promote  the  moral,  intellectual  and  material 
welfare  of  Hillsboro  ami  Montgomery  county. 


W.   11.  COOK.  M.  I). 


Dr.  \\ .  II.  Cook,  whose  comprehensive 
knowledge  of  the  principles  of  the  medical 
science  and  skill  in  the  administration  of 
remedial  agencies  has  made  him  one  of  the 
prominent  physicians  of  Coffeen  and  of  his  part 
of  the  county,  was  horn  in  Shelby  county, 
Kentucky,  in  Is:!),  his  parents  being  F.  B. 
and  M.  (Roseberry)  Cook.  His  paternal  great- 
grandfather, William  Cook,  served  as  a  ser- 
geant in  Wall's  Company  of  the  Fourth  Vir- 
ginia Regiment  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  This 
fact  indicates  that  the  family  was  established 
in  America  in  colonial  flays.  The  parents  of 
Dr.  Cook  were  horn  and  reared  in  Shelby  coun- 
ty. Kentucky,  and  the  father  followed  the  oc- 
cupation of  farming  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred   in  1847. 

Dr.  Cook  acquired  his  early  education  in  the 
subscription  schools  of  his  native  county  ami 
later  attended  the  public  schools.  When  nine- 
teen years  of  age  he  removed  to  Putnam  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  and  was  there  engaged  in  teach- 
ing school  and  in  clerking  in  a  store.  lie 
spent  several  years  in  thai  locality  and  was  a 
medical  student  in  a  physician's  office  there 
for    two    years.      In    1861    lie    came    to    Mont- 


LOO 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


ginnery  c-<"nmt y.  where  hr  practiced  medicine 
with  a  preceptor  for  a  time.  When  the  war 
was  ended  he  entered  Washington  University 
at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  then  known  as  the  St. 
Louis  Medical  College,  and  completed  a  course 
of  study  by  graduation  with  the  class  of  LS67. 
In  1879  he  again  entered  that  institution  for 
post-graduate  work,  lie  possesses  a  splendid 
medical  library  and  has  even  kept  in  touch 
with  the  advancement  made  by  the  profession, 
using  the  latest  improved  instruments  in  his 
surgical  practice  and  administering  those 
remedies  which  modem  science  have  demon- 
strated to  be  must  effective  in  checking  the 
ravages  of  disease.  He  has,  moreover,  been 
prominent  in  medical  organizations  and  is  now 
president  of  the  County  Medical  Society.  He 
was  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  District 
Medical  Society,  was  its  secretary  for  two  years 
and  did  most  of  the  correspondence  which  re- 
sulted in  the  formation  of  the  society.  He 
likewise  belongs  to  the  Illinois  State  Medical 
Society  and  to  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion, and  is  a  member  of  the  American  Asso- 
ciation of  Life  Examining  Surgeons.  He  is 
examiner  in  Coffeen  for  nearly  all  of  the  lead- 
ing insurance  companies  and  is  one  of  the  old- 
est practitioners  in  Montgomery  county,  arriv- 
ing here  when  there  were  but  few  towns  within 
the  borders  of  the  county.  He  is  a  firm  be- 
liever in  higher  education,  advocating  the  best 
mental  development  that  can  he  secured  by 
each  individual,  and  he  has  spent  much  mone] 
in  educating  his  children. 

In  September,  1856,  Dr.  Cook  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  F.  Robinson,  of 
Indiana,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of 
four  children,  of  whom  three  are  now  liv- 
ing: Charles  Edwin  is  a  lawyer  residing  in 
Greenville,  Illinois.  Ella  J.  is  married  and 
lives  in  Ramsey,  Illinois.  Melvin  Thurston  is 
professor  of  biology  in  De  Pauw  University. 
He  was  graduated  from  Stanford  University 
in  1894,  won  tin1  master's  degree  at  De  Pauw 
and  expects  to  win  the  doctor's  degree  at  the 
Ohio  State  University.  While  studying  in  the 
last  named  institution  he  wrote  a  series  of  ar- 
ticles upon  "Calls  and  Insects  Producing 
Them,"  which  articles  are  to  be  used  by  him 
as  a  thesis  for  the  degree  of  doctor  of  philoso- 


phy. These  papers  were  published  anil  at- 
tracted world-wide  attention,  lie  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  best  authorities  on  the  subject  in 
the  United  States,  having  made  most  extensive 
investigations  along  that  line.  Recently  he 
has  been  appointed  chief  plant  pathologist  of 
Cuba. 

Dr.  Cook  has  prospered  in  his  professional 
career  and  is  now  the  owner  of  eighty  acres 
of  farming  land  in  Montgomery  county  and 
also  some  timber  land  in  addition  to  his  town 
property  in  Coffeen.  He  has  always  been  deep- 
ly interested  in  everything  pertaining  to  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  the  county,  and  his 
aid  and  support  have  been  counted  upon  when 
an  attempt  has  been  made  to  promote  general 
welfare  in  any  way.  In  politics  he  has  always 
been  a  Democrat,  supporting  the  party  from 
the  time  he  attained  his  majority.  For  forty- 
nine  years  he  has  been  an  exemplary  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  he  and  his  wife 
are  members  id'  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Not  only  is  he  one  of  the  older  mem- 
bers of  tin'  medical  fraternity  of  Montgomery 
county,  but  has  always  maintained  a  foremost 
place  in  the  ranks  of  the  profession,  and  in  his 
life  has  also  displayed  the  sterling  traits  of 
character  which  have  made  him  a  man  honored 
among  his  friends. 


JUDGE  JESSE  J.  PHILLIPS. 

Judge  Jesse  J.  Phillips  was  born  in  Mont- 
gomery county,  Illinois,  May  22,  1837.  His 
parents  came  from  Kentucky  at  an  early  day- 
anil  were  among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Mont- 
gomery county.  Jesse  received  a  liberal  edu- 
cation at  the  old  Hillsboro  Academy  and  in 
is.");  i altered  the  law  office  of  Davis  &  Kings- 
bury ol  Hillsboro  as  a  law  student.  In  1860 
be  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  immediately 
opened  a  law  olliee  in  Hillsboro.  He  remained 
in  the  practice  of  bis  profession  until  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war  in  the  spring  of 
1861. 

I'pon  the  tirst  call  of  President  Lincoln  for 
troops  Phillips  hung  a  Hag  from  his  office  win- 
dow and  announced  that  be  would  raise  a 
company   to  aid    in   preserving  the  Union.      He 


.Mix;  K    .1.    J.    l'HILUI'S 


OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


FAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


103 


was  elected  captain.  Upon  the  organization  of 
the  Ninth  Regiment,  Illinois  Infantry,  Captain 
Phillips  was  elected  major  of  the  regiment. 
At  the  expiration  of  the  term  of  enlistment — 
three  months — the  Ninth  was  reorganized, 
Fhilli|is  retaining  his  position  as  major.  The 
regiment  was  soon  ordered  to  the  front  and 
was  engaged  in  a  number  of  notable  battles, 
acquiring  the  name  of  the  "Bloody   Ninth." 

On  December  2,  1861,  Major  Phillips  was 
commissioned  lieutenant  colonel.  For  his  gal- 
lantry in  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson  he  was 
publicly  complimented  by  Genera]  Grant,  lie 
participated  in  the  memorable  battle  of  Shi- 
loh,  April  (!.  1862,  and  his  command  lost  one 
hundred  and  three  killed  on  the  field,  two 
hundred  and  eighty-seven  were  wounded,  and 
ten  were  taken  prisoners.  Colonel  Phillips  was 
shot  through  the  hand,  permanently  disabling 
that   member,  and  twice  through  the  thigh. 

In  August,  1863,  Colonel  Phillips,  in  com- 
mand of  sixteen  hundred  men,  raided  through 
Mississippi,  carrying  consternation  and  havoc 
wherever  he  went.  At  the  battle  of  Resaca, 
in  May,  1864,  Colonel  Phillips  was  shot 
through  the  ankle  and  on  September  1,  1864, 
lie  resigned,  having  seen,  perhaps,  more  hard 
fighting  (ban  any  officer  in  the  Union  army. 
He  was  always  a  gallant  and  fearless  leader  and 
was  idolized  by  his  men.  lie  was  afterward 
brevetted  brigadier  general  for  gallant,  meri- 
torious and  distinguished  services. 

Alter  his  resignation  from  the  army  he  re- 
sumed the  practice  of  the  law  with  great  suc- 
cess. He  was  soon  recognized  as  the  leading 
lawyer  of  the  county,  if  not  of  this  part  of 
the  state. 

In  1866  and  again  in  1868  he  was  the  Dem- 
ocratic nominee  for  state  treasurer.  In  1879 
he  was  elected  circuit  judge  of  this  circuit  and 
served  in  that  capacity  thirteen  years.  In  1893 
he  was  elected  to  the  supreme  bench,  which 
position  he  held  when  he  died. 

He  died  on  the  16th  of  February,  1901,  and 
of  the  many  tributes  of  respect  paid  to  his 
memorv  we  quote  the  following  by  Judge  J. 
G.  Irwin,  of  Edwardsville : 

"My  acquaintance  with  Judge  Phillips  dates 
from  August  19.  1861.  He  was  then  twenty- 
four  years  old,  and  was  a  rare  example  of  the 


qualities  which  lil  a  man  for  war.  His  pres- 
ence was  so  inspiring  that  he  had  lew.  if  any, 
superiors  in  the  impersonation  of  the  gifts 
which  make  a  man  a  leader  of  men  while  un- 
dergoing the  deprivations  ami  the  disciplinary 
duties  of  camp  life,  or  when  engaged  in  deadly 
strife  upon  the  held  of  battle.  His  individu- 
ality marked  him  as  a  man  born  to  he  a  sol- 
dier, and  distilled  to  win  the  name  and  fame 
for  himself  and  the  men  who  Eoughl  under  him. 
which  the  records  of  the  Civil  war  now  ac- 
cord to  hint  and  them.  He  had  a  physique 
which  never  seemed  to  flag,  much  le^s  succumb 
to  fatigue,  hardship,  exposure  or  the  strain  of 
battle,  siege,  march,  or  raid.no  mailer  how  long 
emu  limed  nor  how  intense  or  trying  the  situ- 
ation in  which  he  or  his  men  might  lie  placed 
by  i he  fortunes  or  misfortunes  of  war.  His 
unconquerable  spirit  sustained  the  physical 
man  in  every  struggle,  and  made  him  person- 
ally the  victor  over  every  difficulty  or  discom- 
fiture, and  enabled  bint  to  vanquish  bis  enemies 
at  the  front.  It  may  he  doubted,  physically 
speaking,  whether  flesh  and  blood  was  ever 
called  upon  to  endure  more  than  he  and  his 
men  endured  during  the  Civil  war.  On  all  oc- 
casions, under  all  circumstances,  in  every  emer- 
jeiic\  and  in  every  situation,  in  body  and  spirit 
hi'  most  nobly  fulfilled  his  country's  expecta- 
tions, in  fullest  measure,  at  the  front  in  the 
Civil  war.  Tic  occasion  forbids  going  info  the 
details   of    this    record,    and    necessarily    limits 

c ment    upon   it   except   to   the  extent    called 

for  by  a  sketch  sufficiently  full  to  show  the 
character  and  qualities  of  a  soldier.  He  did  not 
know-  what  fear  was.  and  always  courted  in- 
stead of  shunning  danger.  No  field  officer  was 
ever  known  to  expose  himself  to  the  dangers  of 
the  firing  line  with  such  perfect  abandon  and 
such  unconcern  for  his  own  personal  safety 
as  Phillips.  This  was  nol  occasional,  but  ha- 
bitual with  him.  He  seemed  to  glory  in  it, 
and  was  always  willing  t<>  go  where  he  asked 
his  men  to  go.  He  led  and  never  took  ad- 
vantage of  his  privilege  of  following.  Herein, 
and  in  the  magnetism  of  his  voice,  and  of  his 
heroic  bearing  in  field  and  camp,  was  the  secret 
of  his  power  to  inspire  subordination  and  lead 
men  to  death  or  victory.  He  was  not  a  rigid 
or   severe   disciplinarian,   and   yet   there   is  no 


L04 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


instance  of  a  spirit  of  insubordination,  or  dis- 
position to  disobey  orders  or  rebel  against  the 
requirements  of  superiors  in  the  record  of  his 
regiment.  No  matter  who  might  be  criticised 
in  private,  if  complaints  were  ever  uttered 
against  Colonel  Phillips,  I  can  recall  nothing 
of  the  kind,  and  do  not  believe  they  were  ever 
entertained.  He  was  idolized  by  his  men,  not 
one  of  whom  would  have  refused  to  obey  or 
follow  where  he  led  or  commanded  them  to  go. 
This  was  wholly  due  to  the  inspiration  of  his 
own  heroic  example,  and  was  free  from  the 
taint  of  servility. 

"When  to  the  value  of  his  services  as  a 
soldier  we  add  that  of  his  worth  as  a  judge, 
so  well  set  forth  by  his  associates  on  the  bench 
mi  Hi  is  occasion,  we  can  say  that  the  state 
has  lost  a  citizen  of  pre-eminent  worth,  in 
the  death  of  Judge  Phillips.  He  occupied  a 
large  place,  and  rendered  services  which  it  is 
the  good  fortune  of  few  men  to  be  able  to 
render,  at  a  period  in  the  progress  of  his  coun- 
try, which  entitled  him  to  be  held  in  grateful 
remembrance  by  his  fellow  citizens.  Whatever 
his  faults  or  frailties  may  have  been,  his  son- 
ic<s  as  a  soldier  and  jurist  should  totally  ob- 
scure them,  and  his  name  should  be  handed 
down  with  approbation  of  everything  that  per- 
tains to  his  public  life  and  services.  In  these 
respects  lie  was  certainly  true  to  high  ideals 
and  standards  of  citizenship.  He  was  conspic- 
uously a  man  of  honor  in  all  the  relationships 
of  camp  and  forum.  Let  us  fondly  and  fre- 
quently hope  that  the  state  of  the  soul  at  the 
last  gave  the  spirit  of  our  lamented  friend  and 
comrade  entrance  into  the  realm  where  war 
and  strife  are  unknown,  and  where  the  peace 
that  passeth  understanding  shall  lie  his  ever- 
lasting portion." 


DAVID  S.  WARE. 

David  S'.  Ware  was  numbered  among  the 
early  settlers  of  Montgomery  county,  having 
made  his  home  within  its  borders  from  1855. 
lie  was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  October  25. 
1828,  a  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Smith)  Ware, 
the  former  a  native  of  New  Hampshire  and  the 
latter  of   Vermont.     The    father    followed    the 


occupation  of  farming  and  spent  his  last  days 
in  the  state  of  his  nativity.  Unto  him  and  his 
wife  were  born  four  children:  Theoda,  the 
wife  of  George  Tolle;  David  S. ;  Mary,  de- 
ceased; and  Samuel  B. 

David  S.  Ware  acquired  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  New  Hampshire  and  after- 
ward engaged  in  teaching  school.  It  was  in 
1855  that  he  emigrated  w-estward,  establishing 
his  home  in  Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  at 
what  is  known  as  Ware's  (J rove,  in  Butler 
Grove  township.  He  w^as  for  many  years  there- 
after actively  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
and  secured  an  extensive  tract  of  land,  which 
he  transformed  into  richly  developed  fields.  He 
placed  many  modern  improvements  and  acces- 
sories upon  his  farm,  equipping  it  with  all  the 
facilities  that  tended  to  make  his  labors  of 
greater  avail  in  securing  a  competence.  At 
length,  having  acquired  a  good  capital,  he  put 
aside  business  cares  and  removed  to  East  Hills- 
boro  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil  in 
an  honorable  retirement  from  further  labor. 
There  he  died  in  August,  1904. 

Mr.  Ware  was  twice  married.  He  first 
wedded  Lestina  Brigham,  who  was  horn  in 
Xew  Hampshire  and  died  in  1872  at  the  age 
of  forty-one  years.  Her  parents  were  Aaron 
and  Susan  (Proctor)  Brigham.  the  former  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ware  were  born  nine  children,  including  John, 
who  resides  near  Coffeen.  Illinois:  Arthur,  who 
is  living  at  Ware's  Grove;  David,  who  makes 
his  home  in  the  same  locality;  Lyman,  who  re- 
sides on  the  old  homestead;  Beulah.  the  wife 
of  Albert  Chickering,  of  New  Hampshire :  and 
Emma,  the  wife  of  Jesse  Osborn,  who  is  liv- 
ing five  miles  north  of  Hillsboro.  In  L872  Mr. 
Ware  was  again  married,  bis  second  union 
being  with  Mrs.  Catharine  (Dryer)  Wiley,  the 
widow  of  Robert  Wiley.  She  was  born  in  Hills- 
boro in  1829  ami  was  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Mary  Dryer,  who  came  to  Montgomery  county 
prior  to  1824  and  settled  in  Hillsboro.  remov- 
ing to  the  west  from  New  York.  He  was  a 
wheelwright  by  trade,  ami  after  coming  to  the 
west  also  engaged  in  farming.  On  remov- 
ing from  Hillsboro  he  took-  up  his  abode  at 
St.  John.  Illinois,  where  he  resided  for  three 
or  four   years,  and   final lv   his  death   occurred 


W.   H.   WILEY 


MES.    OEA    .1.  (WILEY)    LIPE 

MES.   CATHAEINE    (  DEYEE)    WAEE 
COEYDON   CLYDE    LIPE 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

DIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


107 


in  Montgomery  comity,  about  six  miles 
north  of  Hillsboro.  March  21,  1844.  His  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Nusman  and 
was  a  daughter  of  John  Nusman,  the  first  set- 
tler of  Hillsboro  and  the  builder  of  the  first 
cabin  in  the  town.  He,  too,  was  a  wheelwright 
and  farmer.  Mrs.  Ware's  grandmother  found 
the  first  spring  in  Hillsboro,  the  one  which  now 
furnishes  water  for  the  city. 

By  her  first  marriage  Mrs.  Ware  had  seven 
children,  of  whom  three  are  now  living:  Sadie 
E.,  who  is  engaged  in  teaching  school  in  S'a- 
lida,  Colorado;  \V.  II.  Wiley,  who  makes  his 
home  in  Butler  Grove  township;  and  Hattie, 
the  wife  of  Charles  Mann,  of  Lincoln,  Ne- 
braska. Mrs.  Ware  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  and  is  well  known  in 
Montgomery  county,  being  a  representative  of 
one  of  its  honored  pioneer  families. 

Mr.  Ware  gave  his  political  allegiance  to  the 
Republican  party  and  served  as  justice  of  the 
peace,  as  school  director  and  was  supervisor  for 
one  term.  His  career  clearly  illustrated  the 
possibilities  that  are  open  in  this  country  to 
earnest,  persevering  young  men  who  have  the 
courage  of  their  convictions  and  are  determined 
to  be  the  architects  of  their  own  fortunes.  When 
judged  by  what  he  accomplished  his  right  to 
a  first  place  among  the  representative  citizens 
of  Hillsboro  cannot  be  questioned. 


ROBERT   W.   KENNEDY. 

Robert  W.  Kennedy  has  been  a  resident  of 
Montgomery  county  since  1859  and  few  resi- 
dents, therefore,  have  longer  witnessed  its  de- 
velopment and  progress  as  it  has  emerged  from 
pioneer  conditions  to  take  its  place  among  the 
leading  counties  of  this  great  commonwealth. 
He  resides  on  section  11.  Raymond  township, 
where  he  has  a  well  improved  farm  of  eighty 
acres,  pleasantly  situated  about  three  miles 
from  the  village  of  Raymond.  He  came  to 
this  county  when  a  young  man  of  sixteen  years 
from  Brown  county.  Ohio,  where  he  had  re- 
sided for  about  six  years.  He  was  born  in  Ire- 
land and  was  brought  to  Illinois  by  his  parents. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Kennedy,  who  purchased 
a  tract  of  land  including  the  farm  upon  which 


Robert  W.  Kennedy  now  resides.  The  father's 
original  purchase  comprised  two  hundred  acres 
of  swamp  land  and  raw  prairie  and  with  char- 
acteristic energy  he  began  to  cultivate  and  im- 
prove this  and  in  due  course  of  time  developed 
a  valuable  property  supplied  with  many  of  the 
modern  conveniences  and  accessories  of  farm 
life.  His  last  days  were  spent  upon  the  old 
homestead  and  his  wife  also  died  there.  In 
their  family  were  seven  children,  all  of  whom 
are  now  living  and  are  heads  of  families. 

Robert  W.  Kennedy  remained  upon  the  old 
homestead  until  the  father's  death  and  during 
that  period  assisted  in  the  development  and 
cultivation  of  the  fields.  Taking  up  his  abode 
upon  his  present  farm  he  has  erected  here  a 
new  residence,  has  built  a  barn  and  other  sub- 
stantial outbuildings  for  the  shelter  of  grain 
and  stock,  has  placed  his  fields  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  has  planted  forest  and 
ornamental  trees.  In  addition  to  his  home 
place  he  cultivates  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
adjoining  and  he  is  raising  good  grades  of 
burses,  cattle  and  hogs.  His  business  is  well 
managed  and  his  life  is  one  of  unfaltering  in- 
dustry. He  has  continuously  engaged  in  farm- 
ing save  for  the  period  of  his  service  in  the 
Civil  war.  On  the  1st  of  May,  1864,  he  re- 
sponded to  his  country's  call  for  troops,  enlist- 
ing in  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-third  Illi- 
nois Infantry  as  a  member  of  Company  H. 
With  his  command  he  went  south  to  Arkansas 
and  also  saw  duty  in  Tennessee,  being  mostly 
engaged  in  guard  duty.  After  the  close  of  his 
three  months  term  he  was  honorably  mustered 
mil    at   Mattoon.    Illinois,  in  September,   1864. 

Mr.  Kennedy  was  married  on  the  4th  of 
April.  1868,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Dickson,  a  na- 
tive of  Missouri,  where  her  early  girlhood  days 
were  spent  and  then  came  to  Illinois.  Her 
death  occurred  March  4,  1888.  and  she  was  laid 
to  rest  in  Asbury  cemetery  near  Raymond. 
She  had  seven  children,  of  whom  three  are 
now  living:  Maggie  E.,  the  wife  of  Robert 
J.  Brycc.  of  Indianapolis;  William  J.,  who  is 
engaged  in  business  in  San  Francisco;  and 
Clara  L.,  who  is  married  and  resides  in  Indian- 
apolis. Three  of  the  children  of  that  marriage 
died  in  early  childhood.  On  the  6th  of  Feb- 
ruarv.  1901,  Mr.  Kennedy  was  united  in  mar- 


IDS 


PAST    .WD    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


riage  to  Mrs.  [sabel  Mey,  the  widow  of  Mil- 
lard F.  Mey.  By  her  former  marriage  she  had 
two  children  who  are  now  grown. 

Politically  Mr.  Kennedy  is  an  earnest  Id 
publican  and  casl  his  first  presidential  ballot 
for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864,  since  which 
time  he  has  supported  each  nominee  of  the 
party  at  the  head  of  the  ticket.  He  has  been 
elected  and  served  in  various  local  offices,  in- 
cluding that  of  township  trustee  and  for  twen- 
ty-four years  he  was  a  member  of  the  school 
board,  during  which  time  he  put  forth  effec- 
tive and  earnest  effort  in  behalf  of  the  schools. 

believing  in  the  employ nt  of  g 1  teachers, 

||('  has  been  elected  and  is  now  serving  for  Ins 
third  term  as  assessor  and  he  has  been  a  dele- 
gate to  various  county  convention-  of  his  party. 
Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic  ami  is  a  Master  Mason, 
belonging  to  Raymond  lodge.  He  was  reared 
in  the  Presbyterian  faith,  hut  he  and  his  wife 
are  now  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Mr.  Kennedy  has  been  a  resident  of 
i  he  county  lor  nearly  fifty  years  and  is  one  of 
the  oldesl  settlers  of  Raymond  township,  where 
he  has  a  wide  acquaintance,  his  friends  being 
many. 


WILLIAM   ALLEN    FRAME. 

The  rich  prairie  tracts  of  central  Illinois 
furnish  splendid  opportunity  to  the  agricultur- 
ist, and  William  Allen  Frame  is  classed  with 
those  who.  taking  advantage  of  this  opportun- 
ity have  won  success  through  indomitable  per- 
severance and  untiring  energy.  A  native  of 
Ohio,  he  was  horn  in  Pickaway  county.  March 
•.'(>,  1835,  and  is  a  son  of  George  Frame,  who 
by  two  marriages  had  twelve  children,  six  sons 
and  six  daughters.  In  1836  the  family  came 
to  Illinois,  going  by  way  of  the  river  route  to 
St.  Louis  and  thence  across  the  country  with 
ox-teams  to  Montgomery  county.  They  located 
in  East  Fork  township,  where  the  father  pur- 
chased a  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land,  and  upon  that  farm  he  spent  his  re- 
maining days,  his  death  occurring  at  the  age 
of  sixty-four.  In  addition  to  general  farming 
he   wa-   extensively   engaged   in   the  raising  of 


cattle.  Connected  with  the  pioneer  development 
of  the  county,  he  bore  his  share  in  promoting 
public  progress,  especially  along  agricultural 
lines,  and  deserves  mention  among  the  early 
settlers  whose  labors  proved  of  practical  and 
far-reaching  value  here. 

William  A.  Frame  was  only  a  year  old  when 
brought  to  Montgomerj  county,  and  his  mem- 
ory pictures  many  of  the  pioneer  conditions 
which  then  existed.  His  environment  was  such 
as  is  usually  common  on  the  frontier  when  the 
log  cabin  shelters  tin'  earh  settlers,  who  have 
few  of  the  advantages  of  the  older  cast.  He 
pm  sued  hi-  education  in  a  log  schoolhouse,  to 
which  he  walked  a  distance  of  two  miles,  and 
when  fourteen  years  of  age  he  started  out  in 
life  for  himself.  His  father  dying,  he  went  to 
Alton.  Illinois,  and  tor  two  years  he  worked  on 
a  farm  through  the  summer  seasons,  while  in 
the  winter  months  he  attended  school.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  returned  to  Montgomery 
enmity  and  worked  on  a  farm  for. lames  Clot- 
Eelter  during  the  greater  part  of  the  time  for 
five  years,  receiving  at  first  hut  ten  dollars  per 
month.  Ife  afterward  spent  about  two  years 
a-  an  employe  at  the  slaughter-house  at  Spring- 
field,  Illinois,  and  after  his  marriage  he  rented 
land  in  Efillsboro  township.  When  seven  years 
had  passed  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  m  Last  Fork  township,  where  he  made 
his  home  until  1901.  All  of  the  improvements 
upon  the  place  were  the  work  of  his  hands,  and 
he  transformed  it  into  a  valuable  property.  He 
also  extended  the  boundaries  of  that  farm  until 
it  comprised  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  which 
he  gave  to  his  sons.  During  the  first  two  years 
the  proceeds  of  his  farm — largely  devoted  to 
wheat-raising — paid  for  the  old  place.  In  1901 
he  removed  to  his  present  farm  of  two  hundred 
acres  in  Hillsboro  township.  This  farm  is 
now  mostly  in  blue  grass  pasture,  and  there  arc 
living  springs  upon  the  place  sufficient  for  one 
thousand  head  of  cattle.  He  is  now  largely 
engaged  in  stock-raising  and  is  conducting  a 
profitable  business. 

On  the  17th  of  March.  1So9,  Mr.  Frame  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Zilpah  Clotfelter,  who 
was  born  September  IS.  1832,  and  they  had 
five  children  :  Mary,  the  wife  of  Samuel  Ed- 
wards: James,  deceased:   Amos,  who   is  living 


ME.    AN  1  >    MRS.    W.    A.    FRAME 


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PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


111 


cm   the  old   homestead;    Milly,   deceased;   and 
George,  who  is  also  on  the  old  farm. 

Mr.  Frame  votes  with  the  Republican  party, 
but  has  never  been  an  office-seeker,  preferring 
to  give  his  attention  to  his  business  affairs,  in 
which  he  has  met  with  excellent  success.  He 
started  out  in  life  at  a  very  tender  age — a  poor 
buy,  dependent  entirely  upon  his  own  resources 
for  a  living.  He  worked  early  and  late  and 
most  laboriously  to  gain  a  start,  but  he  found 
scope  for  his  expanding  business  powers  in  the 
agricultural  possibilities  of  the  county,  and  is 
now  one  of  its  substantial  and  respected  farm- 
ers. Moreover,  lie  is  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  the  county,  who  for  almost  seventy  years 
has  resided  here,  and  has  witnessed  the  changes 
that  have  occurred  as  the  county  has  put  off 
pioneer  conditions  and  become  one  of  the  more 
progressive  counties  of  this  great  state. 


II.  s.   SHORT,  M.  D. 

Dr.  II.  S.  Short,  actively  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  and  enjoying  the  suc- 
cess which  is  evidence  of  Ins  skill  and  ability 
in  his  chosen  profession,  was  born  in  Ran- 
dolph county.  North  Carolina.  May  4.  1840, 
bis  parents  being  Lemuel  and  Mary  (Hasket) 
Short.  The  father,  also  a  native  of  North 
Carolina,  was  born  in  Guilford  county,  Feb- 
ruary 24,  1814,  and  in  the  fall  of  1853  he 
came  to  Illinois.  He  was  a  teacher  by  profes- 
sion, and  he  established  bis  home  in  Fayette 
county  east  of  Ramsey,  where  be  resided  for 
about  two  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  be  removed  to  Shelby  county.  Illinois, 
and  in  1S58  went  to  Missouri,  but  was  not  long 
permitted  to  enjoy  bis  new  home,  for  his  death 
there  occurred  on  the  6th  of  May,  1858.  In 
his  family  were  eleven  children,  ten  of  whom 
reached  years  of  maturity,  while  five  are  now 
living. 

H.  S.  Short  spent  the  first  thirteen  years  of 
his  life  in  the  state  of  his  nativity  and  then 
accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to 
Illinois.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the 
common  schools  of  Fayette  and  Shelby  coun- 
ties, and  he  also  attended  a  Quaker  institute 
north    of   Indianapolis.    Indiana.      Having   ac- 


quired a  good  literary  education  to  serve  as 
the  foundation  upon  which  in  build  the  super- 
structure of  professional  knowledge,  he  en- 
tered the  Eclectic  Medical  Institute  at  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  where  be  pursued  a  complete 
course  of  study  and  was  graduated  with  the 
(lass  ef  1873.  lie  had  also  previously  studied 
medicine  at  Ramsey  with  Dr.  Jones,  and  he 
practiced  for  four  years  before  his  graduation. 
lie  opened  an  office  in  Fillmore.  Illinois,  in 
-Inly.  1869,  practicing  there  for  four  year-: 
was  also  at  Ramsey  from  September,  1875.  un- 
til 1878,  and  in  the  latter  year  returned  to 
Fillmore,  where  he  has  since  remained,  being 
now  the  oldest  practitioner  of  the  town.  He 
has  been  very  successful,  bis  practice  being  at- 
tended with  excellent  results.  He  lias  always 
made  a  close  study  of  the  profession,  has  kepi 
abreast  with  the  host  thinking  men  who  are 
representatives  of  the  medical  science,  and  has 
-ained  a  liberal  patronage,  which  is  accorded 
him   in   recognition  of  bis  ability. 

Dr.  Short  was  a  young  man  of  only  about 
twenty-one  years  when,  on  the  3d  of  July. 
1861,  hi'  responded  to  the  country's  call  for 
aid  to  preserve  the  Union  and  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany C.  Thirty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  from 
Shelby  county.  He  served  until  September  27. 
1864,  and  was  with  Sherman  on  his  campaign 
as  far  as  Atlanta.  He  participated  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Stone  River,  Perryville,  Chattanooga 
and  Ivnoxville.  and  from  tin'  7th  of  May  un- 
til the  18th  of  August.  1864,  was  never  beyond 
i he  range  of  the  enemy's  guns,  being  constantly 
under  fire. 

On  the  31st  of  October,  1871,  Dr.  Short  was 
married  to  Mss  Sarah  M.  Stokes,  a  daughter 
of  Bird  and  Alary  Stokes,  and  they  have  six 
children,  all  of  whom  are  living:  Dr.  W.  T. 
Short,  who  is  now  practicing  in  Stonington. 
Illinois:  Alary  L.,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Hoyt,  of 
Fillmore:  Emma  E.,  the  wife  of  Walter  Tober- 
man;  U.  S.,  who  is  now  practicing  in  East  St. 
Louis.  Illinois,  ami  is  a  graduate  of  the  Ma- 
rion Sims  Beaumont  College,  having  com- 
pleted the  course  with  honors:  Walter  C,  who 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Illinois  University  and 
was  appointed  by  President  Roosevelt  to  the 
rank  of  second  lieutenant  in  the  LTnited  States 
Army,  February  15.  1902.  and  is  now  serving 


112 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


as  battalion  quartermaster  at  Fort  Reno,  in 
Oklahoma  ;  and  L.  Bird,  who  was  born  No- 
vember 22,  1883,  and  has  attended  medical 
college  two  years,  being  now  a  junior  in  the 
Marion  Sims  Beaumont  College  at  St.  Louis. 

Dr.  Short  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
being  made  a  Mason  at  Cowden.  Illinois,  in 
Cold  Spring  lodge,  in  1866.  He  is  an  exem- 
plary representative  of  that  order  and  is  also 
connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp, 
while  his  wife  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican 
and  has  ever  taken  a  deep  and  active  interest 
in  the.  welfare  of  the  town,  co-operating  in 
many  community  affairs  which  have  for  their 
object  the  genera]  good  and  the  promotion  of 
the  county's  progress  and  improvement.  Croat 
changes  have  occurred  during  the  period  of 
his  residence  hero,  for  he  can  remember  when 
a  few  settlements  on  the  border  of  the  county 
remained  only  in  the  edge  of  the  timber,  the 
prairie  land  then  being  considered  unfit  for 
farming  purposes.  There  were  many  doer  and 
many  kinds  of  lesser  game,  most  of  the  homes 
were  but  pioneer  cabins,  and  the  work  of  im- 
provement and  progress  largely  lav  in  the  fu- 
ture. Dr.  Short  has  I'm'  many  years  been  the 
loved  family  physician  in  a  large  number  of 
the  households  of  Fillmore  and  the  surround- 
ing district,  and  his  genuine  personal  worth, 
as  well  as  his  professional  skill,  has  gained  Eor 
him  the  warm  regard  of  a.  large  circle  of 
friends.  He  stands  to-day  among  the  leading 
representatives  of  his  profession  in  the  county. 
and  his  life  has  been  one  of  great  usefulness  to 
those  among  whom  his  lot  has  been  cast. 


WILLIAM  DANIEL  CARTER. 

William  Daniel  Carter,  living  on  section  20, 
Zanesville  township,  where  he  is  carrying  on 
genera]  farming  and  stock-raising,  breeding, 
feeding  and  shipping  thoroughbred  Angus  cat- 
tle, has  been  a  resident  of  Illinois  since  1880 
and  has  prospered  in  his  business  undertakings 
here,  becoming  the  owner  of  five  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land.  A  na- 
tive of  Ohio,  he  was  born  in  Clinton  county, 
on  the  11th  of  December.  1S57.  and  is  a  son 


of  William  B.  and  Kate  (O'Brien)  Carter, 
who  were  natives  of  Ireland,  the  father  born 
in  1822  and  the  mother  in  1817.  They  spent 
their  youth  in  that  country  and  were  married 
there.  They  afterward  emigrated  to  the  new 
world,  settling  first  in  New  York,  whence  they 
later  removed  to  Ohio  and  about  1863  came 
to  Illinois,  settling  in  Madison  county,  where 
the  father  developed  a  farm  of  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres,  placing  his  land  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  and  adding  substantial 
improvements  in  the  way  of  good  buildings. 
It  was  upon  the  old  homestead  in  Madison 
county  that  he  reared  his  family  and  there  he 
continued  to  reside  until  1880,  when  he  came 
to  Montgomery  county.  Having  sold  his  Madi- 
son county  property  he  purchased  five  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Zanesville  township, 
this  county,  which  he  operated  for  ten  years. 
In  1890  he  retired  from  the  farm  and  removed 
to  St.  Louis,  where  he  died  on  the  2d  of  Decem- 
ber, 1902.  His  wife  still  survives  him  and  re- 
sides in  St.  Louis  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven 
years,  making  her  home  with  a  daughter. 

William  D.  Carter  is  the  only  son  in  a  family 
of  five  children,  three  of  whom  are  living.  He 
was  reared  in  Madison  county  and  is  indebted 
to  its  public-school  system  for  the  educational 
privileges  he  enjoyed.  Early  in  youth  he  be- 
came familiar  with  farm  labor  in  all  of  its  de- 
partments and  his  boyhood  experience  has 
proved  an  excellent  foundation  upon  which  to 
build  his  manhood's  success. 

In  St.  Louis.  Missouri,  on  the  4th  of  Novem- 
ber. 1900.  Mr.  Carter  was  married  to  Miss  Lil- 
lian Hennessy.  who  was  born  in  that  city,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  and  Anna  (Hayes)  Hen- 
nessy, and  obtained  her  education  there.  They 
now  have  one  daughter,  Isabel,  born  July  10, 
1903. 

Mr.  Carter  located  upon  his  present  farm  in 
Zanesville  township  in  1880,  having  inherited 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  this  tract, 
while  the  remainder  he  purchased  from  the 
other  heirs.  He  has  made  an  addition  to  and 
remodeled  the  house  and  now  has  a  comfortable 
residence.  There  arc  also  three  good  barns 
upon  the  place  and  other  necessary  outbuildings 
for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock.  He  has  sel 
out  a  good  orchard  and  his  farm  in  its  various 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


\Y.    I).    CAIJTKI!    AXD    FAMILY 


MRS.    WILLIAM     U.    CARTER 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


117 


departments  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance, 
indicating  his  careful  supervision  and  practi- 
cal progressive  ideas.  His  fields  arc  well  tilled 
and  he  also  raises  line  stock,  shipping  from  five 
to  leu  carloads  of  fat  stock  annually.  For  tin' 
pasl  thirteen  years  he  has  been  engaged  in 
breeding  ami  dealing  in  thoroughbred  polled 
Angus  eat  tli-  and  new  has  a  line  herd  and  is 
well  known  as  a  raiser  of  this  breed  of  stock. 
He  had  formerly  been  identified  with  his  father 
in  a  similar  business  enterprise.  He  now  has 
a  herd  of  one  hundred  and  ten  head  with  t\v<  nty 
head  of  full  blooded  Angus  cattle  and  a  splen- 
did bull  at  the  head  of  the  herd.  He  also 
makes  a  business  of  buying  and  selling  road 
horses  of  the  better  breeds,  and  raises  Poland 
China  bogs,  having  a  line  thoroughbred  male 
hog  and  shipping  on  an  average  of  two  hundred 
head  annually. 

Mr.  Carter  votes  with  the  Democracy  and 
while  interested  in  its  success  and  the  growth  of 
the  party  has  never  sought  or  desired  office.  He 
and  his  wife  wire  reared  in  the  Catholic  faith 
and  are  members  of  the  church  at  Litchfield. 
lie  has  made  for  himself  an  excellent  reputa- 
tion as  a  good  business  man  and  is  widely  known 
throughout  central  [Uinois  as  one  of  the  suc- 
cessful agriculturists  and  leading  stock-raisers 
of  Montgomery  county. 


GEOEGE  T.  SEWARD. 

George  T.  Seward  is  a  man  of  rare  business 

capacity,  who,  in  his  day,  has  I n  among  the 

foremost  in  developing  the  mercantile  and 
municipal  interests  of  Hillsboro.  His  native 
talent  has  led  him  out  of  humble  surroundings 
to  large  worldly  successes  through  the  oppor- 
tunity that  is  the  pride  of  our  American  life, 
nor  has  his  success  been  such  as  to  be  meas- 
ured by  material  standards  alone,  for  he  has 
■developed  thai  type  of  character  which  makes 
for  higher  ethical  ideals  in  business  and  in 
society,  and  in  his  business  relations  and  deal- 
ings he  has  applied  the  principles  which  have 
made  him  a  most  honored  and  honorable  man 
in  private  life. 

George  T.  Seward  was  born  near  Butler, 
Montgomery  county,  on  the  1-lth  of  September, 


1856,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
old  pioneer  families  of  this  part  id'  i\\r  state. 
His  paternal  grandfather,  Israel  Seward,  came 
to  Montgomery  county  at  a  very  early  epoch  in 
the  development  of  tins  portion  of  Illinois  and 
established  Ins  home  near  Hillsboro.  lie  aft- 
erward removed  to  the  farm  near  Butler. 

George  ( '.  Seward,  the  lather  of  George  T. 
Seward,  was  on  that  farm,  a  mile  and  a  half 
north  of  Hillsboro,  in  1820,  and  for  forty-eight 
years  lived  upon  the  farm  which  was  his  birth- 
place. Ilis  entire  life  was  devoted  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  his  consecutive  labor  and 
unfaltering  perseverance  made  him  one  of  the 
substantial  citizens  of  the  community,  ami  at 
his  death  enabled  him  to  leave  his  family  in 
comfortable  circumstances.  lie  was  regarded 
as  a  trite  and  faithful  friend  to  the  needy  and 
was  held  in  the  highest  regard  by  his  fellow 
citizens,  lb'  died  January  1.  1897,  when  in 
his  seventy- seventh  year.  Me  gave  his  political 
allegiance  to  the  Republican  party  and  in  all 
matters  of  citizenship  was  progressive  and 
public-spirited.  He  watched  with  interest  the 
progress  of  events  in  the  county  as  it  emerged 
from  pioneer  conditions  and  was  the  champion 
of  all  measures  for  the  general  good.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Unity  .1.  Phil- 
lips, was  a  daughter  of  Captain  Thomas  Phil- 
lips, "who  served  his  country  in  the  Black  Hawk 

war.     lie  was  a  far r  during  the  greater  part 

of  his  life.  Imt  for  a  lime  resided  in  Hillsboro 
and  during  that  period  engaged  in  the  raising 
of  horses.  Both  he  and  his  wife  died  when  in 
their  eighty-eighth  year.  Mrs.  George  <'. 
Seward,  who  is  still  living,  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  and  a  lady  whose  many 
good  traits  of  heart  and  mind  have  won  for 
her  the  friendship  of  a  large  majority  of  those 
with  whom  she  has  come  in  contact.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seward  were  born  seven  chil- 
dren: Uattie.  who  married  Lloyd  C.  Wash- 
burn, a  commercial  traveler,  residing  in  South 
Dakota;  Thomas   I.,  who  is  living  on  the  old 

family  boniest I   near   Butler;   Benjamin    II.. 

who  is  employed  as  a  clerk  in  St.  Louis; 
George  T. :  Carrie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  C. 
W.  Hickman,  of  Springfield;  Jesse  J.,  who  is 
engaged  in  carpentering  in  Butler;  and  one 
that  died  in  infancy. 


118 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


George  T.  Seward  acquired  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Butler  and  in  the  HiJlsboro 
Academy.  He  left  school,  however,  at  a  com- 
paratively early  age  and  worked  upon  the  home 
farm  until  he  attained  his  majority.  He  then 
came  to  Hillsboro  and  accepted  a  position  in 
Woodruff's  shoe  store,  but  after  a  short  time 
became  a  salesman  in  the  general  store  of 
A.  A.  K.  Sawyer,  in  whose  employ  he  re- 
mained for  eight  years.  In  1887  he  embarked 
in  the  furniture  business,  forming  a  partner- 
ship with  Jesse  McHenry,  under  the  firm  style 
of  Seward  &  McHenry.  This  relation  was 
continued  for  about  two  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  Mr.  Seward  purchased  his  part- 
ner's business  and  has  since  been  alone.  He 
is  now  in  a  corner  block,  occupying  two  floors, 
one  hundred  and  forty  by  one  hundred  and 
five  feet,  and  one  floor  forty  by  seventy- 
five  feet,  and  he  carries  the  largest  stock  of 
general  furniture  in  the  county,  and  also  deals 
in  carpets  and  does  an  undertaking  business. 
His  trade  has  become  extensive,  his  business 
profitable,  and  his  success  is  attributable  en- 
tirely to  his  own  well  directed  efforts  and  in- 
telligent and  capable  management.  He  has 
otherwise  extended  his  efforts  to  other  fields 
of  activity,  and  is  now  the  president  of  the 
Hillsboro  Brick  &  Tile  Company  and  a  di- 
rector in  the  Hillsboro  Building  &  Improve- 
ment Association,  of  which  he  was  formerly 
vice  president  for  two  years. 

In  1881  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Sew- 
ard and  .Miss  Katie  Rohlfing,  a  daughter  of 
Christian  and  Katherine  Rohlfing,  both  of 
whom  are  natives  of  Germany,  whence  they 
emigrated  to  St.  Louis,  and  thence  came  to 
Montgomery  county,  eventually  settling  in 
Hillsboro.  where  they  spent  their  remaining 
days.  Mrs.  Seward  was  born  in  St.  Louis  in 
1861  and  has  become  the  mother  of  two  chil- 
dren:   <i ge   LeMar  and  J.   Frederick.     The 

parents  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  and  Mr.  Seward  is  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views.  He  has  served  as  a  member  of 
the  city  council  for  two  years  and  has  a  public- 
spirited  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to 
municipal  affairs  and  to  the  improvement  and 
progress  of  his  community.  His  business  ca- 
reer has  been   crowned   with  a  high  measure  of 


success.  He  has  the  dominating  personality 
and  the  imagination,  coupled  with  a  sure  grasp 
of  affairs,  that  mark  the  progressive  man  who 
does  not  shrink  from  taking  large  risk  in  the 
hope  of  large  reward.  Besides,  he  has  the  pa- 
tience, the  wide  vision  and  the  power  to  recog- 
nize and  to  grasp  an  opportunity.  Because  of 
these  salient  1  i-aits  in  his  character  he  has  won 
for  himself  success  and  made  an  honorable 
name  in  lutsiness  circles. 


A.  F.  WEAVER. 


Of  a  large  number  of  Illinois'  native  sons 
now  residing  within  the  borders  of  the  state 
none  are  more  deserving  of  mention  than  A. 
I-'.  Weaver,  who  in  his  community  is  well 
known  and  highly  respected.  He  resides  in 
Nokomis,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  insurance 
business  and  he  has  secured  a  good  clientage, 
while  at  the  same  time  he  has  won  warm  friend- 
ship which  is  accorded  in  recognition  of  his  per- 
sonal traits  of  character.  He  was  horn  in  Madi- 
son county.  Illinois,  in  1838,  his  parents  being 
John  and  Ann  Maria  Weaver.  The  family 
is  of  Swiss  lineage.  In  1804  three  brothers 
ami  a  sister  came  from  Switzerland  to  Amer- 
ica and  two  of  the  number  settled  in  Ohio  and 
one  in  northern  Indiana.  To  the  latter 
lirinch  of  the  family  Mr.  Weaver  traces  his 
ancestry.  The  father's  birth  occurred  in  Fair- 
field county.  Ohio,  in  1816,  and  the  mother 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1811.  He  was 
reared  in  the  Buckeye  state  and  in  1834  re- 
moved to  Illinois,  settling  near  Edwardsville, 
where  he  lived  until  about  a  year  ago,  when 
he  came  to  Nokomis.  He  is  numbered  among 
tin1  early  settlers  of  this  state,  having  come 
to  the  Mississippi  valley  when  this  was  largely 
,-i  wilil  and  unimproved  district.  For  many 
years  he  carried  on  farming,  hut  is  now  living 
a  retired  life.  He  lost  his  wife  in  1891  and 
their  only  living  child  is  A.   V.  Weaver. 

In  Madison  county  A.  F.  Weaver  was  reared, 
attending  school  there  until  seventeen  years  of 
age,  after  which  he  went  to  Edwardsville. 
Later  he  spent  two  years  as  a  student  in  the 
( Him   Wesleyan   University  at  Delaware.  Ohio. 


PAST    AXD    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


119 


and  was  there  located  at  the  time  of  the  out- 
break o!  the  Civil  war.  Returning  to  Illinois  he 
enlisted  in  August,  1862,  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany D,  One  Hundred  ami  Seventeenth  Illinois 
Infantry.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Fort 
De  Russey,  Pleasant  Hills.  Tupelo,  Nashville, 
Fort  Blakeley  and  a  number  of  skirmishes  and 
was  never  wounded  or  captured,  although  in 
the  battle  of  Nashville  a  shot  from  the  artillery 
passed  directly  under  his  foot.  Through  three 
years  he  remained  a  faithful  defender  of  the 
old  Bag  and  the  cause  it  represented  and  in 
August,  1865,  he  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge ai   Camp  Butler  near  Springfield. 

.Mi-.  Weaver  returned  to  his  father's  home 
and  there  continued  until  January.  1866,  when 
he  was  married  to  .Miss  Martha  A.  Dunn,  of 
Zanesville,  Ohio.  This  union  has  been  blessed 
with  eight  children,  of  whom  six  are  living: 
Lorena,  the  wife  of  G.  W.  Churchill,  a  resident 
of  Chicago;  Winnie,  at  home;  Dunn  \Y..  who  is 
occupying  a  position  in  the  auditing  depart- 
ment in  Marshal]  Field's  mercantile  establish- 
ment in  Chicago;  Hattie,  at  home;  Earl,  who 
is  a  graduate  of  Brown's  College  and  is  em- 
ployed by  the  Paddock  Lumber  Company;  and 
Harry,  at  home. 

Alter  Ins  marriage  Mr.  Weaver  located  upon 
the  home  farm,  where  he  resided  for  two  years 
and  in  1868  he  removed  to  this  county,  where 
he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits,  purchasing 
four  hundred  acres  of  land  west  of  the  town  of 
Nokomis.  This  he  still  owns  and  for  fifteen 
years  he  was  actively  engaged  in  farming.  He 
then  came  to  Nokomis  and  for  six  years  carried 
on  general  merchandising,  but  since  1891  he 
has  devoted  his  energies  to  the  insurance  busi- 
ness and  now  represents  seven  of  the  old  re- 
liable fire  insurance  companies.  He  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  representative  men  of 
Nokomis  and  his  labors  have  been  an  active 
factor  in  promoting  its  welfare  and  substantial 
improvement.  He  now  owns  the  Opera  House 
of  the  town  and  also  sixty  acres  at  the  north 
side  of  the  town,  having  thereon  a  splendid 
residence,  which  he  occupies.  He  was  also 
one  of  the  organizers  of  the  bank,  and  after- 
ward served  as  one  of  its  directors.  Mrs.  Wea- 
ve!1 has  been  to  her  husband  a  faithful  com- 
panion and  helpmate   on   the   journey   of   life 


and  is  a  most  estimable  lady,  who  enjoys  the 
warm  friendship  of  many  with  whom  she  has 
come  in  contact.  Her  life  is  permeated  by  her 
Christian  faith,  for  she  is  a  devoted  member  of 
the  Methodist  church.  Mr.  Weaver  belongs  to 
the  Masonic  fraternity  and  to  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic  and  has  been  commander  of 
the  post  at  Nokomis.  In  his  political  views 
he  is  a  Democrat  and  has  tilled  various  public 
offices,  serving  as  supervisor,  as  town  clerk  and 
as  school  director,  occupying  the  last  named 
position  for  a  number  of  years.  He  has  al- 
ways taken  an  active  interest  in  politics  and 
has  done  much  to  promote  the  growth  and 
insure  the  success  of  his  party  in  this  lo- 
cality. 


R.    M.    BARRINGER. 


R.  M.  Barringer,  engaging  in  the  livery  busi- 
ness, is  active  in  community  affairs  as  super- 
visor of  Witt  township,  in  which  connection  be 
has  rendered  signal  service  to  his  fellow  citi- 
zens. A  native  son  of  Montgomery  county. 
he  was  born  eight  miles  south  of  Paisley,  June 
lii.  1851.  His  parents  were  Caleb  and  Dor- 
thula  (Fleming)  Barringer,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  North  Carolina  and  the  latter  of  Ten- 
nessee.  They  became  residents  of  Montgomery 
county  in  1832,  locating  in  Fillmore  township, 
where  Mr.  Barringer  secured  land  from  the 
government  for  twenty-five  cents  per  acre.  He 
placed  all  the  improvements  upon  his  farm, 
developed  the  land  into  productive  fields  and 
made  his  home  thereon  until  about  1892,  when 
he  took  up  his  abode  in  the  village  of  Fillmore 
and  in  1904  he  removed  to  Paisley,  where  he 
is  now  living  retired  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty  years,  while  his  wife  has  reached  the 
age  of  seventy-sis  years.  R.  M.  Barringer  is 
the  second  son  in  their  family  of  six  living 
children,  the  others  being:  Mrs.  Carrie  Po- 
land, id'  Ellensburg,  Washington  :  Sidney  Ed- 
ward, who  is  superintendent  of  the  county 
farm  ;  Mrs.  Anna  Alderson.  who  is  living  in 
Pond  Creelc.  Oklahoma  :  Isaac  N..  a  farmer 
of  Fillmore  township;  and  Mattie,  the  wife 
id'  Richard   Holmes,  of  Paisley. 

B.   M.  Barringer,  having  attended  the  com- 


L20 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


mon  schools,  afterward  entered  the  academy  at 
Eillsboro  and  subsequent  to  putting  aside  his 
text  books  he  remained  upon  the  home  farm 
until  twenty-two  years  of  age,  alter  which  he 
engaged  in  farming  on  his  own  account  for  two 
years,  lie  next  took  up  his  abode  in  Nokomis, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  conducting  a  restau- 
rant and  bakery.  After  seven  years  he  re- 
turned to  the  farm  where  lie  again  lived  for  two 
years  and  then  removed  to  Sumner  county, 
Kansas,  where  he  spent  eight  years  in  fanning 
and  in  the  livery  business.  In  1893  he  made  the 
race  for  land  in  the  Cherokee  strip  in  the  In- 
dian Territory.  For  days  people  had  gathered 
around  that  strip  and  at  a  given  signal  all 
started  in  a  rush  for  the  land.  Mr.  Barringer 
secured  a  claim  two  miles  south  of  Blackwell. 
lie  afterward  removed  to  Howell  county,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  carried  on  farming  for  two 
years  and  then  returned  to  Illinois,  settling 
in  Hillsboro.  In  1896  he  was  janitor  of  a 
schoolhouse,  occupying  that  position  for  two 
years,  after  which  he  engaged  in  teaming  for 
a  year.  In  1S99  he  removed  to  a  farm  south 
of  Eillsboro  and  on  the  33d  of  October,  1900. 
he  took  up  his  abode  in  Paisley,  where  he 
worked  as  top  man  in  connection  with  the 
mines  for  a  year.  Later  he  bought  the  livery 
business,  which  he  is  now  conducting  and  he 
has  a  well  equipped  stable  and  is  enjoying  a 
good  patronage. 

On  the  2d  of  April,  1874,  Mr.  Barringer  was 
married  to  Miss  Meca  L.  Sanders,  a  daughter 
of  Elza  and  Sarah  Sanders,  early  settlers  of 
this  county,  coming  here  in  1830.  They  had 
twelve  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Barringer  is 
the  third  in  order  of  birth.  Those  living  are 
Prank,  who  is  now  living  in  Witt;  Mrs.  Lena 
Richards,  of  Litchfield;  Ervin.  who  resides  up- 
on the  old  home  place  near  Ohlinan;  Charles, 
who  is  living  in  Rosemond,  Illinois:  Edward,  a 
resident  of  Chicago;  Jefferson,  who  is  located 
in  Canada;  and  Mrs.  Ella  Graden.  of  Ne- 
maha, Kansas.  The  others  died  in  infancy. 
The  father  died  in  1902  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
two  years  and  the  mother  is  now  living  in  Ohl- 
inan, at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barringer  have  been  horn  three 
children:  Corwin  E..  who  is  married  and  re- 
sides in  Paisley:  Viola  E.,  the  wife  of  Homer 


Sawyer,  who  follows  farming  near  Paisley: 
and  Lawrence  M.,  who  died  in  1899  at  the  age 
of  nineteen  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barringer  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church  and  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Mutual  Protective  League.  His  political  al- 
legiance is  given  to  the  Democracy  and  in  the 
spring  of  1904  he  was  elected  supervisor  of 
Witt  township,  which  usually  gives  a  strong  Re- 
publican  majority.  His  election  therefore  is 
indicative  of  the  confidence  reposed  in  him 
and  the  high  position  which  he  holds  in  the 
regard  of  his  fellow  townsmen.  He  has  also 
been  a  member  of  the  school  board.  Possess- 
ing a  genial  manner  and  social  disposition  he 
has  won  many  friends  during  the  years  of  his 
residence  in  Montgomery  county. 


J.  J.  GATES. 


J.  .1.  Gates  has  figured  prominently  in  public 
affairs  in  Donnellson  and  Montgomery  county, 
and  through  his  ready  recognition  of  business 
opportunity  and  his  utilization  of  the  advan- 
tages that  have  come  to  hand  he  has  made  him- 
self a  place  among  the  substantial  residents 
of  In-  pari  nf  the  state.  He  was  born  in  Rock- 
ingham county.  North  Carolina,  June  24,  1851. 
His  father,  Philip  Gates,  of  Coffeen,  was 
reared  in  North  Carolina,  and  in  that  state 
followed  the  occupation  of  farming  until  after 
the  Civil  war,  when,  in  November,  1866,  he 
came  to  Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  settling 
near  Coffeen.  Em-  a  number  of  years  he  was 
actively  identified  with  agricultural  interests, 
but  is  now  living  retired  in  the  town.  He  first 
married  Miss  Barbara  Thomas,  and  after  her 
death  wedded  Miss  Nancy  Raglin,  of  News 
Perry,  Halifax  county,  Virginia.  He  had  five 
children,  four  sons  and  a  daughter,  namely: 
Mrs.  S.  C.  Quails  and  .lames  P.,  both  residents 
of  Coffeen.  Illinois:  Hardin,  of  Fillmore  town- 
ship: A.  L.,  also  of  Coffeen;  and  J.  J.,  of 
this  sketch. 

The  mother  died  when  her  son,  J.  J.  Gates, 
was  hut  ten  years  of  age.  He  continued  to  re- 
main upon  the  old  home  farm,  however,  until 
L872,  when,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  he 


ME.   AND   MRS.   J.  J.   GATES 


LIBRARY 

OF  TH€ 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


123 


started  out  in  life  Tor  himself,  beginning  work 
as  a  farm  hand,  in  which  capacity  he  was  em- 
ployed for  two  or  three  years.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  rented  land  and  began 
farming  for  himself.  When  two  years  had 
passed  he  bought  a  place  of  seventy  acres  in 
Bond  county,  later  added  to  it  another  tract 
of  seventy  acres,  and  upon  that  farm  he  re- 
mained for  thirteen  years,  or  until  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres 
in  Montgomery  county.  He  taught  school  for 
seven  terms  in  Bond  and  Montgomery  counties, 
For  ten  consecutive  years  he  was  engaged  in  the 
operation  of  a  threshing  machine,  and  at  one 
time  he  owned  a  half  interest  in  the  creamery 
at  Donnellson,  but  sold  that  a  short  time  ago. 
He  now  feeds  and  ships  slock  for  the  market, 
and  he  is  quite  successful  in  this  business,  mak- 
ing judicious  purchases  and  profitable  sales. 

In  1878  Mr.  Gates  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Mary  A.  Ross,  of  East  Fork  township, 
where  her  early  life  was  passed.  Seven  children 
have  been  born  unto  them,  of  whom  four  are 
living:  Ethel,  who  is  now  a  stenographer  in 
St.  Louis;  Mary,  Carrie  and  Nellie,  all  at 
home.  The  parents  and  three  of  their  children 
hold  membership  in  the  Presbyterian  church. 
and  Mr.  Gates  is  identified  with  the  Modern 
Woodman  camp,  the  Mutual  Protective  League 
and  the  Royal  Neighbors.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Democrat,  but  the  honors  and  emoluments  of 
office  have  no  attraction  for  him.  as  he  prefers 
to  give  his  attention  to  his  business  affairs  and 
tin1  interests  of  his  household.  He  is  a  self- 
made  man,  having  gone  in  debt  when  he  pur- 
chased land,  but  within  the  first  year  he  had 
discharged  all  his  obligation.  He  has  worked 
on  persistently  and  energetically,  year  after 
year,  and  is  to-day  the  owner  of  a  valuable  and 
attractive  property. 


P.  C.  WOOD. 


I'.  ('.  Wood  is  an  honored  veteran  of  the 
Civil  War  now  living  on  section  0,  East  Fork 
township,  where  he  carries  on  general  farming. 
His  birth  occurred  in  the  locality  where  he  re- 
sides  August   22,    1834,     his     parents     being 


Thomas  and  Anna  Wood.  His  father  was  born 
in  Darlington,  South  Carolina,  on  the  spot 
where  the  city  of  Florence  is  located,  in  De- 
eember,  1802,  and  was  there  reared.  He 
came  to  Montgomery  county  in  1823,  set- 
tling in  East  Fork  township  at  a  time 
when  few  settlements  had  been  made  within 
the  borders  of  the  county.  Pioneer  con- 
ditions everywhere  existed,  much  of  the  land 
being  still  in  its  primitive  condition,  awaiting 
the  touch  of  the  frontiersman  to  transform  it 
into  productive  fields.  Mr.  Wood  began  farm- 
ing and  while  living  in  true  pioneer  style  he 
at  I  he  same  time  made  the  most  of  his  oppor- 
tunities and  as  he  found  it  possible  secured  the 
advantages  and  improvements  which  were  com- 
mon in  the  older  east.  Unto  him  and  Ins  wife 
were  born  eleven  children,  eight  of  whom 
reached  years  of  maturity,  but  P.  C.  Wood  is 
now  the  only  living  representative  of  this  fam- 
ily. His  father  died  on  Christmas  day  of  1S58 
and  the  mother  passed  away  in  1882. 

P.  C.  Wood  remembers  clearly  many  experi- 
ences of  early  life  in  Montgomery  county,  for 
lie  has  made  his  home  here  for  seventy  years. 
He  acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
and  although  his  advantages  in  that  direction 
were  somewhat  limited  his  training  at  farm 
work  was  not  meager.  He  started  out  for  him- 
self when  twenty  years  of  age,  locating  upon 
the  farm  where  he  now  makes  his  home  and  a 
part  of  which  (eighty  acres)  he  obtained  from 
his  father.  He  now  has  one  hundred  and  sev- 
enty acres  of  land  and  he  lost  two  hundred 
acres  by  going  security  for  friends.  He  has 
raised  both  stock  and  grain,  but  at  the  present 
time  is  not  very  actively  engaged  in  farming, 
for  to  some  extent  he  has  put  aside  the  arduous 
laborers  of  the  farm  and  is  enjoying  a  well 
merited  rest. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  1801,  Mr.  Wood  put 
aside  all  business  and  personal  considerations 
that  he  might  aid  in  the  preservation  of  the 
Union,  and  became  a  soldier  of  Company  H, 
Ninth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  He  found 
the  regiment  was  too  full,  howevi  r,  and  he  was 
assigned  to  Company  A  of  the  Twelfth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which  he  remained 
for  three  months,  lie  was  altogether  in  active 
service  for  three  years  and  six  months  and  he 


I'.M 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


participated  in  many  of  the  most  hotly  con- 
tested engagements  iif  the  war,  including  the 
battles  of  New  Madrid,  Island  No.  lo,  luka, 
Corinth,  Raymond,  Jackson,  Champion  Hills 
and  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  He  was  also  in 
1 1 1 : 1 1 1 \  skirmishes  and  was  slightly  woundid.  but 
was  never  in  the  hospital.  In  the  fall  of  1864 
he  was  mustered  out  at  Vicksburg  and  with  an 
honorable  and  creditable  military  record  he  re- 
turned to  his  home  and  resumed  farming. 

In  April.  1856,  Mr.  Wood  was  married  to 
Mis-  Elizabeth  Barry,  a  daughter  of  John  Bar- 
ry, of  Hillsboro  township.  Tin  ir  only  child 
died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Wood  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  is  a  veteran  Republi- 
can, having  been  one  of  the  original  forty-six 
members  who  organized  the  party  in  this  county 
in  1856.  He  remembers  when  the  county  was 
very  wild,  few  improvements  having  then  been 
made,  lie  has  seen  as  many  as  fifty  deer  in  a 
single  herd  and  other  wild  game  was  to  be  had 
in  abundance.  He  frequently  made  trips  to 
St.  Louis  market  and  camped  out  along  the 
way.  His  mind  forms  a  connecting  link  be- 
tween the  primitive  past  and  the  progressive 
present,  and  no  man  takes  a  more  genuine  de- 
light in  what  has  been  accomplished  in  this 
county  than  dors  yir.  Wood.  He  has  always 
been  spoken  of  in  terms  of  respect  and  esteem 
and  as  one  of  the  pioneer  residents  of  the  coun- 
ty he  ci  rtainh  deserves  mention  in  this  volume, 
while  his  record  as  a  soldier  alone  would  en- 
title him  to  rank  with  the  valued  citizens  of 
Illinois. 


.1.    I'.    PEICE. 

Among  the  well  known  farmers  of  Mont- 
gomerj  county  is  numbered  J.  P.  Price,  who  is 
living  in  East  fork  township,  lie  was  horn 
in  Fayette  county.  Illinois.  October  "J".'.  1849, 
a  son  of  Thomas  and  Celia  (Duncan)  Price. 
The  father,  a  native  of  Virginia,  remained  in 
that    state   until    about    twenty    years   id'    age, 

when  he  removed  to  Tennessee,  where  he  ear- 
ned on  general  farming,  becoming  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  that  locality.  Prospering  in 
his  business  undertaking  he  was  eventually 
known  as  one  of   the  extensive  and   successful 


farmers  and  stockmen  of  his  community.  He 
died  in  the  year  1861.  In  his  family  were 
eight  children,  three  Mins  and  five  daughters, 
of  whom  four  are  now  living. 

J.  P.  Price  remained  a  resident  of  Fayette 
county  until  sixteen  years  of  age  and  no  event 
of  special  importance  occurred  to  vary  the 
routine  of  farm  life  for  him  during  that  period, 
lie  then  came  to  Montgomery  county  and 
started  out  in  life  for  himself,  earning  1 1 i - 
living  by  working  as  a  farm  hand  in  the  sum- 
mer months.  In  the  winter  seasons  he  at- 
tended school,  for  he  realized  tin'  value  of 
education  as  a  preparation  for  life's  practical 
duties.  He  first  rented  a  farm  in  Fillmore 
township,  upon  which  he  lived  for  six  years, 
after  which  he  purchased  land  in  the  vicinity 
of  his  present  home.  The  boundaries  of  his 
farm,  however,  did  not  continue  the  same  year 
after  year,  lmt  were  extended  by  additional  pur- 
chase as  his  financial  resources  increased  until 
he  now  has  six  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land, 
being  a  holder  of  extensive  realty  possessions 
in  East  Pork  township.  He  has  given  his 
entire  attention  to  stock-raising  and  makes  :l 
specialty  of  registered  Hereford  cattle  and 
also  registered  Poland  China  hogs.  He  raises 
eattle  on  an  extensive  scale  for  the  markets. 
buying  and  shipping  for  many  years.  The 
volume  of  his  business  lias  constantly  increased 
and  he  stands  to-day  as  one  of  the  leading 
representatives  of  these  departments  of  in- 
dustry  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Price  was  married  December  13.  1872. 
to  Miss  Helen  Isabel  McNitt,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Sarah  (Cress)  McNitt.  Her 
father  was  horn  and  reared  in  Pennsylvania 
and  when  a  young  man  came  to  Illinois,  where 
he  followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  He 
settled  in  East  Fork  township  among  its  oarlv 
residents  and  there  carried  on  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  on  an  extensive  scale  for  a 
number  of  years.  His  wife  was  horn  in  "Mont- 
gomery county,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Cress,  one 
of  its  earliest  settlers.  Mr.  McNitt  died  in 
August.  1860,  but  his  widow-  still  makes  her 
home  in  Montgomery  county,  although  at  this 
writing,  in  the  summer  of  1004,  she  is  visit- 
ing in  California.  This  worthy  couple  were 
the  parents  of  eleven   children,  of  whom  four 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


127 


are  living,  namely :  Saphronia  G,  Francis, 
Mrs.  Price  and  Jennie  Jackson,  of  Kansas. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Price  have  three  children :  Frank 
F.j  who  is  now  a  teacher  in  Bay  City,  Michi- 
gan ;  Gertrude,  the  wife  of  Clem  Laws ;  and 
Corwin. 

Mr.  Price  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, being  made  a  Mason  at  Fillmore  in 
1873,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Modern  Wood- 
men Camp  and  the  Mutual  Protective  League. 
He  served  as  head  council  in  the  former 
for  many  years.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Democrat  and  has  always  taken  a  deep 
interest  in  the  questions  concerning  the 
county,  state  and  nation,  keeping  well 
informed  on  the  issues  of  the  day.  He 
has  been  school  director  and  supervisor  and 
he  served  for  two  years  in  the  state  legislature, 
being  elected  to  the  fortieth  general  assem- 
bly. He  has  never  been  defeated  for  a  single 
office  and  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  has 
been  most  prompt,  faithful  and  reliable.  At 
present  he  is  a  member  of  the  county  central 
committee.  Every  measure  and  movement 
which  he  deems  will  prove  of  public  benefit 
receives  his  earnest  endorsement  and  support 
and  he  is  always  fearless  in  the  advocacy  of 
his  honest  convictions.  Whether  in  public  or 
private  life  his  record  is  alike  commendable 
and  his  history  will  bear  the  closest  investiga- 
tion and  scrutiny.  Mrs.  Price  is  a  member  of 
the  English  Lutheran  church  of  Fillmore. 


JOEL  JONES. 


Joel  Jones,  whose  well  improved  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  thirty  acres  on  section  10, 
Raymond  township,  is  pleasantly  located  with- 
in three  miles  of  the  village  of  Raymond,  was 
born  in  Macoupin  county.  Illinois,  April  11, 
1836.  His  parental  grandfather,  Rev.  William 
Jones,  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  became  one 
of  the  first  settlers  of  Illinois,  locating  in 
Madison  county  about  1809,  when  this  state 
was  still  under  territorial  government.  He 
opened  up  a  farm  in  Madison  county  and  was 
identified  with  the  substantial  improvement 
and  progress  of  the  county.  He  was  a  minister 
of  the  Baptist  church  and  one  of  the  pioneer 


preachers  of  the  middle  west.  He  served  as 
a  member  of  the  territorial  legislature  and 
exerted  strong  influence  in  behalf  of  public  im- 
provement and  upbuilding. 

His  son,  Simeon  Jones,  was  born  in  Madison 
county,  Illinois,  near  Alton  in  1811  and  was 
reared  and  educated  in  Madison  county,  expe- 
riencing the  hardships  and  difficulties  of  pio- 
neer life.  He  was  married  in  bis  native  coun- 
ty to  Miss  Dorothy  Starkey,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  that  county  in  1812  and  who  was  a 
daughter  of  Jesse  S'tarkey,  also  one  of  the 
pioneer  settlers  who  came  to  Illinois  ere  the  ad- 
mission of  the  state  into  the  Union.  Simeon 
Jones  removed  to  Macoupin  county,  where  he 
opened  up  a  farm,  entering  two  hundred 
acres  of  land  from  the  government.  Not  a 
furrow  had  been  turned  or  an  improvement 
made  upon  the  property,  but  with  characteristic 
energy  he  began  the  development  of  the  land 
and  in  due  course  of  time  transformed  it  into 
•rich  fields.  He  reared  his  family  upon  that 
place  and  made  the  farm  his  home  until  his 
life's  labors  were  ended  in  death.  His  wife 
survived  him  for  some  time  and  died  at  the 
age  of  seventy-seven  years. 

Joel  Jones,  who  is  one  of  a  family  of  four 
sons  and  two  daughters  that  reached  adult 
age,  spent  his  early  youth  in  Macoupin  county 
upon  the  home  farm  near  Bunker  Hill  and  in 
the  winter  seasons  he  attended  the  public 
schools,  while  in  the  summer  months  he  as- 
sisted his  father  in  the  labor  of  the  fields,  gain- 
ing practical  knowledge  of  farm  methods.  In 
1866  he  came  to  Montgomery  county  and  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  raw  land  and  also  some 
improved  land.  He  took  up  his  abode  upon 
the  place  and  kept  bachelor's  hall  for  four 
years,  during  which  time  he  devoted  his  ener- 
gies to  general  farming  and  the  improvement 
of  his  place.  He  then  sought  a  companion  and 
helpmate  for  life's  journey  and  in  1871  was 
joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss  Mary  C.  Blackwelder, 
who  was  born  in  Cabarrus  county.  North  Car- 
olina, where  her  girlhood  days  were  passed. 
Later  Mr.  Jones  erected  a  large  two-story  resi- 
dence upon  his  farm,  also  a  good  barn  and 
planted  shade  and  ornamental  trees.  He  also 
set  out  a  good  orchard  and  inclosed  his  farm 
with   a  neat,  well   trimmed  hedge  fence.      His 


128 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


modern  improveinents  constitute  this  one  of  the 
valuable  farming  properties  of  the  community 
and  its  neat  and  thrifty  appearance  indicates 
his  careful  supervision. 

In  1S97  Mr.  Jones  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  Loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the  23d  of 
dune  of  thai  year.  There  are  hut  two  ol'  their 
seven  children  living:  Alva,  who  is  operating 
the  home  farm,  was  married  in  Kentucky  to 
Miss  Mary  P.  Hamilton,  a  native  of  Macoupin 
county,  who  was  reared  there  and  in  Mont- 
gomery county.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Andrew 
Hamilton,  a  native  of  Scotland.  Aha  Jones 
and  his  wife  and  four  children:  Ruth,  Jewell 
Ross,  Elden  and  Gladys  E.  After  his  mar- 
riage  Alva   Jones   engaged    in     farming    near 

Hills! for  several  years  and   then  returned 

to  the  home  farm  after  the  death  of  his  mother 
in  189?.  Emily  A.  Jones  is  the  wife  of  Wes- 
ley Briggs,  who  is  engaged  in  ranching  in  Ida- 
ho. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  lost  four  children: 
Herman  II..  who  died  in  childhood;  Willis, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  five  years:  Charles,  who 
departed  this  life  at  the  age  of  eighteen  ;  and 
Jesse,    who    died   at    the   age   of   twenty-seven 

-  I  ;l  K 

Politically  Mr.  Jones  is  a  stanch  Democrat. 
who  cast  his  first  ballol  for  Stephen  A.  Doug- 
las in  1860,  and  has  supported  nearly  every 
presidential  candidate  of  the  party  since  that 
time.  He  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board  and  has  been  highway  commissioner  three 
years.  He  belongs  to  the  Baptisl  church  and. 
his  entire  life  has  been  in  consistent  harmony 
with  his  professions.  Well  known  in  Mont- 
gomi  ry  county  he  is  classed  with  those  who 
owe  their  success  to  their  own  efforts  and  who 
deserve  their  prosperity  because  of  the  honor- 
able business  methods  they  have  ever  followed. 


B.   F.    NELCH. 


B.  P.  Neleh,  living  on  section  33,  Pitman 
township,  is  well  known  as  a  breeder  of  pure- 
blooded  Aberdeen-Angus  cattle,  having  a  good 
herd  in  his  pastures  upon  his  fine  farm.  Born 
in  Springfield,  Illinois,  on  the  4th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1876,  he  is  a  son  of  Henry  Nelch,  who 
was  also  a   native  of   Illinois,  his  birth  having 


occurred  in  Menard  county.  The  family,  how- 
ever, is  of  German  lineage.  Henry  Nelch  was 
reared  to  manhood  in  this  state  and  after  his 
marriage  he  established  his  home  in  Spring- 
held,  where  he  became  a  prominent  contractor 
on  public  works,  conducting  a  successful  busi- 
ness there  for  a  number  of  years. 

B.  1'.  Nelch  was  reared  in  the  capital  city, 
attended  the  public  schools  and  completed  his 
course  there  by  graduation  from  the  high 
school.  He  afterward  entered  the  university 
at  .Madison.  Wisconsin,  taking  up  the  course 
of  study  in  the  Agricultural  College,  but  he 
had  to  abandon  this  on  account  of  ill  health. 
Returning  to  Illinois,  he  believed  that  outdoor 
life  would  prove  beneficial  to  him,  and  he  took 
charge  of  Ins  father's  farm  near  Springfield, 
continuing  in  its  cultivation  for  two  years. 
In  1889  he  removed  to  Montgomery  county  and 
took  charge  of- the  farm  upon  which  he  now  re- 
sides, his  father  having  a  good  tract  of  land 
here  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  In 
connection  with  the  tilling  of  the  soil  and  the 

product] E  crop-  besl  adapted  to  this  climate 

he  also  began  the  work  of  breeding  and  deal- 
ing in  Aberdeen-Angus  cattle.  He  at  first  had 
only  a  few  head,  but  he  has  increased  his  herd 

l'i' year  to  year   by   breeding   and   purchase 

and  now  has  forty-two  tine  animals  upon  his 
place,  including  many  pure-blooded  one-.  These 
are  mostly  cows,  for  he  sells  the  male  animals 
from  year  to  year.  He  is  now  well  known  as 
a  breeder  of  pure-blooded  Aberdeen-Angus  cattle 
and  he  has  also  been  successful  as  a  breeder  of 
snlendid-bred  horses.  He  farms  two  hundred 
acre-  of  land,  while  his  younger  brother,  Pred 
G.  Nelch,  operates  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  the  farm. 

B.  F.  Nelch  was  married  in  Springfield,  Sep- 
tember 7,  1898,  to  Miss  Josephine  Piekel.  who 
was  horn,  reared  and  educated  in  Sangamon 
county  and  is  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Piekel,  a 
well  known  business  man  of  Springfield.  They 
now  have  two  children:  Franklin  C.  and  H. 
Pari  Nelch.  Fred  G.  Neleh.  brother  of  our 
subject,  is  also  married  and  resides  upon  this 
farm.  Both  are  young  men  of  good  business 
ability,  practical  and  progressive  agriculturists, 
'who  are  meeting  with  success  in  their  undertak- 
ings here.     Politically  B.   F.   Nelch   is   a   Re- 


B.    F.    NELCH    AND    FAMILY 


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PAST  AND  1'1,'KSKNT  OF  MONTGOMERY  COUNTY 


131 


publican,  and  proudly  cast  his  first  presidential 
ballot  for  William  MeKinley.  He  is  a  young 
man,  possessing  the  enterprising  spirit  of  the 
west,  and  is  a  typical  son  of  Illinois,  alert,  en- 
ergetic  and  progressive.  Willi  good  education 
and  business  qualifications,  he  is  so  directing 
his  efforts  as  to  win  good  results,  and  is  now- 
one  of  the  valued  younger  representatives  of 
agricultural  interests  in  Montgomery  county. 


GEORGE  W.  CALDWELL,  M.  D. 

Dr.  George  W.  Caldwell  is  one  of  the  oldest 
medical  practitioners  of  Montgomery  county. 
where  for  forty-nine  years  he  has  followed  his 
profession,  thus  devoting  his  energies  to  a  life 
work  that  has  proven  of  the  utmost  value  to 
his  fellow  men.  The  successful  physician  is 
always  a  person  of  broad  humanitarian  prini  i- 
ples  and  it  has  been  because  of  his  ready  sym- 
pathy and  deep  interest  in  his  fellow  townsmen 
as  well  as  his  professional  skill  and  knowledge 
that  Dr.  Caldwell  has  gained  for  himself  high 
reputation  and  a  liberal  patronage. 

He  was  born  in  Morgan  county,  Illinois. 
April  23,  1834.  His  father,  John  C.  Caldwell. 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Butler  county.  Ken- 
tucky, in  the  year  1804,  was  a  son  of  George 
Caldwell,  a  native  of  Virginia  and  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Butler  county,  Kentucky.  His 
life  span  covered  the  latter  pari  of  the  colonial 
history  of  the  United  States  and  the  early  part 
of  its  existence  as  a  republic  and  when  the 
colonists  attempted  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of 
British  oppression  he  joined  Hie  American 
army  and  fought  for  American  liberties.  John 
C.  Caldwell  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  the  county  of  his  nativity  and  when  he 
had  arrived  at  man's  estate  he  wedded  Miss 
Louisa  Rodgers,  also  a  native  of  Kentucky. 
They  removed  to  Illinois  in  1827.  Only  nine 
years  had  passed  since  the  admission  of  the 
state  into  the  Union  and  they  were  pioneer 
residents  of  Morgan  county.  Mr.  Caldwell 
was  a  tanner  by  trade  and  there  established  a 
tanyard  near  Waverlv  and  was  known  as  an 
active,  enterprising  business  man  of  his  lo- 
calitv.     He  reared  his  family  in  that  neighbor- 


hood and  made  his  home  there  throughout  his 
remaining  days. 

Dr.  Caldwell  was  reared  in  Morgan  county, 
pursued  good  educational  privileges  and,  de- 
siring to  enter  professional  life,  he  became  a 
student  in  McKendree  College,  in  which  he 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1853.  To  the 
same  class  belonged  Samuel  H.  Deneen,  the 
father  of  Charles  S.  Deneen.  the  present  Re- 
publican candidate  for  governor  of  the  state. 
Although  hi'  prepared  for  the  bar  he  did  not 
practice  to  any  great  extent,  hut  later  took  up 
the  study  of  medicine,  pursuing  a  course  of 
lectures  in  Rush  Medical  college  and  finish- 
ing  his  course  there  about   1855. 

After  his  graduation  Dr.  Caldwell  came  to 
Montgomery  county,  locating  in  Zanesville 
township,  where  he  soon  built  up  a  very  ex- 
tensive  practice  thai  extended  for  miles  over 
the  surrounding  country.  In  the  early  days 
a  country  practice  involved  much  hardships 
owing  to  long  rides  over  the  prairies  in  the 
midst  of  winter  storms  or  under  the  hot  sum- 
mer sun.  hut  with  conscientious  regard  for  the 
duties  of  his  calling  he  never  considered  his 
persona]  comfort  if  his  aid  was  needed  in  be- 
half of  the  sick  and  suffering.  In  1900  he  op- 
ened an  office  in  Waggoner  and  he  is  still  one  of 
the  active  and  successful  physicians  of  the 
county.  He  belongs  to  the  Macoupin  County 
Medical  Society  ami  he  has  always  read  along 
lines  which  have  added  to  his  skill  and 
efficiency. 

Mr.  Caldwell  was  married  in  Morgan  county. 
Illinois.  September  Is.  1855,  to  Miss  Frances 
('loud,  a  daughter  of  Newton  Cloud,  one  of 
the  first  residents  of  the  state,  who  came  here 
from  Kentucky.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Caldwell  have 
two  living  children:  Bessie  is  the  wife  of 
Samuel  Kessinger,  of  Litchfield,  and  they  have 
become  the  parents  of  four  children:  Harold 
Caldwell,  Ruth  Caldwell.  Charles  W.  and  an 
infant  daughter.  Georgie  Caldwell  is  the 
wulow  of  Dr.  Charles  E.  Allard  and  resides 
with  Dr.  Caldwell.  She  has  one  child.  Elbert 
C.  Allard.  The  Doctor  lost  two  children:  Jes- 
sie, who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years;  and 
Newton  C. 

Dr.  Caldwell  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot 
for   James   Buchanan   in    1856    and   has    voted 


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PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


for  each  presidential  nominee  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  since  that  time.  Political  honors 
and  emoluments  have  had  no  attraction  I'm 
him,  lmt  he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the 
school  board  for  fifteen  years.  A  half  century 
covers  Ha1  period  of  his  residence  in  Mont- 
gomery county  anil  lie  is  one  of  the  oldest 
practitioners  within  its  border,  lie  is  familiar 
with  its  history  from  pioneer  times,  his  mem- 
ory forming  a  connecting  link  between  the 
past  ami  present — a  period  during  which  great 
changes  have  occurred  and  marvelous  develop- 
ment has  been  wrought,  lie  has  been  deeply 
interested  in  the  ci. unty's  progress  ami  in  as 
far  as  possible  lias  aided  in  its  upbuilding. 
Moreover  in  the  line  of  his  profession  he  has 
endeared  himself  In  many  families  by  the  able 
assistance  he  has  rendered  in  a  kindly  helpful 
spirit. 


EDWAED  GRIMES. 


Edward  Grimes,  who  is  engaged   in  general 

agricultural  pursuits  on  section  9,  Raymond 
township,  is  a  native  son  of  the  Prairie  state. 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Jersey  county,  mi 
the  34th  of  May.  1843.  His  lather.  Jarrett  T, 
Crimes,  was  born  in  Madison  county.  Illinois, 
January  "21.  1820,  and  was  a  son  of  Philip 
Grimes,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  in  which  state 
he  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth. 
He  was  n in rried  there  and  then,  mum  ing  north- 
ward, became  one  of  the  early  pioneer  residents 
of  Madison  county,  Illinois.  He  served  as  a 
soldier  in  the  war  of  lsr.'.  and  was  acquainted 
with  Andrew  Jackson,  the  hero  of  the  battle  of 
Xew  Orleans.  Jarrett  T.  Grimes,  the  lather, 
was  reared  in  Illinois  and  wedded  Miss  Charity 
Brown,  whose  birth  occurred  in  St.  Charles, 
Missouri.  In  order  to  provide  for  his  family 
he  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  and 
stock-raising  and  spent  his  life  in  Jersey  county, 
although  the  district  in  which  he  lived  was  at 
different  times  within  the  boundaries  of  three 
different  counties.  He  always  lived,  however, 
upon  the  same  farm  and  it  is  still  his  place  of 
residence.  He  owns  one  thousand  acres  of 
valuable  land,  having  become  a  wealthy  agri- 
culturist of  Illinois.     He  has  reached  the  ad- 


vanced age  of  eighty-lour  years  and  is  one  of 
the  honored  pioneers  of  the  state. 

Edward  Grimes  spent  his  boyhood  days  un- 
der the  parental  roof,  working  in  field  and 
meadow  when  not  engaged  with  the  duties  of 
the  schoolroom.  His  early  educational  privi- 
leges were  supplemented  by  a  course  of  study 
in  Shurtleff  College  and  after  completing  his 
studies  he  came  to  Montgomery  county  in  1866 
and  located  on  his  present  farm,  having  here 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  raw  land.  He 
at  once,  however,  began  to  place  the  fields  un- 
der cultivation  and  transform  the  unbroken 
prairie   into  a    rich   and    productive   tract.     He 

huilt    fences,   also   erected   g 1    buildings  and 

added  modern  equipments,  such  as  are  seen 
upon  a  model  farm.  As  his  financial  resources 
increased  he  also  extended  the  boundaries  of 
his  place  until  it  now-  comprises  two  hundred 
and  eighty  acres.  His  home  is  a  commodious 
two-storj  frame  residence  and  nearby  are  two 
large  and  substantial  hams  and  other  neces- 
sary outbuildings.  Upon  the  place  is  a  native 
grove  ami  he  has  planted  many  ornamental 
trees.  For  some  years  be  has  made  a  specialty 
of  the  grazing  and  feeding  of  cattle  and  raises 
no  grain,  lie  ships  his  own  stock  and  annually 
sells  from  six  to  eight  carloads  of  fat  cattle  and 
hogs.  In  1868  he  left  the  farm  and  removed 
to  Butler,  where  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  busi- 
ness for  three  years,  hut  subsequently  returned 
to  the  farm  where  he  is  now  living,  occupying 
his  pleasant  and  attractive  1 e,  which  is  situ- 
ated within  a  mile  and  three-quarters  of  Ray- 
niond. 

While  in  Butler  Mr.  Crimes  was  united  in 
marriage  on  the  7th  of  October,  186S,  to  Miss 
Emma  Sammons,  a  native  of  Xew  York  and  a 
daughter  of  Clement  Sammons,  of  Hillsboro, 
in  which  city  Mrs.  Grimes  was  reared.  Seven 
children  have  been  horn  of  this  marriage,  of 
whom  two  sons  are  now  living:  Ernest  Robert, 
at  home:  and  Dr.  Leroy  Grimes,  who  is  prac- 
ticing medicine  in  St.  Louis.  Missouri.  They 
lost  five  children:  Eugene,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  nineteen  years  on  the  home  farm:  Charles 
E.,  who  died  at  the  age  id'  twenty-two  years 
while  pursuing  a  medical  course;  Frankie,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  three  months:  and  two  daugh- 
ters who  died  in   infancy. 


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UNIVERSITY  Of  >  i  ,N0|S 


EDWARD  GRIMES 


J.   T.   GHIMES 


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PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


137 


The   political   views  of    Mr.    Grimes  are   in 
accord    with   the   principles  of  the   Democracy 
and    he   has  supported   all   of  the   presidential 
candidates  of  that  party  since  casting  his  first 
rote  for  General  George  B.  McClellan  in  L864. 
lie  was  elected  and  served  as  a  member  of  the 
honorary   county   board   of   county   supervisors 
on  several  different   occasions  and  he  acted  on 
numerous  important  committees.     He  was  also 
township  trustee    for   a   uumber   of  years  and 
lias  been  president  of  the  board  of  school  di- 
rectors,   in    which    capacity    he   1ms   done    able 
service    for   the   cause    of   education.      He   and 
his    family   are    members   of   the   Presbyterian 
church    and    he    is    a    charter    member    of    the 
Masonic  lodge  ai  Raymond,  of  which  lie  served 
as   master    lor  a.    number   of    years.      He   also 
belongs  to  Litchfield  chapter  and  commandery, 
has  represented   the   blue   lodge  in   the  grand 
lodge  of  the  state  and  is  an  exemplary  Mason, 
portraying  in  his  lite  the  beneficent  spirit  of  his 
craft,  which  has  as  its  basic  element  the  prin- 
ciples id'  brotherly  kindness  and  mutual  help- 
fulness.    Mr.  Grimes  takes  quite  an  active  and 
prominent  part  in  the  work  of  the  Montgomery 
County   Farmer.-   Institute,  of  which  he  is  now 
serving  as  treasurer,  and  he  has  exerted  a  wide 
influence  in  its  behalf,    lie  is  also  prominently 
identified    with    the    Illinois    Fanners   Institute 
and  al  present  is  a  member  id'  the  finance  com- 
mittee. 


WILLIAM    COHNTON. 

William  Counton  is  numbered  among  the 
self-made  men  of  Montgomery  county  whose 
pro  perrty  is  entirely  attributable  to  their  own 
efforts  and  because  of  what  he  has  accomplished 
he  deserves  much  credit.  lie  re-ides  in  section 
I.  [rving  township,  where  he  has  an  excellent 
farm  well  improved.  Hi-  birth  occurred  in 
\cv  York  city.  December  25,  1857,  and  he  is 
a  -on  of  Thomas  and  Jane  (Coudroy)  Counton, 
both  of  whom  wrvr  natives  of  Limerick.  Ire- 
land, whence  1 1n  \  came  to  the  L7nited  States. 
locating  in  New  York.  The  father  was  a  tan- 
ner by  trade  and  continued  in  active  business 
until  1861,  when  his  patriotic  spirit  being 
aroused   by  the  attempt   of  the  south   to  over- 


throw tin'  Union  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of 
the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-ninth  New  York 
Infantry,  with  which  he  served  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  In  1st',;  his  wife  departed  this 
life  in  I'awtucket.  lihode  Island.  In  their 
family  were  lour  children:  William;  Martin. 
who  is  now  living  in  Dodgeville,  Massachusetts; 
Mary  Jane,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years;  ami  Thomas,  who  is  living  in  this 
county. 

William  Counton  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  and  in  an  academy  at  Mun- 
cie,  Indiana.  Owing  to  his  mother's  death  he 
was,  when  ten  years  of  age,  placed  in  the  New 
York  Juvenile  Orphan's  Asylum  and  at  the  age 
of  eleven  years  lie  was  sent  to  make  his  home 
with  Nelson  Lipe  in  Irving  township,  Mont- 
gomery county.  He  arrived  in  this  county 
February  25,  1869,  and  lived  with  .Air.  Lipe 
until  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  when  he  began 
earning  his  living  by  working  as  a  farm  hand, 
ile  was  thus  employed  until  1882  and  his  in- 
dustry and  economy  during  that  period  enabled 
him  in  1883  to  become  the  purchaser  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land.  This  he 
conducted  until  June.  1903,  when  he  sold  his 
la  mi.  lie  had.  however,  a  good  tract  of  land 
well  unproved  and  he  annually  harvested  rich 
ciops  as  (hi1  reward  for  the  care  and  labor 
which  he  bestowed  upon  his  place. 

On  the  3d  of  April.  1881,  Mr.  Counton  was 
married    to    Miss   Julia    King,    a    daughter   of 
John    Wesley    King    and    a    granddaughter    of 
Andrew   and    Hannah    King.     Her    father   was 
horn  near  Chapel  Hill.  Orange  county.   North 
Carolina,   September  29,   ISM.   and   died  near 
Irving.    Illinois,   January  7,   1881.  at    the   age 
of  sixty-six  years,  three  months  and  eight  days. 
John  Wesley  King  was  only  a  year  old  when  his 
father  removed   to  Lincoln  county,  Tennessee, 
where  he  lived  for  fifteen  years.     In  November, 
1830,    when    sixteen    years    of    age    he    accom- 
panied  his   father  and   Noah  Kellev    from  Ten- 
nessee to  Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  the  trip 
being  made    on  horseback.     They  settled   near 
Irving,  the  first  home  of  Mr.  King  being  a  log 
cabin,      lie    was    one    of    the    honored    pioneer 
residents  of  the  locality  and  took-  an  active  and 
helpful    part   in   promoting  the  early   progress 
and  development  of  this  portion  of  the  state. 


L38 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


On  the  -!il  of  April;  1856,  lie  married  Mrs. 
Julia  T.  Ellis,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
two  children,  one  of  whom,  Frank  King,  is 
now  living.  The  wife  and  mother  died  Sep- 
tember 29,  1859,  and  Mr.  King  afterward  mar- 
ried Miss  Elizabeth  Grantham,  on  the  12th 
of  July,  1860.  They  became  the  parents  of 
six  children,  of  whom  two  are  living:  Julia 
and  Lula.  The  second  wife  died  December  4, 
1873,  and  on  the  8th  of  May,  1873,  Mr.  King- 
married  Nancy  Jane  Nussman,  who  departed 
this  life  on  the  second  of  June.  1879.  Mr. 
King  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  ability, 
enterprising  and  progressive  and  took  an  inter- 
ested and  helpful  part  in  all  that  pertained  to 
the  advancement  of  bis  locality,  lie  held  va- 
rious county  offices,  was  county  school  commis- 
sioner and  was  also  deputy  under  Hiram  Greg- 
ory, county  superintendent  of  schools.  He 
discharged  his  various  duties  with  promptness 
and  fidelity  and  he  also  practiced  law  in  this 
county.  In  1840  the  lirst  schoolhonse  of 
Rountree  township  was  built  and  Mr.  King 
was  employed  as  the  lirst  teacher.  He  also 
taught  for  a  number  of  years  in  other  parts  of 
the  county  and  was  regarded  as  a  most  aide 
educator.  When  a  young  man  he  united  with 
the  Lutheran  church,  with  which  he  ever  con- 
tinued a.  faithful  member  and  he  was  thus  ac- 
tively associated  with  the  material,  intellectual 
and  mora]   progress  of  his  community. 

Unto  Mr.  ami  Mrs.  Counton  have  been  born 
two  children.  Fiber!  Wesley  and  Harold  Ros- 
lyn.  The  former,  born  January  14,  1882,  is 
married  and  resides  in  Irving,  being  a  school 
teacher  of  Irving  township.  The  younger  son. 
born  July  12,  1893,  is  at  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Counton  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  and  he  belongs  to  the  Masonic  Indue  at 
Irving;  Twin  City  lodge.  No.  62,  K.  P.:  and 
the  Modern  Woodmen  camp.  No.  1498,  at  Irv- 
ing. A  stanch  Republican  in  his  political 
views  he  was  elected  supervisor  in  1880  and 
served  continuously  in  that  office  until  1895. 
He  was  also  a  delegate  to  the  last  Republican 
convention  held  in  Springfield.  He  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  leaders  of  his  party  in  his 
township  and  his  loyalty  in  citizenship  is  mani- 
fest by  an  active  co-operation  in  many  measures 
which  have  contributed  to  the  general  srood.  As 


the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes  he  has  budded 
wisely  and  well  and  his  life  is  exemplary  in 
main  respects,  lor  he  has  molded  his  own 
character  and  shaped  his  own  destiny  and  has 
won  not  only  success,  but  also  the  high  regard 
of  bis  fellow  men. 


LOUIS  WELGE. 

Among  those  who  have  come  from  foreign 
lands  to  become  active  in  business  circles  of 
EiUsboro  is  Louis  Welge,  who  for  man;  years 
has  contributed  in  large  measure  to  its  com- 
mercial prosperity.  His  success  in  all  his  un- 
dertakings has  been  so  marked  that  his  methods 
are  of  interest  to  the  commercial  world.  He 
has  based  bis  bnsiniss  principles  and  actions 
upon  strict  adherence  to  the  rules  which  gov- 
ern industry,  economy  and  strict,  unswerving 
integrity.  His  enterprise  and  progressive 
spirit  has  made  him  a  typical  American  in 
every  sense  of  the  word  and  he  well  deserves 
mention  in  her  history.  What  he  is  to-day 
he  has  made  himself,  for  he  begun  in  the 
world  with  nothing  but  his  own  enorg)  and 
willing  hands  to  aid  him. 

Mr.  Welge  is  a  native  of  the  province  of 
Hanover,  Germany,  where  bis  birth  occurred 
on  the  23d  of  October.  1826.  His  father  ,\as 
the  owner  of  a  large  sheep  ranch  there  and  it 
was  upon  this  ranch  that  tin-  son  spent  his 
early  boyhood  days,  devoting  his  time  largely 
to  the  care  of  the  sheep  and  gaining  the  expe- 
rience which  proved  of  great  profit  to  him 
when  be  conducted  a  similar  industry  in  this 
county.  At  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years 
he  resolved  to  try  his  fortune  in  America  and 
accompanied  by  a  sister  he  sailed  for  the  new 
world,  being  nine  weeks  upon  the  voyage, 
which  was  made  in  one  id'  the  old  time  sail- 
ing vessels  common  in  the  middle  of  the  nine- 
teenth century.  His  love  of  freedom  was  also 
one  of  the  element-  that  proved  most  strong  in 
his  removal  and  while  he  has  never  ceased  to 
cherish  an  affection  for  the  fatherland  he  feels 
the  strongest  love  for  the  country  over  which 
Hows  the  stars  and  stripes  and  has  ever  been 
most  loyal  to  its  interests. 

It  was  on  the  10th  of  November,  1853,  when 
accompanied    by    his    sister,    now    Mrs.    Henry 


PAST  AND  1'1,'KSKNT  OF  MONTGOMERY  COUNTY 


139 


Haake,  of  Fillmore  township,  be  landed  at  New 
Orleans,  but  he  did  not  tarry  in  that  city.  He 
made  his  way  at  once  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and 
there  accepted  any  employment  which  he  could 
secure  that  would  yield  him  an  honest  living. 
When  a  number  of  months  had  passed  he  went 
to  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  secured  employ- 
ment on  the  sheep  ranch  of  a  man  named  Mc- 
Condle.  In  the  succeeding  year  lie  was  joined 
in  Springfield  by  his  brother,  Fred  Welge,  and 
they  determined  to  engage  in  the  raising  of 
sheep.  Removing  then  to  Montgomery  county 
tlic\  purchased  land  east  of  Hillsboro  and  es- 
tablished a  ranch  which  they  conducted  with 
excellent  success  lor  fourteen  years.  They 
were  proprietors  of  the  farms  now  owned  by 
Louis.  Walter  and  William  Welge  and  there  is 
no  more  productive  soil  to  lie  found  in  Mast 
Fork  township.  The  brothers  prospered  in 
their  undertaking  and  their  annual  sales  of 
sheep  brought  to  them  a  very  desirable  financial 
return.  When  they  disposed  of  this  business 
they  took  up  their  abode  in  flic  city  of  Hills- 
boro and  purchased  the  old  furniture  factory. 
Mr.  Welge  was  then  engaged  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  furniture  for  several  years,  employing 
as  mam  as  twenty-five  men.  The  product  of 
tlie  factory  was  shipped  to  all  of  the  large 
cities  and  I'm-  a  time  found  ready  market  but 
Mr.  Welge  was  eventually  compelled  to  quit 
business  on  account  of  the  competition  of  the 
larger  manufacturers.  He  erected  the  build- 
ing that  was  afterward  occupied  as  a  mill  and 
which  stood  on  the  site  of  the  Hillsboro  Pro- 
duce Company  and  in  this  lie  conducted  a  re- 
tail furniture  business  until  be  bough!  the  imsi- 
ness  block  of  the  Bryce  estate  and  therein 
opened  a  furniture  store,  which  be  carried  on 
with  excellent  success  until  about  1902,  when 
bis  son  Fred  became  his  successor  in  this  enter- 
prise anil  be  retired  to  private  life. 

Mr.  Welge  has  been  married  twice.  He  first 
wedded  Mis-  Augusta  Oarsten  and  unto  them 
were  born  two  children,  namely:  Mrs.  Lena 
Dammann,  who  resides  in  Hillsboro;  and  Mrs. 
Bieler,  who  makes  her  home  in  Raymond,  Illi- 
nois. The  wife  and  mother  passed  away  in 
December,  1872,  and  in  1873  Mr.  Welge  was 
again  married,  bis  second  union  being  with 
Miss  Mena  Shorlimer.     Their  children  are  five 


in  number  and  all  reside  with  their  father  in 
Hillsboro.  namely:  Bertha,  who  is  the  libra- 
rian of  the  city;  Fred,  who  is  conducting  the 
furniture  store;  Dora, a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools;   and    hula   ami    Lynn,   at    home. 

When  .Mr.  Welge  came  to  Hillsboro  he  found 
here  a  small  village  with  little  business  enter- 
prise and  has  lived  to  see  a  great  transforma- 
tion both  in  the  appearance  of  the  county  seat 
and  in  commercial  methods  which  are  now  in 
vogue  here.  He  contributed  in  substantial 
measure  to  the  mercantile  activity  of  Hills- 
boro and  as  a  citizen  has  been  the  champion  of 
many  measures  for  the  genera]  good.  His  life 
has  been  one  of  exceptional  activity  and  useful- 
ness and  has  been  characterized  by  the  most 
unswerving  integrity  ami  honor.  He  began 
life  in  America  with  little  capital  ami  his 
financial  valuation  at  present  represents  a  large 
figure.  His  competence  has  been  won  through 
judicious  investment  and  capable  management 
and  throughout  his  entire  career  there  has  been 
no  action  on  his  part  to  call  forth  adverse  crit- 
icism. In  the  midst  of  pleasant  conditions 
with  many  friends  around  him  he  is  spending 
the  evening  of  life  in  comfort,  enjoying  'he 
fruits  of  his  former  toil. 


HENRY  Q.  WAGGONER. 

Henry  Q.  Waggoner  i.-  one  of  the  extensive 
landowners  of  Pitman  township  and  for  years 
has  been  classed  with  the  thrifty  farmers  of 
Montgomery  county.  His  life  record  is  credit- 
able to  this  county  which  is  the  place  of  his  na- 
tivitv.  his  birth  having  occurred  upon  the  old 
family  homestead  near  the  village  of  Wag- 
goner on  the  •Mth  of  November,  1861.  His 
father  was  George  Waggqner,  a  prominent 
early  settler  and  extensive  and  prosperous 
farmer  of  this  county.  He  was  respected  by 
all  because  of  Ins  activity  and  success  in  busi- 
ness affair-  and  his  hearty  co-operation  in  all 
measures  for  the  general  good. 

Xo  event  of  special  importance  occurred 
to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  Henry  Q. 
Waggoner  in  his  youth.  He  had  perhaps  more 
advantages  than  some  ami  less  than  others.  He 
received  good  home  training  and  bis  education 


HO 


PAST    AND    l'KKSKXT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


was  acquired  in  the  public  schools  nearby.  In 
188.3  he  was  married,  being  then  a  young  man 
of  twenty-one  years  of  age.  The  lady  of  his 
choice  was  Miss  Virginia  Street,  a  native  of 
Montgomery  county  and  a  daughter  of  Squire 
Street,  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  o1'  Zanes- 
ville  township. 

The  young  couple  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  a  farm  which  he  continued  to  operate 
with  good  success  for  a  number  of  years.  In 
1894,  however,  he  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  passed  away  in  that 
year,  leaving  three  children:  Florence  I.,  who 
is  now  tlir  wile  nl'  Park  C.  Pettit,  a  resident 
of  Waggoner;  Estella  B.,  at  home;  ami  Henr 
Wing,  who  is  also  with  his  father.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1902.  Mr.  Waggoner  was  again  mar- 
ried in  Montgomery  county,  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Freela  D.  Shires,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Rock  Island  county.  Illinois,  - 
who  is  a  daughter  of  D.  F.  Shires.  Her  child- 
hood was  passed  in  Montgomery  county  and  to 
its  public  school  system  she  is  indebted  to 
the  educational  privileges  which  she  enjoyed. 

Some  years  ago  Mr.  Waggoner  located  in 
the  village  which  bears  his  name  and  there 
erected  a  large,  attractive  and  substantial  resi- 
dence, which  is  one  of  the  best  homes  of  the 
town.  He  now  occupies  it  ami  is  living  retired 
from  the  more  active  duties  of  a  business  ca- 
reer, lie  vet  gives  personal  supervision  to  his 
farm  and  other  business  affairs,  owning  a  val- 
uable tract  of  land  of  five  hundred  acres  near 
(he  town.  This  is  kept  in  excellent  condition, 
is  well  improved  with  modern  equipments  ami 
returns  to  him  a  good  annual  income.  In  the 
establishment  of  the  bank  at  Waggoner  he  be- 
came interested  as  one  of  the  original  stock- 
holders, being  associated  in  this  enterprise  with 
his  brother.  Horace  G.  Waggoner.  Although 
never  an  office  seeker  he  has  always  kept  well 
informed  on  the  political  questions  of  the  day 
as  every  true  American  citizen  should  do  and 
hi-  political  belief  is  manifest  in  the  stalwart 
support  which  he  gives  to  the  Republican 
party.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  though  he  does  not  be- 
long to  any  religious  organization  he  is  a 
liberal  contributor  to  different  churches.  His 
entire    life    has    been    passed    in    Montgomery 


county  and  be  has  witnessed  much  of  its  prog- 
ress and  development,  lie  has  been  particu- 
larly helpful  in  improving  Waggoner  and  mak- 
ing it  the  enterprising  village  that  it  is  to- 
day and  his  support  of  any  measure  insures  for 
it  a  good  following,  because  he  is  known  as  a 
public-spirited  man  with  clear  sound  judgment 
and  of  unquestioned  loyalty  in  matters  of  cit- 
izenship. 


WILLIAM  A.  LEWEY. 

William  A.  Lewey,  whose  farm  on  section 
17,  Hillsboro  township,  acquired  through  his 
own  industry,  is  well  developed  ami  highly  im- 
proved, devotes  his  attention  to  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  and  in  his  business  career 
displays  traits  of  character  which  everywhere 
command  respect  and  confidence.  Interested 
in  community  affairs,  he  does  all  he  can  to 
promote  the  welfare  of  his  township,  and  is 
especially  active  along  the  line  of  its  moral 
development. 

Mr.  Lewey  was  born  in  Guilford  county, 
North  Carolina,  September  25,  1835,  and  was 
one  of  a  family  of  fourteen  children,  two  of 
whom  died  in  infancy  and  twelve  came  to  Illi- 
nois and  settled  in  Montgomery  county.  Wil- 
liam A.  Lewey  arrived  in  1855  and  began 
working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month,  being 
employed  principally  by  his  brother-.  He 
early  learned  the  value  of  industry  and  energy 
as   a   foundation  upon   which   to  build   success, 

ami    his    life    has    ever    1 n    characterized    by 

diligence  and  perseverance.  He  was  employed 
at  farm  labor  until  after  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Civil  war.  when,  responding  to  his  coun- 
try's  call  for  troops  to  preserve  the  Union,  he 
enlisted  on  the  18th  of  August.  1862,  as  a 
private  of  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-sixth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
with  which  he  served  for  three  years.  After 
reaching  Tennessee  he  was  taken  ill  and  was 
-.■in  to  the  hospital  at  La  Grange,  Tennessee, 
and  afterward  to  Jacksonville,  almost  a  year 
having  passed  before  he  was  able  to  resume 
active  duty.  He  was  promoted  corporal  at 
Jacksonville  in  1863.  He  served  on  guard 
duty  at  the  supply  post  for  some  time,  was  also 


ME.   AND   MBS.   WILLIAM   A.   LEWEY 


LIBRARY 

OF  TH£ 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AMi    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


143 


engaged  in  guarding  railroads,  and  in  Au- 
gust, 1865,  he  was  honorabh  discharged  and 
mustered  out  of  the  sen  ice. 

Mr.  Lewey  has  been  thrice  married.  In 
1867  he  wed, I,., I  Miss  Rachel  Griffith,  who 
died  in  March,  1878,  and  lie  later  married 
Eebecea  Chamberlin,  who  died  in  1888.  On 
the  23d  hi'  October,  1891,  ho  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Leuvenna  Thacker,  a  daugh- 
ter of  T.  A.  Thacker  and  a  native  of  this 
county. 

In  the  fall  of  1866  Mr.  Lewey  purchased  his 
present  farm,  upon  which  he  took  up  hSs 
abode  the  following  year,  and  has  since  made 
it  his  home,  lie  has  here  eighty  acres  of 
arable  laud  on  section  17,  Hillsboro  township, 
and  he  has  made  all  of  the  improvements  upon 
the  plan'.  It.  is  now  well  equipped  with  mod- 
ern facilities  and  its  neat  and  attractive  ap- 
pearance is  due  to  his  untiring  energy,  strong 
determination  and  laudable  ambition.  Mr. 
Lewey  maintains  pleasant  relations  with  his  old 
army  comrades  through  his  membership  in 
Hubbell  post,  G.  A.  R.  His  views  on  the  tem- 
perance question  are  indicated  by  his  support 
of  the  Prohibition  party  and  he  is  found  as 
the  advocate  of  all  movements  which  he  be- 
lirw-  will  elevate  mankind  and  prove  of  real 
benefit  to  his  community,  lie  is  an  active  and 
influential  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  of  Woodsboro,  lias  served  as  church 
trustee  and  has  lieen  a  class  leader  for  many 
years.  FTis  life,  honorable  and  upright,  is  in 
many  respects  worthy  of  emulation  and  his 
friends  and  neighbors  have  naught  to  say 
against  his  good  name,  lie  has  lived  in  this 
county  for  almost  a  half  century,  and  has. 
therefore,  witnessed  much  of  its  growth  and 
development,  while  in  the  work  of  improvement 
he  has  felt  a  deep  interest. 


EDWARD  ('.   RICHARDS'. 

Edward  C.  Richards,  residing  in  Hillsboro 
township,  is  a  man  of  good  business  ability 
and  executive  force,  carrying  on  agricultural 
pursuits  along  progressive  lines  on  his  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  seventy-nine  aire-,  which  is 
well  equipped   with  modern   improvements  and 


accessories,  lb'  was  limn  m  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts, mi  (lie  1  1th  nf  .May.  1S.V.'.  and  is  a 
son  of  George  II.  Richards,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  the  same  city,  May  5,  1816.  He  was 
a  representative  id'  Puritan  ancestors,  who  lo- 
cated in  Massachusetts  during  the  early  de- 
velopment of  the  colony.  In  his  youth  George 
[I.  Richards  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  serv- 
ing a  seven  years'  apprenticeship  in  Boston, 
Init.  believing  that  the  west  furnished  better 
business  opportunities  he  came  to  Illinois  in 
1839  and  established  his  home  in  Hillsboro, 
where  he  soon  became  actively  identified  with 
industrial    interests    as    a    partner    of    the    late 

A s  Clotfelter  in  the  conduct  of  a  sawmill. 

lie  had  carried  on  business  here  I'm-  about  three 
years,  when  he  returned  to  the  east  and  was 
married  on  (he  22d  of  December,  1842.  to  Miss 
Irene  II.  Lincoln,  a  daughter  of  Bradford  Lin- 
coln, of  Jamaica  Plains,  Massachusetts.  lie 
then  brought  his  bride  to  Hillsboro  and  they 
began  their  domestic  life  in  the  home  which 
he  hail  built  for  her  and  which  is  now  owned 
by  B.  P.  Boyd.  Unto  this  marriage  were  born 
six  children:  Henry,  who  was  horn  April  25. 
18-13.  and  died  in  infancy:  Susan,  who  resides 
in  Hillsboro  township:  Lucy  E..  who  was  born 
March  15,  IS  IS.  and  died  in  infancy;  Alice, 
the  wife  of  Amos  Larry,  of  Hillsboro  town- 
ship: Edward  ('..of  this  review;  and  Frederick 
W.,  who  was  bora  March  5,  1856,  and  also 
died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  [rene  Richards  passed 
away  in  1857  ami  the  following  year  Mr.  Rich- 
ards again  sought  a  home  in  the  west,  coming 
to  Montgomery  county  with  hi-  family.  He 
settled  upon  tin'  farm  which  he  bad  purchased 
during  his  previous  residence  here.  While  in 
the  east  he  had  become  an  importer  and  whole- 
sale dealer  in  structural  iron  and  hardware, 
but  after  bringing  his  family  to  Illinois  he 
turned  his  attention  to  general  farming  and 
continued  to  reside  upon  the  old  family  home- 
stead up  to  the  time  of  his  demise.  He  first 
purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land,  to  which  he  afterward  added  sixty  acres 
anil  upon  his  farm  be  placed  many  excellent 
improvements,  erecting  substantial  buildings, 
cultivating  his  fields  along  modern  progressive 
lines  and  carrying  on  stock-raising  with  equal 
^-access.     In  all  of  bis  business  dealings  he  was 


144 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMEKY    COUNTY 


strictly  fair  and  honorable  and  his  name  came 
to  be  a  synonym  for  enterprise  and  integrity 
in  trade  transactions.  Ee  never  cared  for  po- 
litical honors  or  office,  and  would  never  allow 
his  name  to  be  used  in  connection  with  the 
candidacy  for  any  political  position.  He 
served,  however,  as  school  director,  took  an  ac- 
tive interest  in  educational  matters  and  was 
a  stalwart  champion  of  the  public-school  sys- 
tem. In  early  days  he  was  a  member  of  and 
leader  in  the  home  guards.  A  man  of  fine 
physique,  lie  was  about  six  feet  in  height  and 
weighed  about  one  hundred  and  ninety  pounds 
when  in  his  prime.  Mr.  Richards  possessed 
much  natural  ability  as  a  mathematician  and 
improved  his  talents  in  this  direction  as  op- 
portunity afforded.  He  took  great  delight  in 
discussing  with  Edmund  Fish  and  A.  H.  Bell 
the  great  mathematical  principles  and  in  this 
connection  the  trio  became  known  throughout 
the  country.  Mr.  Richards  readied  the  ad- 
vanced ago  of  eighty-six  years,  five  months 
and  nineteen  days,  passing  away  at  his  home 
in  Montgomery  county  on  the  31st  of  Jan- 
uary. 1903.  To  the  county  lie  left  the  record 
of  loyal  citizenship,  to  his  acquaintances  the 
memory  of  faithful  and  considerate  friendship 
and  to  his  family  lie  left  not  only  a  good  prop- 
erty, but  also  an  untarnished  name.  He  com- 
manded the  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  was 
associated,  manifesting  throughout  his  entire 
life  sterling  traits  of  character. 

Edward  » '.  Richards  was  reared  upon  the  old 
home  farm  in  this  county,  to  which  he  was 
brought  by  his  father  when  about  five  years  of 
age.  His  early  educational  privileges,  ac- 
quired in  tlie  common  schools,  were  supple- 
mented by  study  in  the  Hillshoro  Academy. 
His  training  at  farm  labor  was  of  a  practical 
character  and  acquainted  him  with  the  best 
methods  of  earing  for  the  fields  and  raising 
stock.  As  he  advanced  in  age,  experience  and 
capability,  he  became  more  ami  more  closelv  as- 
sociated with  his  father  in  business  and  in  his 
father's  later  years  he  took  entire  charge  of 
the  home  place,  which  he  has  since  conducted 
in  a  most  capable  manner.  He  now  owns  one 
hundred  and  seventy-nine  acres  of  rich  land 
devoted  to  diversified  farming  and  a  glance  at 
his  place  with   its  highly  cultivated  fields  and 


splendid  improvements  indicates  to  the  passer- 
by the  careful  supervision  of  a  progressive 
o\\  ner. 

On  the  6th  of  November,  1879,  Mr.  Rich- 
ards was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Atclia 
M  Wharton,  who  was  born  in  Guilford  county, 
North  Carolina,  a  daughter  of  Jesse  Wharton, 
who  came  to  Montgomery  county  in  1858. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richards  are  devoted  and 
consistent  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
being  deeply  interested  in  the  various  church 
activities  and  for  ten  years  he  has  served  as 
one  of  its  elders.  In  1895  he  assisted  in  or- 
ganizing the  Farmers'  Institute,  with  which  he 
lias  since  been  connected,  serving  as  secretary 
six  years  and  president  two  years.  Almost 
his  entire  life  has  been  passed  in  this  county 
an. I  with  the  work  of  substantial  improvement 
he  has  been  closely  associated.  He  stands  to- 
day as  a  typical  representative  of  the  business 
men  of  the  west,  who  recognizes  and  improves 
his  opportunities,  conducting  bis  interests 
along  lines  that  gain  him  a  desirable  compe- 
tence and  an  honored  name  simultaneously. 


COLUMBUS    ELLIOT. 

One  of  the  more  progressive  agriculturists  of 
Audubon  township  is  Columbus  Id  Hot  who  is 
numbered  among  the  native  sons  of  this  locality 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  North  Litchfii  hi, 
December  20,  1855.  Ili>  parents  were  Robert 
M.  and  Elizabeth  (Meyers)  Elliot,  who  re- 
moved from  Kentucky  to  Illinois.  The  Eather 
purchased  the  home  farm  from  the  original  set- 
tler and  owned  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  cultivable  land  and  twenty  acres  of  timber 
land.  He  always  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits, following  that  calling  until  his  death  in 
1864,  when  he  was  fifty-four  years  of  age.  His 
wile,  surviving  him  for  several  years,  departed 
this  life  in  1871  and  was  laid  to  rest  by  his 
side  in  the  Lutheran  cemetery  of  North 
Litchfield.  The  family,  however,  were  identi- 
fied with  the  Methodist  church  at  the  time  of 
the  father's  death.  He  and  another  man  were 
associated  in  the  ownership  of  the  Methodist 
church  property  at  Litchfield.  His  political 
allegiance  was  uiven  to  the  Democracy  and  be 


COLUMBUS    ELLIOT    AND    FAMILY 


Of  TOE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


147 


voted  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas  for  president. 
In  the  family  were  six  children,  three  sons  and 
three  daughters:  Pamelia  married  M.  L. 
lllackwelder.  who  resides  in  Oklahoma  City. 
Both  she  and  her  husband  were  sehool  teach- 
ers and  taught  in  Butler  Grove  township, 
Montgomery  county.  They  afterward  re- 
moved to  Haddam,  Washington  county. 
Kansas,  where  Mr.  Blackwelder  continued 
teaching,  and  subsequently  they  took  up 
their  abode  in  Oklahoma  City.  Oklahoma, 
where  he  is  now  engaged  in  the  real  es- 
tate business.  They  had  two  sons  and  two 
daughters,  but  lost  their  eldest  child  at  the 
age  nf  eighteen  years.  Matilda  Helen,  (lie 
second  member  of  the  Elliot  family,  became  the 
wife  of  Thomas  Henley  and  died  in  1879,  leav- 
ing a  son,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years. 
Mr.  Heffley  has  also  departed  this  life.  Kate 
married  John  M.  Blackwelder  and  is  living 
near  Witt,  in  Witt  township,  where  he  follows 
farming.  They  have  three  living  children  and 
lost  two,  their  eldest,  a  son.  living  in  infancy, 
while  the  second  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years.  Guy  is  a  carpenter  residing  in  Los  An- 
geles, California.  Columbus  is  the  fifth  of  the 
family.  James  Milton  died  in  childhood. 
James  Wesley  was  a.  farmer,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-four  years. 

Columbus  Elliot  is  indebted  to  the  old  Bea- 
con school  in  North  Litchfield  township  for  the 
educational  privileges  which  were  afforded  him. 
When  not  engaged  with  the  duties  of  the  school- 
room he  worked  upon  the  home  farm  and  in 
1Sm4  be  came  to  Nokomis  township,  where  he 
was  employed  at  farm  labor.  On  February  24, 
1876,  he  wedded  Matilda  H.  Slocum,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Aaron  Slocum.  a  native  el'  England,  who 
in  his  later  life  made  his  home  with  Mrs.  Elliot, 
his  death  occurring  June  l(i,  1892.  His  wife 
had  died  in  Madison  county,  Illinois,  where  the 
family  borne  had  been  established  prior  to  the 
marriage  of  their  daughter.  They  had  three 
children,  but  one  died  in  infancy  and  the  sister 
of  Mrs.  Elliot  was  Sarah  J.  Slocum,  who  lie- 
came  the  wife  of  Theodore  L.  Covert,  a  resident 
of  Webb  City,  Jasper  county.  Missouri,  by  whom 
she  had  six  children,  five  of  whom  are  now  liv- 
ing. Mrs.  Elliot  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  Edwardsville.  Illinois,  from  which   she  was 


graduated.  By  hi  r  marriage  she  has  become  the 
mother  of  live  children:  Arthur  Leroy,  now 
twenty-six  years  of  age,  married  Bertha  Fox 
and  is  living  in  Bountree  township,  where  lie 
follows  farming.  Fred,  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
was  educated  in  the  Fair  Prairie  school  and  is 
at   home.     Edna  Estella,   twenty-one   years   of 

age.  was  also  educated  in  the  Fair  Prairie  scl I 

and  is  now  the  wife  of  Bennett  Peach,  a  resi- 
dent fanner  of  Ada.  Minnesota,  .lames  Milton, 
eleven  years  of  age,  is  attending  the  Audubon 
school.  Lucy  is  a  student  in  the  same  school. 
After  his  marriage  Mr.  Elliot  resided  in 
Rountree  township,  where  be  made  his  home  for 
fourteen  years  and  then  removed  to  Nokomis 
township,  where  lie  rented  for  eight  years.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  settled  in  Au- 
dubon township,  where  lie  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  upon  which  he  now  re- 
sides. His  property  possessions  have  come  to 
him  as  the  result  of  his  persistent  effort  and 
untiring  diligence.  He  has  met  with  fair  suc- 
cess in  fanning  and  stock-raising  and  he  now 
has -a  valuable  tract  of  land,  one  hundred  and 
sixty  aere-  in  Audubon  township,  which  is  well 
improved,  and  also  eighty  acres  in  Bountree 
township.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat, having  supported  the  party  continuously 
since  attaining  bis  majority.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  belong  to  the  Zion  Chape]  Methodist  church 
in  Audubon  township  and  are  members  of  the 
Mutual  Protective  League,  while  he  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 


W.  L.  CURRY. 


\V.  L.  Curry,  who  for  six  years  has  been 
superintendent  of  schools  in  Fillmore  and  is 
accounted  one  of  the  capable  educators  of  cen- 
tral Illinois,  was  born  in  Walshville  township, 
Montgomery  county,  December  10,  1863,  his 
parents  being  R.  J.  and  S.  D.  Curry.  His  great- 
great-grandfather  in  the  maternal  line  was 
Daniel  Boone,  the  famous  explorer  and  hunter 
of  Kentucky.  His  father.  R.  J.  Curry,  was 
born  in  Pike  county,  Missouri,  and  was  a 
schoolmate  of  llrigham  Young,  the  noted  Mor- 
mon leader.  He  was  also  one  of  the  mob  that 
drove  Joseph    Smith    out   of   Nauvoo.   Illinois, 


1  18 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    <>F    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


and  prevented  bhe  planting  of  the  Mormon  col- 
ony in  this  state.  Mr.  Curry  was  reared  in 
Pike  county  and  afti  r  attaining  man's  estate 
lie  followed  general  farming  and  veterinary 
surgery.  He  became  an  early  settler  of  Illinois 
and  won  a  reputation  as  a  stock  dealer,  being 
widely  known,  especially  for  the  fine  borses 
which  he  raised. 

\V.  L.  Curry,  whose  name  introduces  this  rec- 
ord, spent  his  boyhood  days  under  the  parental 
roof  and  acquired  his  early  education  in  the 
schools  of  Montgomery  county.  He  afterward 
continued  his  studies  in  Danville.  Indiana, 
where  he  spent  three  years  as  a  student.  He 
has  since  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to  edu- 
cational work  and  has  taught  for  nineteen  years 
in  Montgomery  county,  the  entire  time  being 
devoted  between  four  schools.  No  higher  testi- 
monial of  his  capability  could  be  given  than  the 
fact  that  he  has  been  so  long  retained  as  teach- 
er in  a  single  community.  Six  years  ago  he  was 
appointed  superintendent  of  the  schools  of 
Fillmore  and  has  since  remained  in  charge 
here.  He  is  constantly  studying  to  improve 
the  methods  of  instruction  so  as  to  make  school 
work  more  effective  and  valuable  as  a  prepara- 
tion for  life's  practical  duties.  He  has  intro- 
duced nunry  new  and  improved  methods  and 
under  his  guidance  the  schools  have  made  satis- 
factory and  rapid  progress.  Professor  Curry 
is  now  engaged  in  merchandising,  having 
opened  a  store  in  the  new  Knights  of  Pythias 
building,  which  was  erected  in  Fillmore  in 
1904. 

About  fifteen  years  ago  Professor  Curry  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Alice  Green,  and 
they  have  become  the  parents  of  five  children, 
but  only  two  are  now  living:  Ralph  Wayne 
and  Rolla  Glenn.  The  parents  belong  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  are  interest  d 
in  its  work,  taking  a  helpful  part  in  various 
church  activities.  Professor  Curry  is  also 
identified  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  frater- 
nity and  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  and 
his  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Repub- 
lican party,  for  he  believed  that  its  principles 
contain  flie  best  elements  of  good  government. 
He  has  a  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance  in 
Montgomery  county,  where  his  entire  life  has 
been  passed  and  where  he  has  ever  labored  to 


advance  the  interests  which  tend  to  the  de- 
velopment  of  the  high  standard  of  citizenship 
and  of  material,  social,  intellectual  and  moral 
improvement.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  purpose, 
unfaltering  in  his  support  of  his  honest  con- 
viction- and  his  entire  career  has  been  actuated 
by  high  and  honorable  motives. 


REV.  THOMAS  MASTERSON. 

Rev.  Thomas  Masterson,  pastor  of  St.  Agnes' 
Roman  Catholic  church,  of  Hillsboro,  was  born 
in  County  Longford.  Ireland,  February  2, 
L850.  His  father,  Peter  Masterson,  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  died  in  1903  at  the 
very  venerable  age  of  one  hundred  ami  three 
years.  His  wife,  Margaret  Sheridan,  died  at 
i  lie  age  of  eighty  years.  They  were  the  parents 
of  seven  children,  all  sons,  and  three  of  the 
number  are  now  deceased.  The  living  brothers 
of  Father  Masterson  are  Bernard,  who  is  serv- 
ing as  district  judge  of  San  Francisco,  Cali- 
fornia :  Michael,  who  is  a  bookbinder  of  Pea- 
body.  Massachusetts :  and  James,  who  carries 
on  agricultural   pursuits  in  Ireland. 

Father  Masterson  began  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  at  Moyne,  Ireland,   and   at  the 

ml I'   fourteen  years  entered  upon  a  classical 

course  there,  which  he  completed  by  graduation 
at  the  age  of  nineteen  years.  He  next  matricu- 
lated in  All  Hallows  College  in  Dublin,  Ire- 
land, from  which  institution  he  was  graduated 
at  the  end  of  five  years'  course  of  study  in 
theology.  He  was  at  that  time  twenty-four 
years  of  age  and  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  by  Bishop 
Whelan. 

In  1874  Father  Masterson  came  to  the 
United  States,  making  his  way  to  Alton.  Illi- 
nois, and  was  first  in  charge  of  St.  Mary's 
church  at  Mound  City.  Illinois,  where  he  re- 
mained for  five  year's.  He  then  went  to  Cairo. 
Illinois,  where  he  acted  as  pastor  of  St.  Pat- 
rick's Catholic  church  for  three  years  and  for 
a  similar  period  he  was  pastor  at  Paris.  Illi- 
nois, three  years  at  Winchester,  this  state,  four 
years  at  Carlinville,  and  then  came  to  Hills- 
boro in  1899  to  accepl  the  pastorate  of  St. 
Agnes'  Catholic  church,  which  was  established 
in   1869.     There  is  now  a  membership  of  three 


EEV.    THOMAS    MASTERSON 


LIBRARV 

OF  TH£ 

--v  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


151 


hundred,  which  number  has  increased  fifty  per 
cent  during  the  incumbency  of  Father  Mas- 
terson.  The  parish  and  its  various  branches 
of  church  activity  arc  in  a  flourishing  condi- 
tion and  Father  Masterson,  in  addition  to  bis 
work  among  his  people  in  Hillsboro,  is  secretary 
of  the  Litchfield  deanery,  which  embraces  Mont- 
gomery, Christian,  Fayette  ami  Bond  counties. 
His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Democ- 
racy and  fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the1 
Knights  of  Columbus. 


HARoU>    IlooD. 


Harold  II I.  promoter  of  many  of  the  busi- 
ness enterprises  and  interests  of  Litchfield 
which  are  now  contributing  to  its  prosperity 
and  upbuilding  and  conducting  all  affairs  in 
harmony  with  modern,  progressive  ideas,  has 
by  intense  and  well  directed  activity  won  for 
himself  a  foremost  position  among  the  leading 
young  men  of  the  city  and  has  also  gained  suc- 
cess that  enables  him  to  control  important  in- 
vestments. Litchfield  is  his  native  city  and  the 
27th  of  May,  L872,  the  date  of  bis  birth.  He 
represents  one  of  the  old  and  prominent  fam- 
ilies of  Montgomery  county.  In  his  grand- 
father's family  there  were  ten  children,  six  of 
whom  reached  adult  age.  Of  these  Joseph 
Hood  died  in  Litchfield,  Illinois.  John,  an 
officer  of  the  Confederate  Army,  died  at  John- 
son's Island.  Ohio,  in  1865.  Griffith  was 
drowned  near  Grafton,  Illinois,  in  1850.  Per- 
haps the  best  known  of  the  brothers  was  Benja- 
min Smith  Hood,  who  died  February  15,  1904, 
at  the  home  of  his  son  in  Wellington,  Kansas. 
He  settled  in  Montgomery  county  near  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Litchfield,  where  be  embarked  in 
the  drug  busim  ss  with  his  brother.  Joseph,  con- 
tinuing therein  for  several  years.  He  enlisted 
in  the  Seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  the  first  regi- 
ment that  went  to  the  front  from  Illinois.  In 
1863  he  became  one  of  the  promoters  of  the 
Union  Monitor,  published  at  Hillsboro.  and 
did  much  to  build  up  Union  sentiment  in  what 
was  then  a  pro-slavery  section  of  the  slate. 
He  was  editor  of  the  paper,  afterward  purchased 
the  interests  of  his  partners,  and  removed  the 
paper   to   Litchfield,    where   he    conducted    his 


journal  until  1872.  At  bis  death  his  remains 
were  brought  back  and  interred  in  the  Litch- 
field ei  melon.  ""lien janiin  S.  Hood  was  a 
newspaper  man  who  bad  Eew  superiors."  said 
the  Wellington  (Kansas)  Monitor-Press.  "He 
was  a  ready  writer,  the  master  of  a  graceful 
and  pleasing  style  and  the  possessor  of  a  wide 
fund  of  information.  His  tastes  were  scholarly 
and  his  ideals  high."  An  original  Abolitionist, 
he  became  a  stanch  Republican.  His  first  wife 
was  Miss  Mary  T.  Jackson,  who  died  in  I860, 
leaving  two  children:  Charles,  one  of  the 
editor-  and  proprietors  of  the  Monitor-Press; 
and  Mis-  Mary  Hood,  superintendent  of  pri- 
mary work  in  the  public  schools  of  Oak  Park, 
Illinois.  In  1885  he  was  married  to  Mrs.  Mary 
Jackson,  widow  of  a  brother  of  his  first  wife, 
and  she  now  lives  in  Jerseyville,  Illinois. 

Harold  Hood  is  a  son  of  Dr.  H.  H.  Hood, 
who  is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
Hi'  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Litchfield 
ami  he  entered  upon  bis  business  career  in 
L888  in  the  employ  of  the  Jacksonville  &  St. 
Louis  Railroad  as  a  messenger  boy.  Subse- 
quently he  was  promoted  successively  to  bill 
clerk,  yard  clerk  and  cashier,  and  remained 
with  the  road  until  March,  1892,  when  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  Litchfield  Car  &  Ma- 
chine Company,  as  paymaster,  thus  serving 
until  1891.  In  that  year  he  went  to  St.  Louis, 
where  he  entered  the  auditor's  office  of  the 
St.  Louis,  Peoria  &  Northern  Railroad,  now 
the  Illinois  Central.  In  1898  he  went  upon 
the  road  as  traveling  passenger  agent  for  the 
Illinois  Central  and  thus  continued  until  1900. 
»beu  be  became  agent  for  the  road  at  Litch- 
field, serving  in  that  capacity  until  April,  1903. 
Mr.  Hood  succeeded  bis  lather.  Dr.  H.  II.  Hood, 
as  secretary  of  the  Oil  City  Building  &  Loan 
Association,  upon  the  latter's  death,  in  Febru- 
ary, 1903,  ami  lias  since  been  active  in  the  man- 
agement of  its  interests.  In  May,  L904,  he  or- 
ganized a  brokerage  business,  entering  info 
partnership  with  David  Davis:  Jacob  J.  Frey, 
of  Hillsboro,  and  James  E.  Calvin,  also  of 
Hillsboro,  under  the  firm  name  of  H.  Hood 
&  Company.  They  have  interests  in  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  southeast  of  the  town,  near 
the  plant  of  the  American  Radiator  Company, 
and  they  build  houses  for  sale  on  the  install- 


I  52 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


tnent  plan,  and  have  thus  contributed  in  large 
measure  to  the  substantial  upbuilding  and  im- 
provement of  that  section  of  the  city.  Mr. 
Hood  is  also  one  of  the  promoters,  in  connec- 
tion with  David  Davis,  of  the  American  Radia- 
tor Company,  manufacturers  of  radiators.  The 
various  business  interests  with  which  lie  is 
connected  are  proving  important  enterprises  of 
Litchfield  and  in  their  control  lie  is  displaying 
excellent  business  capacity  and  foresight. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Hood  is  a  Re- 
publican and  is  now  serving  as  alderman  from 
the  fourth  ward,  but  does  not  take  an  active 
pari  in  political  work.  Fraternally  he  is  a 
Mason,  belonging  to  Charter  Oak  lodge,  Xo. 
336,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  also  to  the  Elks  lodge 
of  Litchfield.  In  his  business  career  his  adapta- 
bility and  energy  found  recognition  in  ready 
promotion,  and  from  humble  surroundings  he 
has  advanced  to  a  position  of  prominence  in 
business  circles. 


GEORGE  FOOKS. 


The  enterprising  village  of  Waggoner  num- 
bers George  Fooks  among  ils  leading  business 
men.  He  lias  here  resided  during  the  past 
seven  years  and  during  the  last  two  years  has 
been  engaged  in  dealing  in  lumber  and  coal. 
Realizing  that  success  is  uot  a  matter  of  ca- 
price  or  el'  Eortunate  circumstances  hut  is  the 
direct  result  of  labor  guided  by  sound  judg- 
ment, ilr.  Fooks  is  carrying  on  his  business 
affairs  in  a  most  energetic  way  and  has  there- 
fore secured  a  good  patronage. 

Horn  in  Macoupin  county,  Illinois,  on  the 
nth  of  June,  1861,  he  is  a  son  of  William  Fooks, 
a  native  of  England.  The  father  remained  in 
that  country  during  (he  period  of  his  childhood 
and  early  manhood  and  was  married  in  his  na- 
tive land.  Hearing  favorable  reports  of  Amer- 
ica's business  opportunities,  lie  resolved  to 
enjoy  the  advantages  afforded  in  the  new  world 
and  in  1848  emigrated  to  the  United  States. 
He  made  his  way  direct  to  Illinois,  settling  at 
Bunker  Hill,  but  misfortune  overtook  him  dur- 
ing his  early  residence  there,  for  be  lost  his 
wife  and  family  of  two  children  with  cholera 
in    1849.      lie    was    there   engaged    in    teaming 


and  fruit-growing.  On  the  36th  of  August, 
L860,  h<'  was  married  again,  In-  second  union 
being  with  Jane  Taggart,  a  native  of  Ireland. 
There  were  three  children  by  this  marriage 
whom  she  carefully  reared  after  the  death  of 
her  husband,  which  occurred  December  20, 
is;:,.  She  died  on  the  nth  of  April.  1886. 
From  Bunker  Hill  William  Fooks  removed  to 
Montgomery  county,  settling  in  Zanesville 
township  upon  a  tract  of  land  which  lie  devel- 
oped into  a  good  farm.  lie'  worked  in  the 
fields  from  the  time  of  early  spring  planting 
until  after  the  crops  were  harvested  in  the  late 
autumn  and  by  hi.-  labor  and  energy  succeeded 
in  transforming  the  place  into  a  valuable  farm 
property  of  two  hundred  and  ten  acres,  his 
home  being  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 3,  Zanesville  township,  wbere  he  continued 
to  reside  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 

George  Fooks,  the  only  -on  of  the  family,  was 
reared  upon  the  homestead  farm  in  Zanesville 
township  and  attended  the  district  school  near- 
by.  The  pleasures  of  the  playground  also  occu- 
pied a  full  share  of  his  attention,  but  he  did  not 
neglect  the  farm  tasks  that  were  assigned  him. 
and  after  arriving  at  maturity  he  engaged  in 
the  operation  of  the  old  homestead  farm,  con- 
tinuing the  work  of  development  and  improve- 
ment there.  In  ISSli  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Etta  E.  Sullivan,  a  native  of  New  York 
and  a  daughter  of  Patrick  and  Rose  (Kelly) 
Sullivan.  They  lived  happily  together  for  eight 
years  and  then  Mrs.  Fooks  was  called  to  her 
final  rest  January  14,  1895. 

Not  long  after  this  Mr.  Fooks  rented  his 
farm  and  spent  two  years  in  Raymond.  In 
1897  he  purchased  a  grain  business  in  Wag- 
goner, bought  an  elevator,  and  from  1897  until 
1899  he  owned  the  north  elevator.  He  then 
purchased  the  south  elevator.  He  made  ex- 
tensive purchases  and  sales  of  grain,  becoming 
one  of  the  active  dealers  in  this  line  in  his 
locality,  and  in  190?  he  extended  his  efforts  to 
other  fields  of  business  activity  by  purchasing 
a  lumber  and  coal  yard.  He  then  conducted 
this  in  connection  with  the  grain  trade  until 
1903,  when  he  disposed  of  his  grain  business 
and  of  tin1  elevators.  He.  however,  continues 
to  deal  in  lumber  and  coal  and  has  a  good 
patronage,  his  honorable  business  methods  and 


OF  THE 

I     ITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


GEOKGE  FOOKS  AND  FAMILY 


\IK.    AND    MRS.    WILLIAM    FOOKS 


WWW*  )  »    :*  *»  v  '  r^TTt/  x — rr.-'y  . — rv.Vi 


•'/..  »«PWV/  /.' 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

"*""rSS!TY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


i:.: 


earnest  desire  to  please  his  patrons    having  se-  acres  of   corn   and    when    he   was  still    to    Ins 
cured   him  a  growing  trade.     He  is  Likewise  a  teens  he  was   familiar   with   every  department 
stockholder  to  the  bank  of  Waggoner  and  lias  of  farm  Labor  and  in  the  best  methods  of  pro- 
purchased    good    residence    property    in    town,  ducing  crops  and  raisin-  stock.     That  the  soil 
II,.   sti||    retains    possession    of   the   old    home  was  nut  very  productive  is  indicated  by  the  fact 
place  on    the   southwest    quarter  of  section   3,  that  his  father  sold  the  entire  farm  of  one  hun- 
Zanesville   township,  and   has  eighty   acres    in  dred    and    sixty    acres    for   twenty-five   dollars 
Pitman  township,  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  when  he  departed  from  West   Virginia  to  Mi- 
in   Fayette  county,  Illinois,  and   forty   acres  in  aois,     For  a  number  of  years  he  had  a  desire 
Montgomery  county,  Missouri.  Ins  landed  pos-  to  seek  a  home  in  tins  then  far  western  state 
sessions  m>u  aggregating  five  hundred  and  sixty  and   he  endeavored   in  every  possible  moans  to 
acres  of  rich  Land.     All  is   improved   with  ex-  gain  a  capital  that  would  enable  him  to  make 
ception  of  the  eighty  acres  in  Pitman  township,  the  journey  with  some  degree  of  comfort  and 
Mr.  Funk-  was  again  married  on  the  19th  of  also  enable  him   to  gain  a   start    in   Life  here. 
A|iril.  1S99.  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  gut  crops  were  poor  and  he  was  unable  to 
Ruth  McEeynolds,  a  daughter  of  Dee  and  Mary  save  money,  so  he  resolved  to  start   with  onl\ 
.1.  (Isabet)  McEeynolds,  the  former  a  native  of  the    meager    sum    thai    he    realized    from    his 
Macoupin    county,    Illinois,  and   the   latter   an  farm.     He   hitched   a   team   to  an   old    wagon, 
, .; ,  i- 1  \  settler  of  that  county.    There  Mrs.  Fooks  which  was  in  a  very  dilapidated  condition,  and 
was  also  horn,  Imt  she  was  reared  to  Montgom-  then  started  for  the  Mississippi  valley.     Isaiah 
erv  county.    There  is  one  son  by  this  marriage,  Toberman,   who   was    then   ten   years  of    age, 
George    Leland    Fooks.      Mr.    Fooks   advocates  describes     the     parting     with     neighbors     and 
Republican    principles  and    fraternally   is  eon-  friends  at  the  old  Virginia  home  as  more  like 
nected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge.     A  a    funeral   than  anything  else.     Everybody   for 
m.m  of  good   business  capacity,  his  honorable  miles  around   stopped    work   and  came  to  bid 
methods  have  won  the  confidence  of  all  and  he  them   goodbye.     Their  trip   was   begun  on  the 
is  justly  classed  with  the  substantial  and  promt-  ith   of   September,    1841,  and    Isaiah   and   his 
nent  business  men  of  Waggoner.  father  took  turns  to  riding  one  of  the  horses. 

while  the  other  drove.  They  passed  success- 
ively through  Wheeling,  West  Virginia,  and 
Columbus  and  Dayton,  Ohio,  reaching  Indian- 

[SAIAH  TOBERMAN,  aPolis>    [ndiana>   ""   the   25th    of    S"1',1"1"'"  ', 

The  money  had  by  that  tune  become  exhausted 

[saiah  Toberman,  one  el'  the  respected  and  and  they  resolved  to  remain  in  the  vicinity  of 
worthy  pioneer  settlers  of  Montgomery  county,  [ndianapolis  until  enough  could  he  earned  to 
well  deserves  representation  in  this  volume  enable  them  to  continue  the  journey.  They 
and,  in  fact,  no  historj  of  this  locality  would  leased  a  fifteen  acre  farm  between  [ndianap- 
be  complete  without  record  of  his  life,  lie  0ns  :m,|  Noblesville,  of  which  ten  acres  had 
was  hom  September  24,  1831,  near  Franklin,  il(,,.n  cleared  and  they  were  to  have  all  they 
Pendleton  county,  Most  Virginia,  and  was  the  Could  make  Erom  the  farm  in  return  for  clear- 
eldest  son  in  a  family  of  seven  children,  three  ing  the  other  live  acres.  Xoi  Ion-  after  this 
sons  and  four  daughters.  His  birthplace  was  t|1(,  father's  health  failed  and  because  of  his 
a.  farm  upon  which  his  father  hail  also  been  invalid  condition  his  two  sons,  Isaiah  and  IV- 
born,  the  family  having  resided  in  that  locality  ter,  supported  the  family.  Three  years  were 
for  many  years.  passed  in  Indiana  and  on  the  1st  of  September, 

[saiah  Toberman  had  little  opportunity  to  1853,  they  again  started  for  Illinois,  this  time 
attend  school  for  hi-  services  were  needed  on  with  two  wagons,  crossing  the  Wabash  river 
tin-  old  homestead  and  he  worked  from  early  near  Danville.  While  en  route  they  heard  fa- 
morning  until  late  at  night.  He  was  but  nine  vorable  reports  concerning  the  new  state  of 
vears  of  age  when  he  cultivated  and  raised  nine  Iowa   and   derided  to  proceed    further  and  in- 


158 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF   MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


vestigate,  but  after  crossing  the  Mississippi 
river  at  Burlington  thej  were  no!  favorably  im- 
pressed with  the  Iowa  country  and  returned 
to  this  state,  traveling  through  Beardstown  and 
Jacksonv  ille  to  Hillsboro. 

Isaiah  Toberman  says  that  the  county  seat 
was  then  a  very  unpretentious  village,  having 
only  two  buildings  worthy  of  note — the  old 
courthouse  and  the  academy.  At  length  ar- 
rangements were  made  whereby  they  were  to 
purchase  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land 
of  Elza  Sanders  for  one  thousand  dol- 
lars, the  farm  being  located  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  south  of  Bost  Hill  church.  When 
Isaiah  Toberman  had  assisted  the  family  in 
getting  settled  upon  that  place  he  returned  to 
Indianapolis,  where  he  obtained  a  position  at 
running  an  engine  for  a  pioneer  sawmill  and 
thus  gained  some  ready  money  for  the  family. 
In   March,   1855,   he  returned   to   Montgomery 

i t\   and   rented  a  tract  of  Land  in  Fillmore 

township,  upon  which  Eenrj  Hanabarger  now 
resides.  He  has  since  been  actively  and  suc- 
cessfully connected  with  agricultural  interests 
in  Montgomery  county  and  is  to-day  one  of  the 
most  respected   farmers  within    its  borders. 

After  several  years  Mr.  Toberman  married, 
being  joined  in  wedlock  on  the  29th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1859,  to  Mrs.  Mary  (Harris)  Scribner,  a 
sister  of  Wboten  Harris,  of  Hillsboro,  now  de- 
ceased. He  made  the  journey  to  his  bride's 
heme  on  horseback  and  after  the  ceremony  was 
performed  they  traveled  in  the  same  manner  to 
a  meeting  at  Bost  Hill. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Toberman  had  saved 
enough  money  to  purchase  sixty  acres  of  land 
and  thus  investing  his  capital  he  and  his  wife 
took  up  their  abode  in  a  log  cabin  with  a  stick 
and  dirt  chimney.  Later  he  bought  a  larger 
house  of  his  brother-in-law,  Joel  Earris,  for 
twelve  dollars  and  paid  for  this  in  coin.  In 
this  house  ten  children  were  born  unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Toberman.  In  1861  Mr.  Toberman 
extended  his  labors  into  another  department  of 
agricultural  activity,  purchasing  a  horse  power 
threshing  machine  and  for  many  years  lie  was 
one  of  the  best  known  threshers  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  making  regular  trips  through 
tin-  county  and  also  Fayette  and  Bond  counties 
until  the  year  1900.     The  work  proved  profit- 


able and  thus  year  by  year  he  was  enabled  to 
add  to  his  capital.  In  1881  he  embarked  in 
the  -rain  and  hay  business  at  Chapman  and 
as  there  was  no  bank  nearer  than  Hillsboro  had 
to  keep  enough  cash  on  hand  to  pay  for  grain 
which  he  bought.  He  conducted  the  grain 
trade  and  the  threshing  business  and  then 
added  other  business  interests,  including  the 
cultivation  of  a  large  farm  and  the  operation 
of  two  sawmills  through  the  winter  months. 
He  possessed  greal  energy  and  business  capac- 
ity and  the  word  fail  never  found  a  place  in 
his  \ocabulary.  In  1893,  associated  with  his 
son  Marion,  he  purchased  the  elevator  at  fill- 
more  and  afterward  bought  the  hay  barn  there. 
At  present  tiny  own  and  operate  elevators  ana 
bay  barns  at  Fillmore,  Chapman  and  Bingham, 
and  that  at  Chapman  is  considered  one  of  the 
be-t  in  the  county.  Mr.  Toberman  continued 
to  reside  upon  his  farm  until  August,  1898, 
when  he  removed  to  the  village  of  Fillmore  in 
order  to  superintend  his  varied  business  in- 
dustries with  greater  facility  and  dispatch. 

Of  the  children  born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Toberman  five  are  now  deceased,  namely: 
Boxy,  Wellington.  William  H.,  Thomas  A.,  and 
one  that  died  in  infancy.  Thomas  A.,  who 
passed  away  at  Coffeen,  June  30,  1903,  was  a 
wry  popular  young  man  who  had  already  at- 
tained prominence  in  business  circles.  Those 
still  living  are:  Marion  F..  who  is  interested 
with  his  father  in  the  grain  trade  at  Fillmore 
and  Chapman;  Joel  H,  who  is  living  on  the  old 
homestead  near  Bost  Hill;  Benjamin  E..  who 
is  engaged  in  the  -rain  trade  in  Coffeen:  Flor- 
ence, the  wife  of  II.  F.  Williamson,  of  Fill- 
more; and  Waller  II..  who  is  connected  with 
the  grain  business  at   Coffeen. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Toberman  is  a 
stalwart  Democrat,  having  continuously  sup- 
ported the  party  since  casting  his  first  presiden- 
tial ballot  for  Franklin  Pierce.  He  is  also  a 
stanch  advocate  of  the  cause  of  temperance 
and  has  labored  earnestly  for  the  adoption  of 
temperance  principles  and  the  suppression  of 
the  liquor  traffic.  In  1868  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  church  at  Bost  Hill,  but 
afterward  joined  the  Baptist  church  and  is 
now  an  active  worker  therein  in  Fillmore.  His 
wife,  an  earnest  Christian  woman,  has  been  his 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


159 


sympathetic  assistant  in  all  church  work  as  in 
other  walks  of  life  and  Mr.  Toberman  at- 
tributes his  success  in  no  small  degree  to  lier 
encouragement  and  hearty  co-operation.  Thej 
have  n<>\\  reached  the  ages  of  seventy-two  and 
seventy  years,  respectively,  but  they  arc  well 
preserved  people,  Mrs.  Toberman  doing  her 
own  housework,  while  Mr.  Toberman  daily  su- 
perintends his  varied  business  interests.  They 
have  residence  property  in  Fillmore  and  in 
addition  he  owns  four  hundred  acres  of  land. 
which  he  has  acquired  through  Ins  earnesi  toil. 
Throughout  his  business  career  he  has  carried 
forward  to  successful  completion  whatever  be 
has  undertaken  and  his  example  should  serve 
as  a  source  of  inspiration  and  encouragement 
to  others.  The  Toberman  household  has  al- 
ways been  noted  for  its  hospitality  and  many 
there  are  who  have  found  in  Mr.  and  Mrs.  To- 
berman warm  friends  and  on  many  occasions 
there  have  been  those  who  have  received  from 
them  substantial  assistance. 


WASHINGTON  ALEXANDER  WHITE. 

Washington  Alexander  White,  whose  intense 
and  well  directed   activity  has  made  him  one 

of  the  fore st  factors  in  con inity  affairs  in 

Hillsboro,  entered  upon  thi  active  duties  of 
life  unaided  by  influential  friends  or  advan- 
tageous circumstances.  He  has  been  the  sole 
architect  of  his  own  fortune,  molding  his  own 
character  and  shaping  his  own  destiny.  He  has 
come  to  be  a  merchant  and  a  man  of  affairs  in 
his  adopted  state,  yet  his  labors  have  not  been 
restricted  to  the  advancement  of  his  personal 
interests,  for  he  has  extended  his  effort  to 
various  fields,  in  which  he  has  championed  the 
highest  interests  of  the  municipality  and  of 
the  people  at  large. 

Mr.  White  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  as 
were  his  parents,  Robert  R.  and  Bebecca  (Bark- 
ley )  White.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  oci  u- 
pation  and  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  south  and  died  in  the  hospi- 
tal at  Richmond,  Virginia,  in  1804.  when 
thirty-five  years  of  age.  His  political  allegiance 
was  given  to  the  Democracy  anil  he  was  a 
member  of  the  Reformed  Presbvterian  church. 


His  wile,  who  was  also  born  in  North  Caro- 
lina, was  a  daughter  of  Eobert  R.  and  Rebecca 
1».  (Cathey)  Barkley.  Mrs.  White  died  in  is;;, 
at  the  age  of  forty-two  years.  She  was  also  a 
member  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  church 
and  was  a  mosi  estimable  lady  who  had  the 
warm  regard  of  many  friends.  In  the  family 
were  five  children:  Mary  Roberta,  now  deceased; 
Nancy  E.,  who  became  the  wife  of  Frank  Eagle, 
a  resident  of  North  Carolina;  Anna  Delilah, 
the  widow  of  Wesley  Bailey,  of  North  Carolina; 
Washington  A.:  and    Bobbie,  deceased. 

Washington  A.  White  began  his  education  in 
ih.'  common  schools  of  his  native  state  and 
continued  his  studies  in  East  Fork  township, 
Montgomery  county,  lie  came  to  this  county 
in  1876  with  his  uncle.  Pink  White,  who  located 
at  Hillsboro.  Mr.  White  was  then  fifteen  years 
of  age  and  he  worked  by  the  month  on  a  farm  in 
summer,  while  in  the  winter  seasons  he  attended 
school  for  two  years,  lie  afterward  drove  a  de- 
livery  wagon  for  John  C.  Barkley  for  two  years 
and  at  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  entered 
the  store  of  A.  A.  K.  Sawyer  as  a  clerk  in  the 
grocery  department.  Afterward  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  dry-goods  department,  where  he 
remained  for  five  years.  Subsequently  he  en- 
gaged in  selling  dry  goods  as  a  traveling  sales- 
man, beginning  in  that  line  in  1886  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  a  St.  Louis  house.  He  was  thus 
engaged  until  1891}  and  during  the  two  last 
years  he  was  in  charge  of  the  traveling  men  of 
that  bouse  upon  the  road.  The  firm,  however, 
retired  from  business  in  August,  1897,  and  Mr. 
White  again  came  to  Hillsboro  and  began  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account  as  a  dealer  in  dry 
goods,  clothing,  hats  and  caps  at  Hillsboro.  He 
still  carries  on  business  in  this  line  and  has 
secured  a  liberal  patronage  which  has  made 
the  enterprise  a  profitable  one.  He  is  likewise 
interested  in  the  new  Kortkamp  Mining  Com- 
pany and  is  a  member  of  the  Hillsboro  Building 
&  Improvement  Company. 

Mr.  White  was  married  in  1892  to  Miss  Win- 
nie P.  Brown,  a  daughter  of  George  W.  and 
Henrietta  Brown,  who  was  born  in  Butler  in 
18G9.  They  had  two  children:  Ruth  H.  and 
Marjorie  1!. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  White  is  a 
Republican,  keeping  well  informed  on  the  ques- 


ii;ii 


'AST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


tions  and  issues  of  the  day  and  giving  earnest 
support  to  every  movement  that  he  believes  will 
contribute  to  the  success  of  the  part)-.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  and  in 
Mas -y  has  attained  the  rlnight  Templar  de- 
gree. He  thoroughly  enjoys  home  Life  and 
takes  great  pleasure  in  the  society  of  his  fam- 
ily and  friends.  He  is  always  courteous,  kind- 
ly and  affable,  and  those  who  know  him  per- 
sonally have  for  him  warm  regard.  A  man  of 
great  natural  ability,  his  success  in  business 
from  the  beginning  of  his  residence  in  Hillsboro 
has  been  uniform  and  rapid.  As  has  been  truly 
remarked,  after  all  that  may  be  done  for  a 
man  in  the  way  of  giving  him  early  oppor- 
tunities for  obtaining  the  requirements  which 
are  sought  in  the  schools  and  in  hooks,  he  must 
essentially  formulate,  determine  and  give  shape 
to  his  own  character;  and  this  is  what  Mr. 
White  has  done,  lie  has  persevered  in  the  pur- 
suit of  a  persistent  purpose  and  gained  the  most 
satisfactory  reward. 


DELOS  VAX    DEUSEN. 

Delos  Van  Deusen  has  figured  prominently 
in  financial  circles  and  has  aided  in  fostering 
various  enterprises  which  have  for  their  object 
the  city's  benefit  and  it  is.  therefore,  imperative 
that  definite  consideration  he  granted  to  Mr. 
Van  Deusen  in  connection  with  the  history  of 
Montgomery  county,  where  he  has  been  con- 
nected with  various  business  affairs  and  has 
so  ordered  his  lite  as  to  gain  and  retain  the 
confidence  ami  esteem  of  his  fellow  men.  He 
has  now  passed  the  eightieth  milestone  on 
life's  journey  and  is  living  in  the  enjoyment  of 
a  well  earned  rest. 

A  native  of  Allegany  county.  New  York,  Mr. 
Van  Deusen  was  horn  on  the  9th  id'  December, 
L823,  a  -on  of  Joshua  B.  and  Lucia  (Gros- 
venor)  Van  Deusen.  who  were  of  Dutch  and 
English  descent,  respectively.  When  their  son 
was  three  years  of  age  they  removed  to  James- 
town, New  York,  and  in  that  city  he  was  reared 
and  educated.  In  IS  Hi  he  went  to  Dayton. 
Ohio,  where  he  began  husiness  as  a  dealer  in 
I ts,  shoes  and  leather.  This  proved  a  re- 
munerative enterprise  with  which  he  was  con- 


nected until  1857.  In  that  year  he  made  ;i  trip 
through  the  state  of  Illinois  and  decided  to 
become  a  resident  of  Montgomery  county. 
Litchfield  was  then  a  very  small  place,  but 
he  recognized  its  possibilities  and  opportuni- 
ties and  resolved  to  cast  in  his  lot  with  its 
early  settlers.  From  that  time  forward  he  has 
been  loyal  to  its  interests  and  his  labors  have 
proved  a  resultant  factor  in  securing  its  up- 
building and   improvement. 

At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Van  Deusen, 
aroused  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism,  felt  that  his 
first  duty  was  toward  his  country  and  became 
a  member  of  the  Sixth  Missouri  Volunteer  In- 
taut  rv.  He  raised  a  company,  of  which  he  be- 
came captain,  the  enlistment  taking  place  at 
the  arsenal  in  St.  Louis  in  June,  1861.  The 
regiment  was  then  sent  south  and  was  kept 
at  Pilot  Knob  until  the  fall  of  that  year,  when 
it  was  ordered  to  Tipton.  Missouri,  where  Fre- 
mont was  in  command.  It  was  then  sent  to 
Springfield  in  November,  1861,  and  afterward 
returned  to  guard  the  Pacific  Railroad  until 
the  succeeding  spring.  Later  the  regiment  was 
ordered  to  proceed  to  Pittsburg  Landing  in 
May-,  1862,  at  which  time  it  was  assigned  to 
Genera]  Sherman's  division  and  from  that  time 
on  until  the  close  of  the  war  was  in  active 
duty  under  the  intrepid  Ohio  leader.  Mr.  Van 
Deusen  was  mustered  out  id'  service  in  St.  Louis 
in  September,  1865.  He  had  been  promoted 
to  tin'  rank  of  lieutenant  colonel  in  1864  and 
with  that  rank  served  in  all  of  the  campaigns, 
commanding  the  regiment  in  active  service 
during  the  entire  succeeding  year.  After  the 
close  of  the  war  he  was  made  colonel  by  Gov- 
ernor Fletcher.  His  services  covered  more  than 
four  years  ami  during  that  entire  time  he  was 
never  wounded,  although  his  clothing  was  sev- 
eral times  pierced  by  bullets. 

After  his  return  to  the  pursuits  of  civil  life 
Mr.  Van  Deusen  was  made  city  magistrate  of 
Litchfield,  occupying  that  position  for  four 
years.  In  1871  he  entered  the  bank  of  Beach, 
Davis  &  Company,  wdio  were  later  succeeded  by 
M.  M.  Martin  &  Company.  Mr.  Van  Deusen 
was  cashier  of  this  institution  and  held  the 
position  until  1898,  when  the  hank  again 
changed  its  name.  For  some  time  he  was  the 
oldest    hank    cashier    of    Litchfield    and    wa-    a 


DELOS   VAN   DEUSEN 


MBRABY 

QF  W 

UNIVERSITY  Of  lUINOIS 


PAST    AM)    PEESENT    OF    M03STTGOMEKY    COUNTY 


163 


member  of  the  firm.  Ee  was  also  a  director  ol 
the  Oil  City  Building  &  Savings  Association, 
which  was  capitalized  Eor  one  million  dollars, 
and  as  its  president  he  capably  managed  the 
a  if  airs  of  the  company  to  the  entire  satisfaction 
of  its  stockholders.  He  was  likewise  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Litchfield  Homestead  & 
Loan  Association  and  was  its  president.  He 
is  now  practically  living  a  retired  life,  although 
he  lias  financial  interests  in  several  leading 
business  concerns  of  the  city. 

While  residing  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  Mr.  Van 
Deusen  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hen- 
rietta M.  Snyder,  a  daughter  of  Charles  and 
Elizabeth  Snyder,  the  wedding  being  cele- 
brated on  the  19th  of  February,  1852.  Mr. 
Van  Deusen  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic  at  Litchfield  and  in  his  politi- 
cal views  is  a  Republican.  It  is  said  of  an 
eminent  man  of  old  that  he  has  done  things 
worthy  to  lie  written :  that  he  lias  written  things 
worthy  to  he  read;  and  by  his  life  has  con- 
tributed to  (lie  welfare  of  the  republit  ffi  trie 
happiness  of  mankind.  He  on  whom  this 
transcendant  eulogy  can  be  pronounced  with 
even  partial  truth  is  entitled  to  the  gratitude 
of  his  race.  Nowhere  within  the  broad  limits 
of  the  commonwealth  of  Illinois  has  there  lived 
a  man  about  whom  this  might  more  truthfully 
be  said  than  Delos  Van  Deusen. 


DANIEL   POPE. 


Daniel  Pope,  who  follows  farming  on  section 
4,  Raymond  township,  where  he  owns  and  cul- 
tivates one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  and 
also  operates  an  adjoining  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  seventy  acres,  has  been  a  resident  of  Mont- 
gomery county  since  August,  1868,  and  has 
lived  in  Illinois  since  1866,  at  which  time  he 
settled  in  Jersey  county.  He  was  horn  in 
Devonshire,  England,  April  2,  1848.  and  re- 
mained in  that  country  until  eighteen  years  of 
age.  He  also  spent  seven  years  in  Wales  and 
he  had  fair  school  advantages  in  his  youth.  He 
came  to  America  in  1866,  when  a  young  man 
of  nineteen  years,  and  made  his  way  at  once  to 
Illinois,  settling  in  Jersey  county,  where  he- 
joined   an   older  brother.    Richard    Pope.      He 


resided  in  that  county  Tor  more  than  a-  year, 
working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month,  and  in 
August,  L868,  he  came  to  Montgomery  county, 
where  lie  improved  a  farm,  breaking  wild  land 

ami  developing  a  g I  property.    He  continued 

io  engage  in  general  agricultural  pursuits  upon 
the  first  place  lor  several  years  and  the  farm  is 
still  occupied  by  his  brother  Richard. 

In  March,  1873,  Daniel  Pope  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Josephine  Corn,  a  native  of 
Illinois,  ami  here  they  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  a  tract  of  rented  land,  which  he  con- 
tinued to  cultivate  lor  lour  years.  This  was 
located  near  Ins  brother's  farm.  He  afterward 
rented  another  farm  for  twelve  years  and  on 
the  expiration  of  that  period  lie  purchased  the 
property  upon  which  he  now  resides,  buying 
forty  acres  in  isss.  Later  he  bought  eighty 
acres  and  subsequently  an  additional  tract  of 
eighty  acres,  hut  afterward  sold  forty  acres  of 
this.  'He  has  also  purchased  ninety-nine  acres 
of  land  in  Jersey  county.  His  attention  has 
been  given  to  the  development  and  further  im- 
provement of  tin-  home  place  ami  l«>  the  culti- 
vation of  other  tracts  and  as  before  said  he  not 
only  operates  his  home  farm  of  a  quarter  sec- 
tion, but  also  cultivates  the  adjoining  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy  acres.  He  is  a  successful 
farmer,  ever  practical  in  his  methods,  follow- 
ing progressive  ideas  and  laboring  earnestly 
and  persistently  in  his  efforts  to  accumulate  a 
competency.  He  now  owns  two  valuable  farms, 
one  in  Jersey  and  one  m  Montgomery  counties, 
and  his  properties  are  the  visible  evidence  of 
his  life  of  thrift  and  industry. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pope  have  been  born  nine 
children:  Olivia  L..  the  wife  of  John  Hitch- 
ings,  a  farmer  of  Montgomery  county;  William 
G..  who  is  married  and  follows  farming  with 
his  father-in-law,  Henry  Hitehings;  Etta,  the 
wife  of  Ori  Thompson,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Jersey  county,  living  upon  her  father's  land; 
Nellie,  Bertha,  Joseph,  Ralla,  Geneva  and 
Maude,  all  at  home.  The  parents  hold  mem- 
bershTp  in  the  Baptist  church  and  in  his  fra- 
ternal relations  Mr.  Pope  is  an  Odd  Fellow, 
connected  with  Harvel  lodge,  in  which  he  has 
filled  all  of  the  chairs  and  is  now  past  grand. 
He  was  also  deputy  for  sixteen  or  seventeen 
years    and   represented   his   local    lodge   in   the 


n;i 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT 


MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


grand  lodge  of  the  state  lor  six  terms,  serving 
for  five  consecutive  terms.  lie  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  of  Raymond,  of 
the  Court  of  Honor  and  the  Modern  Woodmen 
camp  and  in  the  last  named  lias  Idled  all  of 
the  offices,  lie  strongly  endorses  Republican 
principles  and  has  tilled  the  offices  of  highway 
commissioner  and  township*  treasurer,  acting  in 
the  latter  capacity  for  six  years.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  school  hoard  for  fifteen  years-. 
during  which  time  he  served  for  several  years 
as  its  president.  He  lias  likewise  been  a  dele- 
gate to  the  county  conventions  and  takes  a  deep 
and  active  interest  in  the  success  of  his  party 
and  the  extension  of  its  influence.  There  is  no 
more  loyal  citizen  in  Montgomery  county  than 
this  adopted  son  of  America,  for  during  his 
long  residence  in  Illinois  he  has  always  been 
faithful  and  true  to  its  interests  and  at  the  same 
time  he  has  so  controlled  his  business  affairs 
as  to  win  the  success  which  is  the  reward  of 
honesty  and  concentrated  labor  when  guided  by 
sound  judgment. 


MARTIN  LUTHER  MOYER,  M.  D. 

Dr.  -Martin  Luther  Moyer,  successfully  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery 
in  Hillsboro,  was  born  in  Iredell  county.  North 
Carolina.  March  19,  L850.  Hi-  lather.  John 
M.  Moyer,  was  also  a  native  of  North  Carolina 
and  was  descended  from  German  ancestry,  the 
family  Inning  been  founded  in  Pennsylvania  at 
an  early  day.  while  later  generations  of  the  fam- 
ily became  residents  of  the  "hi  North  state. 
John  M.  Mover  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and 
during  the  Civil  war  he  made  saltpeter  for  the 
Confederacy.  In  1866  lie  removed  with  his 
family  to  Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  locat- 
ing on  a  farm  near  Coffeen.  He  married  Mar- 
tha A.  Kimball,  who  lias  born  in  Cabarrus 
county,  North  Carolina,  in  1825,  and  was  of 
Irish  parentage,  tracing  her  ancestry  hack  to 
Major  Buckner  Kimball,  who  came  from  the 
north  of  Ireland  about  1750,  and  served  in  the 
Revolutionary  war  with  the  rank  that  his  title 
indicates.  His  children  were  Nancy.  Betsy, 
Patsy,  Eddie  and  Harris,  all  natives  of  Ran- 
dolph  county,   North   Carolina. 


Harris,  the  youngest,  married  Dorcas  Wood, 
of   North   Carolina,  and   they  had  ten  children: 

•  loci.  Calya,  Harris.  William,  Pihugh.  Sarah, 
Patsy,  Nancy.  Betty  ami  Polly.    Of  this  family 

•  loci.  s,,n  of  Harris  Kimball,  was  the  grand- 
father of  Dr.  Mover  of  this  review.  He  was 
horn  in  North  Carolina.  August  11.  1799,  and 
died  Ma]  38,  L883.  lie  was  married  first  to 
Naiuy  Kearns,  who  was  horn  duly  1'.'.  1301, 
and  was  married  in  IMS  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen. They  had  six  children:  Thomas  II..  wdio 
was  horn  November  19,  1819,  and  died  Janu- 
ary 15,  1890;  Wiley  .1..  who  was  horn  April 
;.  1821,  and  died  in  1900;  John  A.,  who  was 
horn  May  15,  1823,  and  died  July  17,  L824; 
Martha  A.,  who  was  born  April  ', .  1825,  and 
died  November  11.  1891;  Mary  P..  who  was 
born  March  1.  1828,  and  lives  in  Moorsville, 
North  Carolina;  Eliza  ('..  who  was  horn  Au- 
gusl  I.  L830,  and  now  lives  in  Mt.  Gilead,  North 
Carolina.  Soon  after  the  last  named  was  born 
"The   mother  died. 

"ij  March  1.  1831,  Joel  Kimball  was  mar- 
ried a  second  time  to  Miss  Sarah  Lentz.  by 
whom  he  had  ten  children:  Henry  P.  born 
December  5,  1831,  now  deceased;  Nancy  L.. 
born  April  4.  1835;  David  Hoyl.  horn  January 
29,  is:;;,  and  died  in  August.  1840;  John  Cal- 
vin, horn  September  5,  1839;  Chrissie  A.,  horn 
August  29,  IS  I-.';  Sarah  S.,  born  October  8. 
1844.  and  died  April  24,  18"i  I  :  Laura  W.,  horn 
March  7,  is  17;  William  IP.  born  September 
28,  1850;  Joel  P..  born  October  5,  ls:,4.  Sarah 
Kimball,  the  mother  of  the  last  ten  children, 
died  March  16,  1902,  aged  ninety-four  years, 
■  ighl    months  and  eight  days. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moyer  were  members  of 
the  Lutheran  church  and  Mr.  Moyer  was  a 
Democrat  in  his  political  faith.  They  had  four 
children,  of  whom  two  died  in  infancy.  The 
surviving  daughter.  Mary  P..  a  resident  of  But- 
ler, Illinois,  is  the  widow-  of  Robert  Hogsett, 
who  died  in  Kansas  in  1895,  leaving  four  chil- 
dren. Mattie  P...  Maude  C,  Bertha  G.  and  Ada 
E.  John  M.  Mover  died  December  27,  1891, 
and  his  wife  passed  away  November  IP  1892. 

Dr.  Moyer  pursued  his  literary  education  in 
the  public  schools  and  engaged  in  teaching  for 
one  winter.  He  read  medicine  in  the  office  of 
Dr.  T.  d.  Whitten,  then  of  Irving  and  now  of 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


DR.    M.    L.   MOYEE    AND    SON 


MB.   AND    MRS.   JOHN    M.    MOYEE 


LIBRARY 

of  n\i 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


169 


Nokomis.  Later  he  attended  lectures  at  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  Iowa,  and 
was  graduated  on  the  compli  tion  of  the  regu- 
lar course,  March  2,  1880.  He  located  for 
practice  in  Butler,  where  he  remained  for  sev- 
enteen years,  and  in  the  fall  of  1896  came  to 
Hillshoro.  where  he  has  remained  since,  lie 
has  a  large  patronage  and  although  a  general 
practitioner,  also  makes  a  specialty  of  the  dis- 
ea.-es  of  women  and  children,  having  studied 
LaTgely  along  these  lines,  so  that  his  proficiency 
in  that  direction  is  above  the  average. 

In  1882  Dr.  Moyer  was  married  to  Miss 
Emma  A.  Gray,  a  daughter  of  Alexander  and 
Amanda  Cray,  of  Butler  Grove  township.  She 
died  December  31,  L885,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three  years,  and  in  188?  Dr.  Meyer  married 
Miss  Susie  L.  Gray,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife. 
They  had  twn  children,  Leland  Gray  and  Har-i 
old  A.,  but  the  former  is  new  deceased. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Moyer  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church,  and  he  belongs  to  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  fraternity  and  to  a  number  of  in- 
surance orders.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat 
and  has  served  as  county  coroner  and  in  town- 
ship offices,  his  public-spirited  citizenship  being 
manifest  by  faithful  service.  He  belongs  to  the 
American,  Slate.  Central,  District  ami  County 
Medical  Societies  and  in  professional  ranks  he 
occupies  a  position  that  indicates  a  studious. 
careful  preparation  and  a  conscientious  devo- 
tion to  the  demands  of  a  large  practice. 


ALBERT  M.  HOWELL. 

Albert  M.  Howell,  promoter  of  many  busi- 
ness interests  which  have  important  bearing 
upon  the  substantial  development  and  progress 
of  Hillsboro  and  Montgomery  county,  was  born 
at  Bunker  Bill,  Macoupin  county.  Illinois, 
June  23,  1854.  The  family  is  of  Welsh  lineage 
and  Mr.  Bowell,  the  grandfather,  was  a  farmer 
of  New  Jersey.  The  ancestors  of  our  subjeel 
had  located  in  the  new  world  at  an  early  period 
in  its  colonization  and  Richard  Howell,  who 
was  an  uncle  of  Ebenezer  Howell,  was  governor 
of  New  Jersey  during  the  Revolutionary  war. 
while  another  representative  of  the  family  was 
a  genera]  in  the  Colonial  army. 


Dr.  Ebenezer  Howell,  father  of  Albert  M. 
Howell,  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  and  in  the 
year  ls:i.">  emigrated  westward,  settling  at  Bun- 
ker Hill,  Macoupin  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  for  fifty 
year-,  becoming  one  of  the  best  known  and  suc- 
cessful physicians  of  that  part  of  the  state.  He 
removed  to  Hillsboro  in  1893  and  died  here  the 
following  year  when  in  the  eighty-fifth  year  of 
his  age.  He  obtained  a  competency  by  reason 
of  Ins  professional  skill  and  the  careful  hus- 
banding of  his  resources.  He  had  a  very  large 
practice  and  was  a  loved  family  physician  in 
many  a  household.  His  benevolent  and  kindly 
spun  led  him  to  give  his  professional  services 
where  he  knew  that  there  was  no  hope  of  re- 
muneration and  it  is  said  that  he  had  not  an 
enemy  on  earth.  In  his  political  views  he  was 
an  earnest  Republican.  Honored  and  respected 
by  all  his  memory  is  yet  enshrined  in  the  hearts 
of  many  who  knew  him.  In  early  manhood  he 
married  Almira  Cake,  who  was  born  in  Deer- 
field,,  New  Jersey,  and  died  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-six years.  Her  parents  were  David  and 
Margaret  Cake  and  the  former  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howell  became 
the  parent-  of  four  children  :  George,  deceased, 
who  was  the  first  white  child  born  at  Bunker 
Hill,  Illinois;  Frank  and  Alfred,  both  deceased; 
and  Albert  M. 

Reared  under  the  parental  roof  Albert  M. 
Howell  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  at  Bun- 
ker Hill  and  after  completing  the  course  in 
the  public  schools  there  he  attended  Blackburn 
[Tniversit]  ai  Carlinville,  Illinois.  Subsequent- 
ly he  continued  his  studies  at  Notre  Dame  and 
after  leaving  school  accepted  the  position  of 
bookkeeper  in  a  wholesale  house  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  where  he  remained  for  a  year  and  a 
half.  <>n  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  re- 
turned to  his  home  and  engaged  in  clerking  in 
a  dry  goods  store.  A  year  later  he  went  south 
ami  was  lumber  inspector  in  a  sawmill  for  -i\ 
months.  He  next  went  to  Jersey  City,  N<  w  Jer- 
sey, where  he  opened  a  wholesale  lumberyard 
as  a  dealer  in  yellow  pine,  continuing  in  that 
business  for  four  years.  He  then  again  came 
io  the  west  and  entered  the  employ  of  D.  P. 
Woodman,  a  lumber  merchant  of  Litchfield,  as 
bookkeeper.    He  acted  in  that  capacity  for  four 


170 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


years  and  from  Litchfield  went  to  New  Doug- 
las. Illinois,  where  he  established  a  retail  lumber 
yard  in  1883.  He  had  conducted  the  business 
for  about  two  years,  when  in  1885  he  sold  out 
and  removed  to  Florence,  Kansas,  where  he 
was  proprietor  of  a  lumberyard  for  two  years, 
conducting  this  under  the  firm  name  of  Dean  & 
Howell.  He  then  sold  out  and  returned  to 
McLean,  Illinois.  There  he  purchased  a  lum- 
beryard, which  he  conducted  for  six  years  and 
once  more  he  sold  his  business  and  bought  an 
interest  in  the  lumberyard  owned  by  Ed  Rice, 
of  Litchfield.  The  Rice-Howell  Lumber  Com- 
pany was  thus  organized  and  the  business  was 
carried  on  successfully  until  1893,  when  Mr. 
Howell  sold  out  and  purchased  the  lumber  busi- 
ness of  E.  Y.  McKnown  at  Hillsboro.  Here  he 
has  since  carried  on  business  and  in  February, 
1904,  he  sold  a  half  interest  in  his  yard  to 
Howell  M.  Dorsey  of  Gillespie.  Illinois.  The 
firm  name  is  now  Howell  &  Horsey.  They  carry 
a  stock  of  lumber  valued  at  fifteen  thousand  dol- 
lars. This  is  both  dressed  and  undressed  Lumber 
ami  their  sales  have  reached  a  large  figure,  the 
business  now  being  very  profitable. 

While  Mr.  Howell  has  won  success  as  a  lum- 
ber merchant  he  has  also  been  the  pri ter  of 

various  enterprises,  contributing  in  direct  meas- 
ure to  the  commercial  and  industrial  activity 
of  the  county  and  to  its  prosperity.  In  1895 
lie  was  one  of  the  four  organizers  of  the  Mont- 
gomery County  Telephone  Company  and  has 
been  its  secretary  and  manager  since  1898.  He 
is  also  the  laxgesl  stockholder.  In  1901  he  was 
instrumental  in  forming  the  Commercial  Club, 
an  organization  thai  has  been  pre-eminent  in 
the  upbuilding  of  Hillsboro,  and  from  the  be- 
ginning he  has  been  its  president,  lie  is  one 
of  the  largest  stockholders  in  the  Hillsboro 
Hotel  and  is  one  of  the  promoters  of  (he  Lvort- 
kamp  Coal  ( iompany. 

In  L886  Mr.  Howell  was  united  in  marriage 
to  ^liss  Carrie  S.  Maeknett,  a  daughter  of  Dan- 
iel S.  an.l  Rhoda  (Clark)  .Maeknett,  the  for- 
mer a  lumber  dealer  of  Girard  and  Carlinville, 
Illinois.  Mrs.  Howell  was  born  in  Girard  in 
1865  and  has  become  the  mother  of  three  chil- 
dren: Almira  V,..  Alberta  M.  and  Annell  C. 
Mr.  Howell  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and   to  the  Modem    Woodmen   camp   at   Hills- 


boro and  in  his  political  views  he  is  a  Republi- 
can. He  is  a  man  of  excellent  business  ability, 
executive  force  and  keen  discernment  and  car- 
ries forward  to  successful  completion  whatever 
he  undertakes,  and  while  he  has  promoted  his 
individual  prosperity  he  also  belongs  to  that 
class  of  representative  American  citizen-  who 
while  controlling  business  affairs  also  add  to 
the  gem  ral  prosperity. 


WALTER    M.  GRIMES. 

Walter  M.  Grimes,  proprietor  of  the  Pine 
Tree  place  on  section  33,  Nokomis  township. 
was  horn  October  T.  1878,  in  Rosemond  town- 
ship, Christian  county,  his  parents  being  Ste- 
ven X.  and  Lucy  E.  (Cavender)  Grimes,  who 
were  natives  of  Macoupin  county,  Illinois.  The 
father  was  of  English  descent,  while  the 
mother's  people  were  Canadians.  The  mater- 
nal grandfather  lived  to  he  eighty-two  years  of 
age.  and  his  wife  seventy-nine  years  of  age, 
their  last  day-  being  spent  in  Macoupin  county, 
and  they  celebrated  their  golden  wedding. 

Steven  N.  Grimes  was  reared  in  Macoupin 
county,  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  in 
his  boyhood  under  his  father's  instruction  and 
in  1872  removed  to  Christian  county.  Illinois, 
where  he  took  possession  of  a  farm  belonging 
to  his  father.  He  afterward  acquired  landed 
possessions  to  the  extent  of  ten  or  eleven  hun- 
dred acres,  lying  in  Rosemond  and  Greenwood 
townships,  Christian  county,  and  a  part  in 
Nokomis  township,  Montgomery  county.  He 
had  two  <ister>  who  were  long  residents  of  cen- 
tral Illinois.  Mrs.  E.  K.  Adams,  now  living  on 
a  farm  at  Gillespie,  and  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Beggan, 
who  dieil  m  Gillespie  in  L901.  Mrs.  Grimes 
has  two  sisters  who  are  yet  living.  Mrs.  Robert 
Huddle-ton.  of  Gillespie,  ami  Mrs.  Mary  Hal- 
pin,  who  is  living  on  a  farm  in  that  locality. 
Steven  X.  Grimes  departed  this  life  in  1896, 
but  his  wife  is  still  living,  making  her  home 
with  her  brother,  John  Cavender,  upon  a  farm 
near  Gillespie.  She  is  now  fifty-one  years  of 
age.  Bv  her  marriage  she  became  the  mother 
of  five  sons  and  two  daughers,  of  whom  Walter 
M.  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth.  The  mem- 
bers of  this  family  are  William  N..  who  re- 
sides upon  the  old  home  farm  and  is  a  success- 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


171 


ful  breeder  of  Hereford  cattle;  Nannie  J.,  who 
di.il  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years;  Walter  M.; 
Jessie  and  Stephen,  who  died  in  infancy;  Ira, 
who  died  at  the  ago  of  one  year,  and  Ruth  May, 
who  is  living  with  her  mother  m  Gillespie. 

Walter  M.  Grimes  acquired  his  early  educa- 
i  urn  in  the  district  schools  and  afterward  attended 
the  graded  schools  of  Rosemond,  Illinois,  and 
later  Blackburn  University  at  Carlinville,  Illi- 
nois, hut  while  a  Student  there  in  1894  he  was 
taken  ill  and  did  not  gei  to  complete  the  course, 
lie  has  since  taken  some  correspondence  work 
and  thus  supplemented  his  school  training. 
Since  putting  aside  his  text  books  he  has  de- 
voted his  entire  time  and  energies  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  For  six  years  he  has  re- 
sided upon  hi-  presenl  farm,  which  he  calls  the 
Pine  Tree  place.  lie  owns  altogether  eight 
hundred  acres,  some  id'  which  he  inherited, 
while  the  remainder  he  purchased.  Of  this  hi' 
has  three  quarter  sections  rented  and  the  ren- 
tal therefrom  brings  him  a  good  income.  His 
own  home  place  is  splendidly  improved  and 
equipped  with  modern  facilities  for  carrying 
on  the  farm  work  and  with  splendid  buildings. 
His  life  has  been  characterized  by  unfaltering 
energy  and  perseverance  and  in  the  control  of 
his  property  interests  he  displays  excellent  busi- 
ness management. 

In  1901  .Mi'.  Grimes  was  married  to  Mania 
I).  Clark,  who  was  born  in  Cahokia  township, 
Macoupin  county,  March  i,  18?8,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  M.  W.  and  Carrie  T.  (Boosinger) 
Clark,  of  Gillespie,  Illinois;  both  natives  of 
Macoupin  county,  this  state.  .Mrs.  Grimes  at- 
tended the  country  schools  in  her  early  girl- 
hood and  later  became  a  student  in  the  public 
schools  of  Carlinville.  She  had  three  brother-, 
but  the  eldesi  died  in  infancy  and  Harvey  M. 
is  also  deceased.  Frank  1!.  Clark,  who  was 
born  in  Gillespie  township,  is  living  with  his 
parents  at  the  age  id'  twenty-one  years.  John 
Clark,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  Airs.  Crimes, 
died  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  Her  maternal 
grandparents,  George  F.  and  Marie  A.  Boo- 
singer, however,  are  still  living  in  Macoupin 
county  and  they  have  celebrated  their  golden 
w  edding. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grimes  has  been 
blessed    with    two   children,   Harry     M.,    horn 


March  7,  L903,  and  M.  Melvina,  horn  October 
10.  1904.  The  young  couple  are  widely  and 
favorably  known  in  Montgomery  county,  where 
they  have  many  warm  friends  and  the  hospi- 
tality of  many  of  the  best  homes  is  freely  ac- 
corded them.  In  politics  he  has  always  been  a 
Democrat  and  fraternally  is  connected  with  the 
Ixnights  of  Pythias  lodge  ami  the  Modern 
Woodmen  camp. 


ANTON    W.  COPY. 

Anton  W.  Goby,  living  on  section  '.'.  Zanes- 
ville  township,  where  he  owns  and  opi  rate-  a 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  ten  acres,  was  born 
in  Fast  Friesland.  Germany,  on  the  22d  of 
November,  1850.  His  youth  was  there  passed 
and  in  early  life  be  worked  at  farm  labor  in 
his  native  country.  He  came  to  the  new  world 
in  1871.  being  then  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
one  year-,  and  he  located  in  Greene  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  had  a  cousin  living.  He  was 
employed  there  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand 
for  a  year  or  two  and  it  was  during  bis  resi- 
dence in  that  county  that  he  was  married  on 
the  14th  of  February.  1873,  to  Miss  Sarah 
Jones,  a  native  of  Illinois  and  of  English 
lineage. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Goby  rented  a  tract 
of  land  on  which  he  carried  on  general  farm- 
ing for  several  years  and  on  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  purchased  a  part  of  his  present 
farm,  becoming  the  owner  of  eighty  acres.  This 
he  at  once  began  to  cultivate  and  improve,  and 
when  his  capital  had  sufficiently  increased  to 
enable  him  to  make  further  purchase  he  ex- 
tended the  boundaries  of  his  farm  and  has 
added  to  it  from  time  to  time  until  he  is  now 
the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  ten  acres  of 
valuable  land.  He  has  also  another  tract  so 
that  his  landed  possessions  now  aggregate  two 
hundred  and  ninety  acres.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Goby  were  born  nine  children,  six  of  whom  are 
yet  with  their  parents,  while  three  have  started 
out  in  life  for  themselves.  Mr.  Goby  is  a 
stanch  Republican  and  has  never  yet  faltered 
in  his  allegiance  to  the  party,  although  political 
preferment  and  public  office  have  no  attraction 
for  him.     He  was  reared   in  the  Lutheran  faith 


L72 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


and  his  life  has  been  characterized  by  honesty 
in  business  and  straightforward  dealing  with 
his  fellow  men  at  all  times.  A  resident  of  Illi- 
nois for  a  third  of  a  century  he  is  now  num- 
bered among  the  prosperous  farmers  of  Zanes- 
ville  township,  but  when  he  came  to  this  state 
he  had  no  capital,  possessing  only  a  courageous 
spirit,  stout  heart  and  willing  hands.  He  was 
then  a  young  man  of  twenty-one  years  and  now 
in  the  prime  of  life  he  is  possessed  of  very  de- 
sirable farming  interests  as  the  reward  of  his 
capable  management  and  diligence. 


SAMUEL  E.  O'BANNON. 

Samuel  E.  O'Bannon  is  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  old  and  honored  families  of  Mont- 
gomery county.    He  was  born  at  Locust  Grove, 
ten  miles  east  of  Alton,   Madison  county,  Illi- 
nois, April  7,  184:'..  his  parents  being  Richard 
W.  and  Matilda   (Dorsey)    O'Bannon.     His  fa- 
ther was  born  near  Fairfax  Courthouse,  in  Far- 
quier  county,  Virginia,  November  1,  1808,  and 
on   the    29th    of   July.    1830,    was    married    to 
Matilda  Dorsey,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Jef- 
ferson  county,   Kentucky,  on  the  23d   of   No- 
vember,   1811.     He  erected   the   first    building 
in  the  city  of   Litchfield,   in   March,    1854,   it 
being  used  as  a  dry-goods  store,  and  later  built 
his  dwelling,  and  in   November,  following,  was 
joined  h\   Ins  family,  the  home  being  thus  es- 
tablished in   a   pioneer   district,   with    the  sub- 
stantial   improvement    and    permanent    develop- 
ment of   which   he  became  closely    connected, 
so  that  his  name  is  inscribed  high  on  the  roll 
of  the  real  builders  and  promoters  of  the  coun- 
ty,     lie  carried   on   merchandising    for   many 
fears    and    had    a    wide    acquaintance    in    the 
county,   while  his   business    integrity   and    per- 
sona]   worth   pained    him   the   favorable   regard 
of  all  with  whom  he  was  associated.     He  died 
November  II.  1883,  and  his  wife  passed  away 
January    23,    1893,   and    the   county   thus   lost 
tun  of  its  representative  pioneer  people. 

Samuel  E.  O'Bannon  pursued  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  Litchfield  and  at  Eureka. 
Woodford  county.  Illinois.  When  he  was  a 
[ad  of  fourteen  years  his  father  placed  him 
behind   the  counter  in  his  store  to  sell   poods 


and  thus  lie  entered  upon  his  business  career. 
Eventually  he  became  proprietor  of  a  dry-goods 
store  and  be  continued  as  a  merchant  in  that 
line  for  twenty-five  years,  when,  desiring  to 
retire  from  commercial  pursuits,  he  turned  his 
attention  to  farming  in  Zanesville  township. 
In  1874,  however,  he  re-entered  mercantile  life 
and  was  again  a  factor  in  the  trade  circles  of 
Litchfield  for  ten  years,  conducting  a  prosper- 
ous business.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  resumed  farming  and  in  1890  he  purchased 
Ins  present  farm  of  A.  B.  Browning.  He  owns 
one  hundred  and  six  and  a  half  acres  of  land, 
constituting  a  well  developed  property,  and 
his  energies  and  capable  management  have 
transformed  this  into  a  productive  tract  which 
annually  yields  good  harvests. 

On  the  15th  of  February,  18GG,  in  the  city 
of  Litchfield,  Mr.  O'Bannon  was  married  to 
Miss  Helen  Quisenberry,  who  was  reared  in  Co- 
lumbus. Missouri,  ami  educated  at  Christian 
College.  They  have  four  children  living: 
Dr.  Richard  W.  O'Bannon,  of  Hollister.  Cali- 
fornia, who  is  married  and  now  practices  his 
profession  there;  Edward  H.  a  resident  of  St. 
Louis;  Mary  Bessie,  now  the  wife  of  Dr.  C. 
M.  Anient,  of  St.  Louis:  and  Nellie  Q.,  now 
at   home. 

Mr.  O'Bannon  belongs  to  the  Woodmen  camp 
at  Litchfield  and  in  bis  political  views  is  a 
Democrat.  He  has  held  the  office  of  township 
collector  twice,  but  otherwise  has  held  no  po- 
litical office,  his  interest  centering  more  largely 
in  his  business  affairs,  which,  capably  managed, 
have  been  resultant  factors  in  bringing  him  the 
success  which  is  to-day  his. 


J.  H.  ROB  LETS. 

.1.  ||.  Roberts,  a  representative  of  the  real 
estate  interests  of  Montgomery  county,  was 
horn  in  1882  in  Grisham  township,  a  son  of 
X.  .!.  ami  Margaret  Roberts.  The  father  was 
born  in  Rockingham  county.  North  Carolina, 
November  10.  1848,  his  parents  being  Richard 
and  Man  Roberts.  The  grandfather,  also  a 
native  of  North  Carolina,  made  farming  his 
life  work  and  died  in  his  native  state.  N.  J. 
Roberts  came  to  Montgomery  county.  Illinois, 


S.    E.    O'BANNON 


yum 

$  m 

mmtmn        m§ 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF  MONTGOMERY  COUNT'S 


L75 


in  1869  and  attended  school  for  two  winters 
here.  He  was  employed  as  a  farm  laborer  for 
one  year  and  then  began  farming  on  his  own 
account,  an  occupation  which  he  followed  with 
good  success  until  1903,  when  he  removed  to 
Colleen,  lie  worked  earnestly  and  persistently 
in  former  years  and  justly  earned  the  rest 
which  is  now  accorded  him.  In  1  s-;  1  he  was 
united  m  marriage  to  .Mis-  Margaret  Beck,  a 
native  of  Grisham  township,  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  seven  children:  Jessie,  who 
married  P.  J>.  Smith,  of  Colleen;  Walter  E., 
who  is  the  publisher  of  the  Mount  Vernon 
Times:  Lola,  who  is  the  wife  of  O.  M.  Hamil- 
ton, of  Hillsboro;  and  .1.  II..  Charles  P..  Chloe 
and  Owen,  all  at  home.  The  parents  hold  mem- 
bership in  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  church 
and  are  well  known  and  highl)  respected  peo- 
ple o I  the  community,  interested  in  many  meas- 
ures for  the  general  good.  In  his  political  af- 
filiation Mr.  Roberts  is  a  Demoeral  and  fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Wood- 
men  ami   with   the   Mutual    Protective    Lague,r 

J.  H.  Roberts  was  reared  under  the  parental 
nmf  ami  acquired  Ins  early  education  iji  the 
schools  ni'  Grisham  township,  lie  afterward 
continued  his  studies  in  Coffeen  and  was  gradu- 
ated lu  re.  Later  he  was  a  student  in  the  law 
department  of  Cumberland  University  at  Leba- 
non, Tennessee,  but  has  never  engaged  in  prac- 
tice. Removing  to  Coffeen.  he  began  operating 
in  nal  estate  and  later  he  purchased  the  Mont- 
gomery Democrat  from  his  brother  W.  E.  Rob- 
erts. This  was  the  only  newspaper  published 
in  the  township  and  it  had  a  good  circulation 
among  the  people  of  the  community.  It  was 
established  in  1892  and  conducted  along  modern 
newspaper  lines,  being  an  enterprising  journal 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  locality  as  well 
as  to  the  dissemination  of  general  news.  Mr. 
Roberts  sold  his  interest  in  the  paper  June  1. 
1904.  and  has  opened  a  real  estate  office  in 
Coffeen.  Having  been  for  about  one  year  in 
that  business  before  he  bought  the  newspaper 
his  success  in  this  enterprise  is  assured. 

Mr.  Roberts  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  fraternity  and  of  the  Modern  Ameri- 
can. His  political  support  is  given  to  the 
Democracy.  In  the  county  where  his  entire 
life  has  been  passed  he  is  known  as  a  popular 


young    man.    having    man)    sterling   character- 
istics which  have  gained  him  man)'  friends. 


PHILIP  STAUDER. 

Philip  Stauder,  who  is  engaged  in  general 
farming  on  section  13,  Irving  township,  and 
who  bas  served  as  game  warden  of  Montgomery 
county,  was  born  in  St.  Clair  county,  Illinois. 
January  13,  1867.  lie  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and 
Catherine  (Heilman)  Stauder,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Illinois.  The  mother  died  dur- 
ing the  infancy  of  her  -mi  Philip,  and  the 
father  passed  away  November  4,  1896,  at  the 
age  of  li ft v-si\  years. 

Philip  Stauder  received  good  educational 
privileges,  lie  attended  tin1  public  schools  and 
afterward  became  a  student  in  McKendree  Col- 
lege at  Lebanon,  Illinois,  and  when  he  put  aside 
his  text  books  he  entered  upon  his  business 
career,  accepting  a  clerkship  in  the  emplo)  of 
I  he  .Simmons  Hardware  Company,  of  St.  Lour-. 
Missouri,  lie  also  worked  for  different  news- 
paper houses  of  that  city  and  later  learned  the 
blacksmith's  trade.  After  two  years,  however, 
he  came  to  Montgomery  count)-  in  August, 
1881,  and  began  Earming.  In  1893  he  removed 
to  his  present  home  where  he  now  owns  one 
hundred  and  fourteen  acres  of  good  land,  all 
of  which  he  has  improved.  His  farm  is  at- 
tractive in  appearance  because  of  (he  good  build- 
ings upon  it  and  the  highl)  cultivated  condition 
of  the  fields.  He  is  thoroughly  conversanl 
with  the  most  improved  and  modern  methods 
of  farming  and  that  his  efforts  are  practical  is 
indicated  by  the  good  financial  return  which 
comes  to  him.  He  was  appointed  the  first  game 
warden  in  Montgomery  county  and  filled  that 
position  for  four  years.  His  political  allegiance 
was  given  to  the  Democratic  party,  which  he 
has  supported  since  attaining  his  majority. 

On  the  12th  of  February,  L888,  Mr.  Stauder 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mar)  A.  Meyer, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Mar\'  Meyer,  of  i\A'- 
feen.  They  arc  the  parents  of  four  children: 
Arthur  Harry.  Eugene  Louis.  Isabella  Gene- 
vieve and  Lawrence  Leo.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stau- 
der are  members  of  the  Catholic  church  of 
Hillsboro  and  he  also  has  membership  relations 


i;t; 


I  'AS']'    AND    1'1,'FsFXT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


with  the  Modern  Woodmen    camp    at    [rving. 
He  lias   worked   earnestly   and   persistently   to 

gain  a  comfortable  c petence  and  as  the  years 

have  passed  his  labors  have  been  crowned  with 
a   lair  measure  of  success. 


J.  S.  MOODY. 


J.  8.  Moody,  now  deceased,  was  a  citizen  of 
Montgomery  county,  whose  value  was  recog- 
nized by  all  who  knew  him  and  whose  loss  was 
therefore  deeply  regretted  throughout  the  entire 
community  in  which  he  lived.  He  was  horn  in 
Franklin  county.  Indiana.  April  19,  1836,  his 
parents  being  John  D.  and  Jane  Moody.  His 
father  was  a  shot  maker  by  trade  and  followed 
that  pursuit  in  early  life,  but  later  purchased 
a  farm  at  Salem,  Illinois,  and  there  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits,  assisted  by  his  son  J.  S. 
The  latter  was  reared  in  this  state,  spend- 
in,--  his  early  youth  at  Monticello.  When  ten 
years  of  age  he  accompanied  his  parents  on- 
their  removal  to  Salem,  Marion  county,  and 
there  he  assisted  in  the  improvement  of  the 
home  farm.  He  never  followed  anv  other  occu- 
pation than  that  to  which  he  was  reared  and 
lived  a  quiet  hut  useful,  active  and  honorable 
career. 

In  1858  J.  S.  Moody  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Eliza  A.  Bliss,  a  daughter  of  Alfred 
and  Direxia  (Knowles)  Bliss.  They  became  the 
parents  of  nine  ehillren:  Katie,  deceased  wife 
of  Dr.  William  H.  Harris,  of  Kiola.  Kansas; 
Ida.  a  resident  of  Effingham,  Illinois:  Jennie, 
the  wife  of  Edward  Killian.  of  St.  Louis; 
Alice,  the  wife  of  C.  11.  Eicks;  Charles,  who 
married  Florence  Card  and  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  his  mother,  though  he  also  owns  three 
hundred  and  forty  acres;  Margaret,  at  home; 
Blanche,  who  is  engaged  in  teaching  in  Noko- 
mis;  Dora,  the  wife  of  Berton  Holloway.  of 
Fillmore;  and  Leila,  formerly  a  teacher  in 
county  schools,  now  at   home. 

.1.  S.  Moody  endorsed  the  principles  of  the 
Republican  party  and  supported  its  men  and 
measures  by  his  ballot.  He  belonged  to  the 
Farmers'  Mutual  Benefit  Association  and  was 
deeply  interested  in  all  that  pertained  to  the 
agricultural    development    of    the    county.      In 


his  business  relations  he  was  trustworthy  and 
he  owed  his  success  to  his  indefatigable  energy 
and  strong  purpose.  His  death  occurred  April 
5,  1891.  and  was  the  occasion  of  sincere  and 
deep  regret  to  many  of  his  friends,  because  he 
had  always  displayed  in  his  life  record  the 
qualities  of  upright  man] d.  His  widow  he- 
longs  to  the  Methodist   Episcopal  church. 

Charles  Moody,  since  his  father's  death,  has 
been  operating  the  home  farm,  comprising  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land.  Upon  the 
place  is  a  good  residence  and  modern  equip- 
ments and  the  home  was  erected  by  Mrs.  Moody, 
who  was  horn  in  Bradford.  Vermont,  and  was 
brought  to  Illinois  by  her  parents  when  only 
four  years  of  age,  the  family  home  being  estab- 
lished in  Fillmore  township.  They  lived  in  a 
log  cabin  until  a  more  modern  residence  could 
he  built.  Mrs.  Moody  was  reared  in  Fillmore 
township  amid  the  condition-;  and  environments 
of  pioneer  life  and  attended  school  in  the  home 
.neighborhood.  Her  first  teacher  was  Lowell 
,  Fairbanks  and  the  school  building  was  an  old 
fashioned  structure  built  of  logs  with  a  punch- 
eon Hour  and  seated  with  slab  benches  hav- 
ing no  hacks.  She  afterward  became  a  student 
in  the  college  at  Salem,  Illinois,  and  was  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1858.  Few  of  the  resi- 
dents of  Montgomery  county  have  so  long  been 
witnesses  of  its  development  as  has  Mrs.  Moody, 
whose  mind  pictures  forth  many  events  and 
conditions  id'  those  early  days.  She  relates 
many  interesting  incidents  concerning  early  life 
here  ami  she  certainly  deserves  mention  among 
the  worthy  pioneer  women.  She  still  resides 
upon  the  old  home  farm,  which  is  now  being 
operated  by  her  -on.  both  -rain  ami  stock  being 
raised  thereon. 


SINGLETOX  D.  CAVE. 

Singleton  I).  Cave,  whose  genial  manner, 
cordial  disposition  and  unfailing  courtesy  have 
made  him  popular  in  Litchfield  and  Mont- 
gomery county,  was  born  on  bis  father's  farm 
in  this  county,  on  the  26th  of  February.  1835, 
his  parents  being  Thomas  and  Lucinda  (Dar- 
nielle)  Cave.  The  father  was  of  English  lineage 
and  claimed  Sir  Edward  Cave  as  a  remote  an- 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

"".SITY  OF  ILL 


ME.    AND    MRS.    J.    S.    MOODY 


MR.    AND    MRS.    ALFRED    BLISS 


LIBRARY 
QF  I  BE 

f    1  v  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COl'XTY 


1S1 


cestor.  Hi'  was  born  in  1804,  became  an  at- 
torney and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  at 
Mount  Sterling,  Montgomery  county,  Ken- 
tucky. On  leaving  that  state  in  1841,  be  re- 
moved to  Madison  county,  Illinois,  settling 
near  Edwardsville  upon  a  farm.  Lakr  he  i  n- 
gaged  in  law  practice  in  Memphis,  Scotland 
count)-,  Missouri,  until  18-18,  when  he  took  up 
his  abode  in  Jersey  county,  Illinois,  living  with 
his  children  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
July  16,  1849.  His  wife  was  born  in  Washing- 
ton county.  Kentucky.  January  14,  1808,  and 
was  a  daughter  of  Archibald  Darnielle,  a  farmer 
and  landowner.  She  died  in  Litchfield,  August 
5,  1900.  at  the  age  of  ninety-two  years  and  sis 
months. 

Singleton  1).  Cave  acquired  his  education  in 
Illinois  and  .Missouri,  being  given  special  ad- 
vantages by  his  lather,  who  took  great  interest 
in  educating  his  son.  He  did  not.  howevi  r.  at- 
tend an  academy  or  college,  and  through  travel, 
through  experience,  reading  and  observation  he 
has  greatly  broadened  his  knowledge.  When  he 
was  seventeen  years  of  age  he  ran  away  from 
home,  being  attracted  by  the  discover]  ol  gold 
in  California.  He  walked  acress  the  plains  as 
the  driver  of  a  six-bull  team,  and  it  required 
om'  hundred  and  fifty  days  to  cover  the  dis- 
tance between  Memphis,  Missouri,  and  Sacra- 
mento, lie  became  a  prospector  and  dug  out 
nine  hundred  dollars  in  gold  dust.  Becoming 
homesick  he  concluded  to  return  and  wont  to 
San  Francisco,  hut  circumstances  caused  him 
to  change  his  plans  and  he  remained  for  thir- 
teen years  or  until  1866,  mining  and  farming, 
sometimes  successfully  and  again  meeting  with 
financial  reverses.  In  one  business  deal  he 
made  eighty  thousand  dollars,  but  this  was  Inst 
in  other  transactions. 

In  1866  Mr.  Cave  returned  to  visit  his 
mother,  who  lived  in  Litchfield.  In  1873  he 
became  a  dry-goods  merchant  of  Litchfii  hi  as 
a  partner  of  a  Mr.  Little.  They  opened  stores 
in  several  towns  and  would  then  sell  and  re- 
move to  another  town,  but  in  181  I  they  failed 
in  business.  Mr.  Cave  also  engaged  in  the 
wholesale  and  retail  liquor  business,  hut  that 
also  proved  unprofitable.  In  1890  he  went  to 
Indianapolis.  Indiana,  where  he  opened  a  cafe, 
entrusting     the     management   to   his   partner, 


J.  W.  Little,  and  again  he  lost  all  he  had,  in 
IS'.*'.'.  lie  then  retired  from  business  enter- 
prises and  has  since  confined  his  attention  to 
speculation,  in  which  he  is  much  more  success- 
ful than  in  the  conduct  of  mercantile  interests. 
He  has  made  profitable  investments  in  this  way 
and   lias  secured  a  good  financial  return. 

Mr.  Cave  was  married  October  10,  1867,  to 
Miss  llattie  Ellen  Porter,  a  daughter  of  Isaac 
Newton  Porter,  who  was  horn  in  Ohio  and  spent 
the  later  years  of  his  life  in  Macoupin  county, 
Illinois,  his  death  occurring  m  Gillespie,  iu 
1857,  win  n  he  was  thirty-six  years  of  age.  He 
was  a  blacksmith  and  wagonmaKer.  He  mar- 
ried a  Miss  Alexander,  a  daughter  of  Andrew 
and  Esther  (McGill)  Alexander,  all  of  Scotch 
descent.  Mr.  Alexander  was  a  merchant  of 
Alton,  at  the  time  of  the  assassination  of  Owen 
Lovejoy.  The  family  were  Presbyterians  in  re- 
ligious  faith.  Mrs.  Porter  died  in  Jerseyville, 
Illinois,  February  2,  1900.  Mrs.  Cave  was  born 
in  Woodburn,  Macoupin  county.  Illinois.  Janu- 
ary '.'it,  L850,  and  by  her  marriage  has  become 
i lie  mother  of  two  children:  Chauneey  Lee, 
'who  was  horn  February  6,  1869,  and  is  a  stenog- 
rapher; and  Blanche,  the  wife  of  J.  Frank 
Jacobs,  of  ( 'hicago,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Cave  has  traveled  over  much  of  this 
country  and  can  relate  many  interesting  inci- 
dents concerning  his  experiences  in  the  far 
west.  He  is  of  genial  manner  and  social  dispo- 
sition— qualities  which  have  rendered  him  popu- 
lar in  many  communities. 


CHARLES  MAST. 

Charles  Mast,  who  is  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing on  section  23,  Witt  township,  was  born  in 
Baden,  Germany,  May  12,  1817.  his  parents 
being  John  T.  and  Magdalene  (Zeigler)  Mast, 
who  in  the  year  1852  came  to  the  United  States, 
locating  in  St.  Clair  county,  Illinois.  Both 
parents,  however,  are  now  deceased.  The  son, 
Charles  Mast,  was  a  little  lad  of  only  five  sum- 
mers al  the  time  of  the  emigration  to  the  u<  w 
world  and  was  reared  in  St.  Clair  county,  where 
he  acquired  his  education.  He  remained  at 
home  until  twenty-seven  years  of  age  and  in 
1861    came   to    Montgomery     county.     Illinois, 


L82 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    ol 


MoNTOOMKRY    OOIXTY 


where  he  lias  since  made  his  home,  covering  a 
period  of  thirty-seven  year-.  Jn  1873  he  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  and  took  up  his  abode 
thereon.  Ee  has  made  all  of  the  improvements 
upon  the  place,  including  the  erection  of  a  fine 
residence  and  a  commodious  ham.  He  has  two 
hundred  acres  of  good  land,  rich  and  arable, 
and  in  his  work  has  followed  the  most  progres- 
sive farming  methods  and  utilized  the  modern 
implements  and  improved  machinery.  He  is 
well  known  for  Ids  industry  and  also  for  his 
reliability  in  business  affairs,  and  he  deserves 
and  receives  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his 
fellow  men. 

On  the  10th  of  February,  1874,  Mr.  .Mast  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Katie  Cabrick,  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  Cabrick,  of  CofEeen,  Illinois. 
They  now  have  five  children:  Mary,  the  wife 
of  Frank  A.  Spinner,  of  this  county;  Paulina, 
the  wife  of  Louis  Spinner,  also  of  this  county; 
Francis,  at  home:  Matilda,  also  at  home:  and 
Katie,  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mast 
are  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church  in 
Nokomis.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to 
the  Republican  party  and  he  keeps  well  in- 
formed on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day, 
as  every  true  American  citizen  should  do,  be- 
ing thus  able  to  give  an  intelligent  reason  for 
the  political  faith  which  he  entertains.  His 
farm,  now  extensive  and  well  improved,  is  the 
visible  evidence  of  a  well  spent  life  and  an 
active  ami  honorable  business  career. 


M.  F.  TOBERMAN. 


M.  F.  Toberman,  who  is  dealing  extensively 
in  hay  and  grain,  was  horn  July  L">.  1861,  in 
the  township  which  is  still  his  home.  His 
parents  "ere  Isaiah  and  Mary  Toberman,  who 
in  1898  removed  to  Fillmore,  where  they  are 
now  living.  Mr.  Toberman  was  for  man)  years 
identified  with  agricultural  pursuits  and  is  now 
interested  with  his  son  in  the  hay  and  grain 
business. 

M.  F.  Toberman  was  reared  upon  the  old 
family  homestead  in  Fillmore  township,  five 
miles  northwest  of  the  village  of  Fillmore.  He 
attended  school  there  and  in  his  youth  also 
assist*  d   in  the  labor-  of   field      and      meadow. 


Abou!  twenty-one  ytars  ago  he  began  the  grain 
business  in  connection  with  Ins  father  at  Chap- 
man, Illinois,  and  has  continued  to  engage  in 
the  purchase  and  sale  of  grain  at  that  point  up 
to  the  present.  In  November,  1891,  however, 
he  removed  to  Fillmore,  where  lie  began  deal- 
ing in  gram,  while  B.  E.  Tobi  rniaii  acts  as  man- 
ager of  the  business  at  Chapman.  Few  grain 
dealers  along  the  line  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  handle  more  hay  than  do  Mr.  Tober- 
man and  his  father.  In  1903  they  shipped  one 
hundred  and  forty- live  carloads  in  five  weeks. 
Their  business  is  continually  growing  in  volume 
and  importance  and  the  extent  of  their  trade 
has  secured  to  them  a  good  patronage.  The 
company  owns  an  elevator  and  hay  barn  at 
Chapman.  In  1901  they  had  the  misfortune 
to  have  the  hay  barn  at  Fillmore  destroyed  by 
fire,  causing  a  total  loss  of  fifty-three  hundred 
dollars,  but  they  now  have  the  best  hay  barn  in 
this  part  of  the  country  and  one  of  the  best 
in  the  state. 

M.  F.  Toberman  was  married  on  the  5th  of 
December,  1889,  to  Miss  Laura  Cress,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Eli  and  Sallie  (  Holzehouser)  Cress.  Her 
father  was  a  native  of  Cabarrus  county.  North 
Carolina,  horn  in  1826,  and  his  death  occurred 
in  1896,  when  he  was  seventy  years  of  age. 
His  wife,  who  was  born  in  Rowan  county.  North 
Carolina,  died  in  June.  L892,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-four  years.  They  came  to  Illinois  in 
1855,  settling  in  Fillmore  township,  Mont- 
gomery  county,  where  Mr.  Cress  became  exten- 
sivelv  engaged  in  farming,  conducting  a  busi- 
ness that  brought  to  him  a  gratifying  income. 
He  was  very  progressive  and  energetic  and  his 
careful  management  proved  one  of  the  strong 
elements  in  his  success.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cress  were  born  twelve  children,  of  whom  nine 
are  living,  namely:  A.  J.,  who  is  a  resident  of 
Oklahoma:  0.  II. :  Mrs.  L.  S.  Sanders,  of  Fill- 
more; F.  L..  of  Oklahoma:  C.  11..  of  New 
York;  T.  W.,  a  resident  of  Fillmore  township: 
Mrs.  S.  M.  Harp,  who  is  living  in  Parmers- 
ville,  Illinois;  P.  W.,  who  is  located  in  Fill- 
more township:  and  Mrs.  Toberman.  Mrs. 
Toberman  was  born  and  reared  in  Montgomery 
county  ami  by  her  marriage  has  become  the 
mother  of  five  children,  of  whom  three  are  liv- 
ing:    Macon.  Maurice,  and   Marvin.     The  sec- 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


is:; 


ond  child,  Muriel,  died  at  the  age  of  nine  years 
and  the  youngest,  Murry,  died  al  the  age  of 
three  years.  The  parents  hold  membership  in 
the  United  Baptist  church  and  in  his  fraternal 
affiliation  Mr.  Toberman  is  a  Woodman  and 
is  also  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
Lodge  at  Fillmore,  while  his  wife  belongs  to  the 
Court  of  Honor.  Ee  exercises  his  right  of 
franchise  in  support  of  the  Democracy  and 
keeps  will  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues 
of  the  day.  hut  lias  never  sought  or  desired  of- 
fice, although  he  was  highway  commissioner 
for  two  terms.  He  has  preferred  to  give  his 
undivided  attention  to  his  business  affairs,  in 
which  he  is  now  meeting  with  very  creditable 
and  desirable  success. 


JACOB   HAhLKK. 


Jacob  Haller.  who  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing on  section  '!'*.  Nokomis  township,  was  born 
hi  Ross  county,  Ohio,  in  1834,  and  is  a  son  of 
Henry  and  Sarah  Haller.  The  father  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  horn  in  1805,  and  the 
mother's  birth  occurred  in  Xew  Jersey,  Henry 
Haller  was  reared  in  the  Keystone  state  and 
became  a  fanner  there.  Subsequently  he  re- 
moved to  Ohio,  where  he  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  until  1845,  when  he  came  to  Illinois, 
settling  in  East  Fork  township  among  its  early 
residents.  There  he  secured  a  tract  of  land 
and  in  due  course  of  time  became  an  extensive 
fanner  and  stock-raiser  on  a  large  scale  He 
was  a  man  of  energy  and  was  recognized  as  one 
of  the  hading  representatives  of  agricultural 
interests  in  his  district.  In  community  affairs 
he  was  also  deeply  interested  and  in  pioneer 
days  assisted  materially  in  the  early  develop- 
ment of  the  county.  Unto  him  and  his  wife 
were  horn  six  children  who  are  yet  living  and 
one  child  died  in  infancy.  The  father  died 
in    1875  and  the  mother  passed  away  in   1843. 

Jacob  Haller  was  reared  in  Ohio  until  ten 
years  of  age,  when  he  accompanied  his  father 
on  his  removal  to  Illinois.  He  attended  si  hool 
in  East  Fork  township,  becoming  a  student  in 
one  of  the  old-fashioned  schoolhouses  built  of 
logs  and  -eat-  d  with  slab  benches,  while  the  re- 
moval of  a  low  from  one  side  of  the  room  served 


to  let  in  light  for  the  building.     Jacob   Haller 

remained  in  Illinois  for  eight  years  and  then 
with  his  brother  went  to  California,  traveling 
with  an  ox  team  in  1852.  There  be  engaged 
in  mining  for  gold  for  loin-  years  and  made 
good  wages,  lie  also  farmed  there  for  eleven 
years.  He  returned  to  Illinois  in  L8Ci  and  set- 
tled in  Audubon  township.  He  then  purchased 
tin'  home  place  where  he  now  lives  after  selling 
his  property  in  Audubon  township.  The  pur- 
chase which  he  made  when  he  returned  to  Illi- 
nois covered  more  than  four  hundred  acres.  He 
built  a  house  and  barn,  made  some  of  the  im- 
provements upon  his  land  and  now  has  a  well 
developed  property.  He  raises  both  grain  and 
stock,  having  high  grades  of  horses,  cattle  and 
hogs  upon  his  place,  and  his  wife  raisis  a  great 
many  chickens.  Great  changes  have  occurred 
in  fanning  methods  during  the  time  of  his 
resilience  here.  When  he  arrived  in  the  county 
then  were  many  deer  ami  great  flocks  of  prairie 
chickens  were  to  he  seen.  Tins  portion  of  the 
state  was  largely  unsettled  and  there  were  no 
near  markets  so  that  the  family  had  to  drive 
hogs  to  St.  Louis,  it  requiring  six  days  to  make 
the  trip.  The  neighbors  often  went  together  on 
such  trips  so  that  it  did  not  cost  them  much 
in  go  lo  St.  Louis,  and  there  the  price  of  a  dol- 
lar and  a  half  or  one  dollar  and  seventy-five 
cents  per  hundred  was  paid  for  the  hogs  after 
they  were  butchered. 

Mr.  Haller  started  in  life  with  little  capital 
and  he  has  always  been  a  man  of  industry  and 
enterprise,  so  that  his  success  is  the  legitimate 
reward  of  his  own  labor.  He  has  worked  hard. 
every  day  finding  him  in  the  fields  or  attending 
to  other  labor  of  the  farm,  and  he  also  attri- 
butes his  success  in  part  to  the  able  and  willing 
assistance  of  his  estimable  wife  lie  is  one 
of  the  largest  corn  raisers  of  this  part  of  the 
state  and  bis  farm  presents  a  splendid  appear- 
ance, neatness  and  thrift  characterizing  every 
portion  of  it.  He  has  also  become  identified 
with  financial  interests  in  the  county,  having 
assisted  in  organizing  the  National  Bank  of 
Nokomis,  of  which  he  has  been  a  director  from 
the  beginning.  Only  two  of  the  original  stock- 
holders are  still  connected  with  the  institution. 

In  1859  Mr.  Haller  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss   Ann    Abrahamson.   who  was   reared    in 


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PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


Norway.  They  are  the  parents  of  nine  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  arc  living:  Catharine,  the 
wife  of  Dr.  G.  S.  Easterday,  of  California; 
Caroline,  the  wife  of  David  Best,  who  resides 
near  Nokomis;  Nancy  Ann,  at  home;  Eugene, 
who  is  living  near  Nokomis;  Milton,  at  home; 
and  Camilla,  the  wife  of  L.  M.  Mclntyre,  a 
resident,  of  Kansas. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haller  hold  membership  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Nokomis  and 
he  belongs  to  the  Masonic  lodge  in  that  town. 
For  many  years  he  voted  the  Democratic  ticket, 
hut  in  recent  years  has  given  his  support  to 
the  Prohibition  party,  being  a  strong  advocate 
of  the  temperance  cause.  He  has  served  as  col- 
lector of  Audubon  township,  but  has  never  been 
active  in  search  for  public  office,  preferring  to 
discharge  his  public  duties  as  a  private  citizen. 
He  has  intimate  knowledge  of  pioneer  experi- 
ences in  this  county  and  also  of  the  frontier 
life  during  the  early  mining  days  m  California 
and  has  taken  commendable  interest  in  ad- 
vancement which  has  been  made  here  and  in 
other  sections  of  the  country.  He  feels  a  local 
pride  in  what  Montgomery  county  has  accom- 
plished   and    his    mory    forms    a    connecting 

link  between  the  primitive  past  and  the  pres- 
ent with  its  modern  progressiveness. 


FRANCIS  MARION  ENTREKIN,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Francis  Marion  Entrekin,  whose  capa- 
bility as  a  medical  practitioner  is  demonstrated 
by  the  liberal  patronage  accorded  him.  was  born 
March  5,  1844,  in  Clinton  county.  Illinois, 
and  is  a  son  of  Asa  and  Eliza  Entrekin.  The 
father,  who  was  horn  in  Kentucky,  on  remov- 
ing to  Illinois  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  early 
settlers  of  Clinton  county.  Accompanied  by 
his  wife,  lie  traveled  in  a  wagon  drawn  by  oxen 
in  the  primitive  manner  of  the  times.  There 
were  only  a  lew  cabins  in  Clinton  county  and 
in  one  ..I'  these  Mr.  Entrekin  and  his  family 
took  up  their  abode.  They  had  to  go  eighteen 
miles  in  order  to  purchase  something  to  eat. 
Kinallv  Mr.  Entrekin  secured  a  farm  and  in 
connection  with  the  cultivation  of  his  land 
I,,.  also  conducted  a  carpenter  and  blacksmith 
shop.     He   made   all    of   the    implements   that 


were  used  in  that  locality  ami  conducted  a  suc- 
ei  ssful  business,  which  made  him  one  of  the 
leading    men   of    his    community.      Prospering 

in  his  undertakings  he  made  judicious  invest- 
ments in  real  estate  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1860,  was  the  owner 
of  one  thousand  acres  of  land.  He  had  borne 
a  very  helpful  and  important  part  in  the  early 
development  and  substantial  improvement  of 
his  adopted  county  and  his  loss  in  the  com- 
munity  was  the  occasion  of  deep  regret. 

Francis  M.  Entrekin  acquired  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  Clinton  county  and 
afterward  attended  Shurtleff.  College  of  Alton, 
Illinois,  thus  acquiring  a  good  education.  Sub- 
sequently he  engaged  in  teaching  school  for 
nine  winters  and  through  experience  and  in- 
vestigation he  constantly  broadened  his  knowl- 
edge. Eater  he  entered  upon  a  course  of  study 
in  the  College  of  Physicians  &  Surgeons  of 
Keokuk.  Iowa,  and  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1878.  Locating  for  practice  in  Bond 
county.  Illinois,  he  there  remained  for  eight 
years  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  came 
to  Colleen,  where  he  has  since  been  classed  with 
the  successful  practitioners  of  Montgomery 
county.  Fully  realizing  the  importance  of  the 
profession  ami  the  responsibility  which  devolves 
upon  him,  lie  is  very  careful  ami  accurate  in  the 
diagnosis  of  a  ease  and  his  efforts  have  proved 
a  potent  factor  in  the  restoration  of  health  in 
this  locality.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Mont- 
gomery County  Medical  Society,  the  Fayette 
County  Medical  Society  and  the  Illinois  State 
Medical  Society  and  by  reading  and  study  he  is 
constantly  adding  to  his  knowledge  concerning 
the  bes!  methods  of  medical  and  surgical  prac- 
tice. 

In  1865  occurred  the  marriage  of  Francis 
Marion  Entrekin  and  Miss  Lueretia  A.  Cole, 
and  unto  them  were  horn  four  children:  Ma. 
Jessie,  Rub]  and  Eunice.  The  wife  and  moth- 
er died  m  1897,  her  death  being  deeply  regret- 
ted by  many  friends.  Dr.  Entrekin  was  again 
married  in  ISP!),  his  second  union  being  with 
Eosa  A.  Wilson,  and  they  have  a  pleasant  home 
in  Coffeen,  the  hospitality  of  which  is  greatly 
enjoyed  by  their  neighbors  and  social  acquaint- 
ances. 

hi-.    Entrekin  belongs  to  the  Modem  Wood- 


DR.    F.    M.    EXTREKIN 


LIBRAHV 

OF   IH£ 

UNIVERSE  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


187 


men  camp  and  is  a  charter  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  of  Coffeen.  He  votes 
with  the  Democracy  and  in  his  religious  faith 
is  a  Baptist,  holding  membership  relations  with 
the  church  of  that  denomination  in  the  village 
in  which  he  makes  his  home.  In  a  profession 
where  success  depends  upon  individual  merit 
and  whore  advancement  comes  as  the  result  of 
broad  and  comprehensive  information  and  its 
correct  application  to  the  needs  of  suffering 
humanity  he  has  won  an  enviable  reputation 
and  is  enjoying  a  practice  of  considerable  ex- 
tent and  importance. 


SAMUEL  T.   ROBINSON,   B.  S. 

Professor  Samuel  T.  Robinson,  who  for  a 
number  of  years  has  ocenpied  a  prominent  posi- 
tion in  connection  with  public  education  in  Illi- 
nois, and  is  now  superintendent  of  the  schools 
of  Hillsboro,  was  born  at  Hartford,  Saline 
county,  Illinois,  in  1866.  He  is  descended  from 
English  ancestry,  representatives  of  the  name 
having  emigrated  from  the  merrie  isle  to  Vir- 
ginia about  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century 
and  at  a  later  date  one  branch  of  the  family 
removed  to  Mississippi,  where  early  in  the  nine- 
teenth  century  the  grandfather  opened  an  ex- 
tensive plantation  near  the  state  capital.  Jack- 
sou,  which  was  operated  by  the  family  till  the 
invasion  of  the  south  by  the  Union  army,  when 
their  slaves  were  freed,  and  plantation  build- 
ings destroyed.  Soon  thereafter  most  of  the 
family  moved  to  Illinois,  one  aunt  still  living 
in  Jackson.  His  father,  Michael  D.  Robinson, 
was  born  in  Mississippi  and  at  the  close  of  his 
colhge  course  went  to  Keokuk.  Iowa,  to  at- 
tend medical  lectures,  where  he  completed  his 
course  in  18.">s.  locating  at  Harrisburg,  Illinois. 
Saline  county.  In  that  county  he  spent  his  life, 
devoting  his  time  to  his  chosen  profession  and 
the  management  of  his  farm.  During  the 
period  of  the  Civil  war  he  erected  a  temporary 
hospital  at  Stone  Fort,  Saline  county,  Illinois. 
ami  there  administered  to  the  soldiers  as  they 
came  home  from  the  front.  He  was  very  loyal 
to  the  Union  cause  and  he  possessed,  moreover, 
a  broad  humanitarian  spirit  that  prompted  him 
to  give  generous  aid  to  those  who  needed  his 


professional  assistance.  He  belonged  to  the 
Baptist  church,  took  an  active  and  helpful  part 
in  its  work  and  was  an  exemplary  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  In  polities  he  was  a 
Democrat.  lie  married  Amanda  Spencer,  a 
daughter  of  Dr.  Thomas  11.  and  Martha  (  Barks- 
dale)  Spencer.  Her  father  came  to  Illinois  at 
an  early  day  from  Virginia  and  her  mother 
from  Tennessee.  The  Spencer  family  is  of 
English  lineage.  Mrs.  Robinson  was  born  in 
Illinois  in  1842  and  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church.  Dr.  Robinson  passed  away  in  1SS!)  in 
the  fifty-tin  I'd  year  of  his  age.  This  worthy 
couple  were  the  parents  of  seven  children:  Iva, 
the  wife  of  Dr.  M.  D.  Empson,  of  Hartford, 
Illinois;  William,  who  is  engaged  in  railroad 
work  in  De  Soto,  Missouri;  Samuel  T.,  of  this 
review;  Gertrude,  the  wife  of  Judge  Allien  G. 
Ahney,  of  Harrisburg,  Illinois;  Lorene  May, 
Thomas  II.  and  Charles  A.,  all  deceased. 

In  the  public  schools  Samuel  T.  Robinson 
acquired  his  early  education,  which  was  sup- 
plemented by  study  in  the  Southern  Illinois 
State  Normal  University  at  Carbondale,  Illi- 
nois, lie  entered  that  institution  in  1889  and 
was  graduated  on  the  completion  of  the  scien- 
tific course  with  the  class  id'  1896.  During  this 
pel  ioiI  he  engaged  in  teaching  through  the  win- 
ter months.  In  the  fall  succeeding  his  gradua- 
tion he  accepted  the  position  of  superintendent 
of  the  public  schools  of  Benton.  Franklin  coun- 
ty. Illinois,  where  he  remained  for  three  years 
and  in  the  fall  of  1899  he  came  to  Hillsboro  as 
superintendent  of  the  publis  schools  here,  since 
which  time  he  has  acted  in  that  capacity.  In 
i  he  spring  of  1900  he  returned  to  Ewing  Col- 
lege and  was  graduated,  receiving  tin'  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Science.  He  has  three  schools  un- 
der his  charge,  including  twelve  rooms  in  ad- 
dition to  the  high  school,  in  which  four  teach- 
ers are  employed.  A  pupil  graduating  from  the 
public  schools  of  Hillsboro  may  enter  the  State 
University  and  all  normal  schools  without  fur- 
ther examination.  Under  the  guidance  of  Pro- 
Eessor  Robinson  excellent  advancement  has  been 
made,  for  he  keeps  in  touch  with  the  modern 
spii'it  of  the  times  ami  has  introduced  many 
improved  and  practical  methods,  which  have 
been  of  great  value  in  advancing  the  high  stan- 
dard of  the  schools  here.     He  is  a   member  of 


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PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


the  National  Educational  Association,  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Southern  Illinois  Teachers'  As- 
sociation for  the  past  ten  years  and  of  the  State 
Teachers'  Association  for  six  years.  He  is 
likewise  a  stockholder  in  the  Galatia  Coal  Com- 
pany in  Saline  county  and  is  one  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Pan-American  Exploration  Com- 
pany wiih  mines  in  old  Mexico.  Professor 
Robinson  is  identified  with  the  Masonic  and 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternities  and  he  belongs 
to  the  Baptist  church.  His  reputation  in  edu- 
cational circles  places  him  with  the  leading 
representatives  of  this  great  department  of  pro- 
fessional activity  in  southern  and  central  Illi- 
nois anil  his  zeal  and  interest  in  the  work"  have 
resulti  il  in  much  benefit  to  his  community. 


HENRY  FRIEDMEYER. 

Henry  Friedmeyer,  who  has  extensive  landed 
possessions  in  Montgomery  county  and  is  now 
living  a  retired  life  in  Hillsboro.  was  born  in 
Germany  in  1829,  a  son  of  Bombard  Fried- 
meyer,  who  was  likewise  a  native  of  that  coun- 
try. The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation 
and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1S44,  but 
afterward  returned  to  his  native  land,  where 
he  and  his  wife  now  lie  buried.  They  bad  ten 
children,  of  whom   four  arc  still  living. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Germany  Henry 
Friedmeyer  acquired  his  education,  and  in  the 
fall  of  1844.  when  fifteen  years  of  age,  came 
to  the  United  States  with  his  father,  the  family 
borne  being  established  in  St.  Louis.  He  had 
assisted  bis  father  in  farm  work  in  Germany, 
but  in  the  United  States  became  identified  with 
mercantile  interests  and  for  fifteen  years  was 
connected  with  commercial  affairs  in  St.  Louis. 
In  the  spring  of  1863  he  removed  to  Mont- 
gomery county  and  began  fanning  in  Roun- 
tree  township,  where  lie  lived  for  twenty-three 
years.  Here  be  secured  a  small  tract  of  land 
and  with  characteristic  energy  began  its  de- 
velopment.  Raising  good  crops,  which  found 
a  ready  sale  on  the  market,  he  was  afterward 
enabled  to  add  to  his  original  purchase  and 
accumulated  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres 
of  land  in  Rountree  township  and  one  hun- 
dred  and   forty-six   acres   in   Irving   township, 


making  live  hundred  and  eleven  acres  in  all. 
lie  devoted  his  energies  to  the  cultivation  of 
the  fields  until  1885,  when  he  retired  from  the 
fa rin  and  has  since  made  his  home  in  Hills- 
hnro,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil, 
while  the  income  from  his  property  is  sufficient 
to  supply  him  with  all  of  the  necessities  and 
many  of  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  life. 

On  the  7th  of  March,  1856,  Mr.  Friedmeyer 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sophia  Welge. 
a  daughter  of  Christian  Welge,  who,  leaving 
Ins  native  country,  established  bis  home  in  St. 
Louis.  Missouri,  in  1845.  Five  years  later  he 
located  in  Montgomery  county.  Illinois,  settling 
in  Butler  Grove  township.  He  there  owned 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  and  upon 
the  farm  which  he  occupied  and  improved  be  and 
his  wife.  Mrs.  Sophia  (Myer)  Welge, spent  their 
remaining  days.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  hut  only  two  are  living,  Mrs.  Fried- 
meyer and  Henry.  The  former  was  born  in 
Brunswick,  Germany,  June  4,  1830.  and  when 
a  maiden  of  fifteen  summers  was  brought  to 
America  by  her  parents.  Here  she  married 
Mr.  Friedmeyer.  They  had  four  children: 
Louise  Emily,  the  wife  of  Albert  Frickey; 
Henry  C,  deceased;  Wilhelmina  Etta,  deceased; 
and  .John  G..  an  attorney  at  law  of  Springfield. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Friedmeyer  hold  membership 
with  the  Lutheran  church,  and  he  votes  with 
the  Republican  party.  He  has  served  as  justice 
of  the  peace  and  was  supervisor  from  Roun- 
tree township  for  six  terms.  His  public  duties 
were  capably  performed  and  in  earlier  years  he 
figured  quite  prominently  in  local  politics.  The 
success  of  his  life  is  due  to  no  inherited  fortune 
Hi-  to  advantageous  circumstances,  but  is  en- 
tirely due  to  his  steady  application,  studious 
habits,  tireless  industry  and  sterling  integrity. 


LUKE  C.  WEBER. 


Luke  C.  Weber,  whose  farming  interests  con- 
nect him  with  the  leading  agriculturists  of 
Rountree  township,  makes  his  home  on  section 
'25.  He  is  also  serving  as  supervisor  of  his 
township.  He  was  born  in  Germany,  October 
23,  1857,  his  parents  being  Cornelius  and  Anke 
(Kramer)    Weber,   both   of  whom   are   natives 


ME.    AND    MES.    HENRY    FBIEICMKYER 


LIBRARY 
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"     ITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


191 


of  the  fatherland,  the  former  born  on  the  24th 
of  September,  183U,  and  the  latter  on  the  31st 
of  October,  1834.  They  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1S7 <;  and  located  m  Rountree  town- 
ship, where  the  father  is  still  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, his  home  being  on  section  24. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Germany  Luke  C. 
Weber  began  his  early  education,  which  he  con- 
tinued in  the  schools  of  Montgomery  comity  af- 
ter the  emigration  of  the  family  to  the  new 
world.  lie  arrived  in  the  United  States  in 
1875  and,  establishing  his  home  in  Rountree 
township,  worked  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand 
for  two  years,  lb'  afterward  worked  with  his 
father  for  one  year  and  on  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  rented  a  farm.  He  continued  to 
cultivate  rented  land  in  Montgomery  and  Chris- 
tian counties  for  five  years  and  in  1884,  with 
the  capital  which  he  had  saved  from  his  earn- 
ings he  purchased  one  hundred  and  fifteen  acres 
of  land  in  Rountree  township.  In  1&01  he 
bought  sixty  acres  in  Nokomis  township  and 
now  lias  a  valuable  property.  He  placed  all  of 
the  improvements  upon  his  farm,  including  the 
house  and  bains,  the  fences  and  trees.  He  deeds 
good  grades  of  shorthorn  cattle  and  also  good 
hmses  and  his  stock-raising  and  dealing  inter- 
ests  as  well  as  the  grain  raising  department  of 
his  business  return  to  him  a  good  income. 

On  the  20th  of  November.  1880,  Mr.  Weber 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Catherine  John- 
son, a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Anna  (Tlieen) 
Johnson,  of  Germany,  who  on  coming  to  the 
Tinted  States  settled  in  Madison  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  they  are  still  living.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Weber  have  been  born  live  children:  Anna 
G.,  now  twenty  years  of  age ;  Henry  C,  a  youth 
of  eighteen  years;  Lena  A.,  aged  eleven  years: 
Emma  M.,  eight  years  of  age;  and  Herman  C, 
a  little  lad  of  five  summers. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weber  are  members  of  St. 
Paul's  Lutheran  church  ami  in  polities  he  is 
a  stalwart  Kepublican.  who  keeps  well  informed 
on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day  and  gives 
to  his  party  an  intelligent  and  loyal  support. 
He  was  elected  supervisor  of  Eountree  town- 
ship in  1902  and  discharged  the  duties  so 
capably  that  in  1904  he  was  re-elected  and  is 
now  filling  the  office.  Hi'  has  also  been  road 
commissioner  and   served   on    the  school   board 


for  nine  years.  His  residence  in  this  part  of 
the  state  covers  almost  thirty  years  and  he  is 
uniformly  known  as  a  representative  and  <  nter- 
prising  farmer  ami  as  a   progressive  citizen. 


ROBERT  T.  EUSBAND. 

Robert  'V.  Husband,  a  representative  of  the 
industrial  interests  of  Litchfield,  was  born  in 
St.  Louis.  Missouri,  on  the  15th  of  December, 
1867,  ami  is  a  son  of  Ezekial  A.  and  Margaret 
(Ingalls)  Husband,  the  former  a  native  of 
Philadelphia  and  the  latter  of  New  York.  The 
father  removed  to  St.  Louis.  Missouri,  in  1843. 
lie  was  a  ship-builder  by  trade  and  in  St.  Louis 
he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  becoming 
at  one  time  the  owner  of  considerable  property. 
He  saw  active  military  service  during  the  Civil 
war,  being  connected  with  the  Union  army 
for  three  years.  His  political  support  was  given 
to  the  Republican  party,  which  he  joined  upon 
Ms  organization,  never  faltering  in  his  support 
of  its- principles.  He  died  May  30,  1903,  at 
•the  age  of  -  sixty-five  years.  His  wife  accom- 
panied her  parents  on  their  removal  from  the 
fan  pi  re  state  to  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  prior 
to  the  Civil  war  and  it  was  in  that  city  that 
ilr.  Husband  formed  her  acquaintance  and 
they  were  married.  They  became  the  parents  of 
three  children:  Minnie  D. ;  Alice  M.,  the  wife 
of  James  H.  Brown,  who  is  engaged  in  the  car- 
riage business  in  St.  Louis:  and  Robert  T. 

In  the  public  schools  of  St.  Louis  Robert  T. 
Husband  acquired  his  early  education  and  af- 
terward continued  his  studies  in  Litchfield. 
On  leaving  school  he  entered  the  shops  of  the 
Litchfield  Foundry  &  Machine  Compan}  in 
1884  and  there  learned  the  machinist's  trade. 
Subsequently  he  worked  in  different  places,  but 
afterward  returned  to  Litchfield  and  has  been 
again  connected  with  the  shops  here  for  ten 
years.  lie  is  a  practical  workman  with  thor- 
ough understanding  of  the  business  and  those 
whom  he  represents  find  his  services  valuable. 

On  the  12th  of  October,  1891.  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Husband  and  Miss  Emma 
Dapper,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Catherine 
Dapper,  the  former  a  merchant  tailor  who  con- 
ducted  business  for  manv   vears   in   Litchfield. 


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PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    .MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


Mrs.  Husband  was  born  in  1874.  There  are 
two  children  of  this  marriage:  Robert  M.  and 
Catherine  Feme.  Mr.  Husband  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen  camp  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  church.  His  study  of  the  politi- 
cal issues  and  questions  of  the  day  lias  led  him 
to  give  his  support  to  the  Republican  party  and 
In  i-  now  serving  as  a  member  of  '.lie  city  coun- 
cil from  the  fifth  wan!.  Questions  which  af- 
fect the  welfare  of  this  city  elicit  his  attention 
ami  consideration  and  he  has  withheld  his  sup- 
porl  from  no  movement  or  measure  which  has 
for  its  object  public  progress  and  substantial 
upbuilding. 


HORACE  Cr.   WAGGONER. 

In  the  death  of  Horace  G.  Waggoner  Mont- 
gomery county  lost  one  of  its  enterprising  and 
highly  respected  young  business  men.  one  whose 
worth  was  widely  acknowledged  by  his  many 
friend-  and  whose  activity  in  agricultural  and 
financial  circles  made  him  a  valued  factor  in 
public  life.  He  was  born  in  Pitman  township, 
September  5,  1856,  and  was  a  brother  of  John 
M.,  Henry  and  George  B.  Waggoner,  who  are 
represented  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  He  was 
reared  upon  tlie  old  homestead  farm  by  his 
mother,  who  survives  her  husband  and  now 
resides  in  the  village  of  Waggoner.  The  son 
was  provided  with  good  educational  privileges, 
attending  the  common  and  higher  schools  of  his 
locality,  and  for  two  or  three  years  he  was  a 
student  in  the  college  at  Carlinville,  Illinois. 
In  the  bom,'  he  was  trained  to  habits  of  in- 
dustry and  integrity  and  thus  laid  the  founda- 
tion  for  his  successful  and  honorable  career. 

On  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  Horace 
Waggoner  was  married  in  Jacksonville.  Illi- 
nois, on  the  2d  of  January,  L88  I.  to  Miss  Sarah 
E.  Street,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Montgomery 
county,  Illinois,  the  family  home  being  in  Pit- 
man township,  where  her  girth 1   days  were 

passed.  Her  father.  Wesley  Street,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky  and  when  a  young  man  came 
to  Macoupin  county,  where  he  ivas  married  to 
Miss    Margaret    Williamson,    a    native    of   that 


county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Waggoner  began  their 
domestic  life  upon  the  farm,  where  -he  and  her 
sons  now  reside.  Mr.  Waggoner  owned  a  valua- 
able  trad  of  land  of  more  than  five  hundred 
acres,  which  he  developed  into  a  splendidly  im- 
proved place.  He  was  very  successful  as  a 
general    farmer,   stock-raiser   and    feeder.     He 

thoroughly  understood  the  i Is  of  the  soil,  the 

effects  id'  the  climate  and  the  value  of  the  rota- 
tion of  crops  and  in  all  of  his  farming  methods 
he  was  progressive,  keeping  in  touch  with  the 
advancement  that  is  continually  being  made  by 
the  agricultural  class.  He  also  raised  and  fed 
good  grades  of  stock  and  made  large  annual 
shipments  to  the  city  markets.  He  possi — d 
excellent  qualification-  as  a  financier,  was  a  man 
of  keen  discernment  and  marked  enterprise. 
He  organized  and  founded  the  Bank  of  Wag- 
goner in  1896  and  served  as  president  of  that 
institution  until  his  death,  making  it  one  of 
the  strong  and  reliable  financial  concerns  of 
the  county. 

Unto  Horace  G.  and  Sarah  Waggoner  wire 
born  five  sons.  By  a  former  marriage  he  had 
one  daughter.  Bertha,  who  is  now  the  wife  of 
W.  C.  Barnett.  There  are  but  two  of  the  sons 
of  the  latter  marriage  now  living.  Willis  ami 
Wallace,  twins,  having  died  in  infancy,  while 
Ray  Street  died  in  his  third  year.  Those  still 
living  are  Horace  C.ailen  and  Loren  Stanley, 
both  at  home. 

Mr.  Waggoner  was  an  active  member  and 
faithful  worker  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  largely  promoting  the  various  church 
activities  and  also  the  work  of  the  Sunday- 
school.  He  likewise  exemplified  in  his  life  the 
beneficent  spirit  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  be- 
ing a  Master  Mason  with  membership  in  the 
blue  lodge  at   Raymond.      He   belonged   to   the 

Modern   W linei)  camp  of  Waggoner  and  was 

on,'  of  the  organizers  of  the  Mutual  Protective 
League,  in  which  he  served  as  suprema 
treasurer  until  his  death.  In  his  busi- 
ness affairs  lie  was  thoroughly  reliable  and 
trustworthy,  conducting  all  business  transac- 
tions in  a  manner  to  win  the  confidence  and 
esfiem  id'  the  public.  He  was  a  faithful  friend 
and, in  his  home  a  devoted  husband  and  father, 
finding  his  greatest  happiness  in  promoting  the 
welfare  of  his   wife  and   children.     He  passed 


HORACE  G.  WAGGONER 


MRS.  SARAH  E.  WAGGONER 


II.  G.  WAGGONER 


MRS.  BERTHA  W.  BARNETT 


LOREN  S.  WAGGONER 


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away  September  19,  1901,  and  his  loss  was 
deeply  deplored,  for  he  endeared  himself  to  all 
with  whom  lie  was  associated,  whether  iu  busi- 
ness or  social  relations. 

Since  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Wag- 
goner has  taken  chaTge  of  and  carried  on  the 
home  farm  and  she  also  retains  In  r  interest  in 
the  Bank  of  Waggoner,  being  one  of  its  large 
stockholders.  She  is  a  successful  business 
women,  her  ability  being  manifest  and  de- 
veloped through  the  necessity  which  devolved 
upon  her  in  earing  for  the  estate  after  her  hus- 
band's demise.  She  gives  careful  supervision 
to  her  farming  interests  and  the  home  place 
presents  a  much  neateT  and  better  condition 
than  the  ureal  majority  of  the  farms  in  the 
county.  She  is  greatly  attached  to  the  home, 
where  her  married  life  lias  hem  passed  and  where 
she  has  enjoyed  the  companionsip  and  love  of 
husband  and  children.  She  is  a  member  of 
the  Christian  church  of  Waggoner  and  is  a 
lady  of  many  excellent  traits  of  character,  of 
kindly  spirit  and  cheerful  disposition  and  her 
many  good  qualities  of  heart  and  mind  have 
won  her  the  highest  regard  and  friendship 
of  all. 


JOHN  McCALLTJM. 

John  McCallum  has  been  a  resident  of  Illi- 
nois since  the  spring  of  1858  and  has  been 
identified  with  the  interests  of  Montgomery 
county  since  March,  1862.  He  is  now  classed 
with  the  thrifty  and  energetic  farmers  and 
stock-raisers  of  Raymond  township,  owning  a 
valuable  tract  of  land  of  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  on  sections  1  and  12.  He  is 
numbered  among  the  worthy  citizens  that  Scot- 
land has  furnished  to  the  new  world,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Ayreshire  on  the  15th  of 
January,  1853.  His  father,  Archibald  McCal- 
lum. was  also  a  native  of  that  country  and  was 
descended  from  a  long  line  of  worthy  Scotch 
ancestors.  He  married  Cecelia  Prentis,  also  a 
native  of  the  land  of  the  hills  and  heather. 
Mr.  McCallum  was  an  engineer,  being  employed 
in  the  operation  of  a  stationary  engine  for  a 
number  of  years.     Three   children   were  born 


unto  him  and  his  wife  in  their  native  country 
and  in  1858  they  bade  adieu  to  friends  and 
native  land  and  sailed  for  America,  making 
their  way  direct  to  Illinois.  They  located  in 
Madison  county,  where  Mr.  McCallum  joined 
his  uncle  and  a  brother.  He  began  working 
upon  his  uncle's  farm,  being  employed  there  for 
four  years  and  in  March,  1862,  he  came  to 
Montgomery  county,  locating  in  Rountree  town- 
ship, where  his  uncle  owned  a  farm  which 
Mr.  McCallum  cultivated  for  several  years. 
His  last  days,  however,  were  spent  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Raymond,  where  he  died  on  the  6th 
of  March,  1904,  after  a  brief  residence  in  the 
town.  His  wife  died  in  this  county  July  7, 
1862.  In  their  family  were  four  children,  of 
wl i  John  McCallum  is  the  eldest.  The  oth- 
ers are  Jeanette,  the  wife  of  Joe  Kessinger,  a 
butcher  of  Raymond;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Charles 
Peebles,  a  prominent  and  influential  citizen  of 
Decatur.  Illinois;  and  Archibald,  a  successful 
agriculturist  and  well-known  citizen  of  Roun- 
tree township. 

John:  McCallum  spent  the  first  five  years  of 
his  life  in  his  native  hind  and  was  then  brought 
by  his  parents  to  America,  becoming  a  resident 
of  Montgomery  county  when  a  youth  of  nine, 
years.  Here  he  was  reared  and  after  attending 
the  common  schools  later  spent  one  term  in  the 
Alton  high  school.  He  began  earning  his  own 
Living  by  working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the 
month,  being  thus  employed  for  two  years  and 
on  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  began  farm- 
ing on  his  own  account  by  renting  a  tract  of 
land  in  Rountree  township.  After  his  mar- 
riage  he  continued  to  operate  rented  land  in 
that  township  for  about  eleven  years  and  then 
with  the  capital  which  he  had  acquired  through 
Ins  industry,  economy  and  good  management, 
lie  purchased  two  hundred  acres  of  land,  upon 
which  he  now  resides.  Taking  up  his  abode 
upon  that  place  he  began  to  farm  his  property 
and  add  to  its  improvements.  He  has  since 
built  a  good  house  and  barn,  has  planted  an 
orchard  which  is  now  in  good  bearing  condi- 
tion, and  has  also  set  out  maple,  ash.  walnut 
and  other  trees,  which  add  to  the  value  and  at- 
tractive appearance  of  the  place.  He  has  great- 
ly improved  his  property,  making  it  one  of 
the  best  farms  of  the  community  and  in  addi- 


196 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    CO!  VIA 


lion  In'  also  owns  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Roun- 
t  ree  township. 

()n  the  23d  of  March,  1882,  Mr.  McCallum 
was  married  to  Mis?  Emma  Walters,  of  Roun- 
tree  township,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Walters. 
Tin  \  now  have  three  children:  Hugh,  Bessie 
and  Mandie.  Mrs.  McCallum  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  Mr.  Mc- 
Callum attends  services  there  and  contributes 
tn  the  support  of  the  church,  although  he  was 
reared  in  the  Presbyterian  faith.  Politically  he 
i-  a  Republican  where  national  issues  are  in-" 
reived,  and  since  casting  his  first  ballot  for 
James  A.  Garfield  he  has  supported  each  presi- 
dential nominee  of  the  party,  but  at  local  elec- 
tions he  rotes  independently,  regarding  only  the 
capability  of  the  candidate.  In  Eountree  town- 
ship he  served  as  collector  for  two  terms  and 
as  road  commissioner  for  seven  years,  but  he 
has  never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of 
office  seeking,  preferring  to  give  his  time  and 
attention  to  his  farm  and  the  enjoyment  of  the 
home,  lie  is  a  member  of  the  Woodmen,  a  fra- 
ternal insurance  order.  During  a  residence  of 
more  than  a  third  of  a  century  he  has  aided 
materially  in  building  up  and  improving  the 
county  and  has  been  thoroughly  and  closely 
identified  with  its  development,  its  prosperity 
and  its  upbuilding,  lie  is  a  loyal  son  of  his 
adopted  land,  a  courteous,  genial  gentleman,  an 
honest  yeoman  and  a  credit  to  the  community 
in  which  he  makes  his  home. 


ROBERT  BRYCE. 
Robert  Bryce,  whose  position  in  public  con- 
fidence and  regard  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that 
for  Eorty-three  years  he  has  served  as  treas- 
urer of  Butler  Grove  township,  is  to-day  the 
owner  of  one  of  the  fines!  farms  of  Montgomery 
county,  splendidly  equipped  with  all  modern 
improvements.  The  tract  covers  two  hundred 
and  sixt]  acres,  part  of  which  is  lying  within 
the  corporation  limits  of  Butler.  Mr.  Bryce 
was  born  in  Doune,  Perthshire,  Scotland,  on 
the  22d  of  September,  1821,  and  is  one  of  a 
family  of  ten  children,  seven  sons  and  three 
daughters.  When  sixteen  years  of  age  he  be- 
gan working  at  the  blacksmith's  trade,  serving 


a  three  years'  apprenticeship  in  his  lather's 
blacksmith  shop.  He  remained  at  home  until 
1849,  when,  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years, 
he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world,  for 
he  bad  heard  favorable  report-  concerning  busi- 
ness opportunities  in  this  country  and  believed 
that  he  might  find  better  conditions  and  ad- 
vantage- here,  lie  settled  first  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  in  the  spring  oJ  L850,  and  there  con- 
ducted  a  blacksmith  shop  for  sis  years.  In 
1856  he  arrived  in  Montgomery  county,  where 
he  again  opened  a  shop,  which  he  conducted  for 
a  year.  Later  he  built  the  blacksmith  shop  in 
which  he  has  since  continuously  carried  on 
business,  working  at  In-  trade  in  addition  to 
farming.  In  1863  he  wenl  upon  his  farm  near 
Butler  and  there  resided  continuously  until 
L895,  when  he  took  up  his  abode  in  the  vil- 
lage, lie  owns  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the 
county,  and  its  improvements  are  of  a  splendid 
character  and  were  all  made  by  him.  The  place 
covers  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  very 
rich  land,  and  upon  this  property  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  raising  of  Holstein  cattle,  which 
branch  of  his  business  proved  very  successful. 

In  1852  Mr.  Bryce  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Sophia  Heath,  and  unto  them  were 
born  three  children:  Eliza,  who  died  in  1884; 
Robert,  who  is  now  living  in  California,  being 
a  conductor  on  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad; 
and  George  M.,  deceased.  In  1861  Mr.  Bryce 
was  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with 
Sarah  McMurtry.  They  had  three  children: 
Maggie,  the  wife  of  J.  A.  Wallis;  Mamie,  the 
wife  of  George  V.  Ware:  and  Thomas  L.,  a 
machinisi  of  Springfield,  Illinois,  who  is  su- 
perintendent and  director  of  the  Aetna  Ma- 
chine Works  of  that  city. 

When  eighteen  years  of  age  Mr.  Bryce  be- 
came a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
with  which  he  was  connected  until  1850,  when 
he  united  with  the  Associated  Reformed  church. 
In  1856,  when  the  Presbyterian  church  of  But- 
ler was  organized,  he  beca one  of  its  origi- 
nal fourteen  members  and  was  ordained  a  rul- 
ing elder,  in  which  position  he  ha-  since  served. 
The  church  has  found  him  a  liberal  supporter 
and  active  worker,  and  he  has  put  forth  every 
effort  in  his  power  to  advance  its  interests  and 
promote  its  activities.     In   polities  he  is  a  very 


ROBERT   BKYCE 


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PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


1.99 


stench  Republican,  unfaltering  in  his  support 
of  the  party,  and  in  1861  he  was  elected  town- 
ship treasurer  of  Butler  Grove  township,  which 
office  he  lias  since  filled,  covering  a  period  of 
forty-three  consecutive  wars.  Certainly  no 
higher  testimonial  of  his  faithfulness  could  be 
giveu  than  the  fact  that  lie  has  been  so  long 
retained  in  office.  He  is  now  well  advanced  in 
years,  having  readied  the  eighty-third  mile- 
stone on  life's  journey,  ami  his  has  been  an 
honorable  career,  actuated  by  high  principles 
ami  worthy  motives.  There  are  in  his  life 
record  many  elements  that  are  worthy  of  emu- 
lation and  should  serve  as  a  source  "I'  encour- 
agement ami  inspiration  to  those  who  desire 
success  and  at  the  same  time  have  a  just  regard 
for  the  value  of  character. 


HON.  EDWARD  A.  EICE. 

Hon.  Edward  A.  Rice,  whose  intelligence 
and  well  directed  energy  have  led  to  substantial 
sueci  sses  in  business,  is  also  equally  prominent 
in  political  circles,  his  recognized  ability  and 
personal  popularity  winning  him  high  honors 
so  that  he  is  now  serving  for  the  second  term 
as  a  member  of  the  Illinois  legislature.  To 
trace  the  history  of  ;t  successful  life,  lie  it  in 
the  electrical  world  of  business  where  competi- 
tion is  rife:  in  the  intellectual  field  where 
devotees  open  up  the  wider  realms  of  knowl- 
edge; or  in  a  public  sphere,  where  is  directed 
the  course  of  government  and  where  arc  formed 
the  policies  that  sway  state  and  nation,  must 
ever  prove  profitable  and  satisfying  indulgence, 
for  the  history  of  the  individual  is  the  history 
of  the  community  and  the  history  of  the  com- 
munity is  the  history  of  the  state.  Under  the 
initial  element  of  this  category  may  wo  direct 
attention  to  the  life  of  him  whose  name  initiates 
this  review.  He  has  achieved  desirable  success 
in  commercial  circles,  has  gained  high  reputa- 
tion in  bis  political  career  and  at  the  same  time 
his  private  life  has  been  exemplary  and  worthy 
of  emulation. 

"Mr.  Rice  was  born  in  Gillespie,  Macoupin 
county.  Illinois,  in  1863.  His  father.  Hugh 
Rice,  was  a  native  of  Ireland  and  came  to  the 
United  States  in    1833,  locating  first  in  Alton, 


where  he  remained  until  1849.  Then  at  the 
time  of  the  gold  excitement  in  California  he 
made  bis  way  to  the  mines  upon  the  Pacific 
roust,    but    on    the   expiration    of    two    or    three 

years  he  retur I    to    Illinois  and   invested  the 

money  which  he  had  obtained  in  his  "diggings" 
in  a  farm  near  Gillespie  and.  turning  his  at- 
tention to  agricultural  pursuits,  be  continued 
to  cultivate  the  property  until  his  death.  He 
possessed  excellent,  business  ability,  keen  fore- 
sight ami  energy,  and  while  he  was  always 
straightforward  in  his  business  transactions  he 
yet  conducted  his  affairs  so  as  to  win  large 
successes,  and  at  his  death  was  the  owner  of 
about  fifteen  hundred  acres  id'  valuable  land. 
He  was  a  Catholic  in  his  religious  faith  and 
a  Mason  in  bis  fraternal  relations,  lie  served 
as  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  war  and  was  one 
of  its  pensioners.  His  political  allegiance  was 
given  the  Democracy,  lie  married  Christiana 
Boosinger,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and 
whose  father  was  a  farmer  and  one  of  the  early- 
settlers  of  Macoupin  county.  Illinois.  Mrs. 
Rice  was  an  Episcopalian  in  religious  faith, 
and  her  death  occurred  in  1879,  when  she  was 
fifty-two  years  of  age,  while  Mr.  Rice,  surviv- 
ing her  about  twenty  years,  died  in  1899,  at 
the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-two  years.  They  were 
the  parents  of  eleven  children:  Emmet,  a 
farmer  of  Gillespie,  who  is  now  serving  as 
treasurer  of  Macoupin  county:  Mary,  the  wife 
of  William  Steidley,  an  insurance  man  of  Den- 
ver,  Colorado:  Henry  11..  a  resident  farmer  of 
Gillespie;  .lames,  a  miner  of  Joplin,  "Missouri; 
Kate,  the  wife  of  Louis  1  >.  Zenor,  an  account- 
ant of  Los  Angeles,  California:  Edward  A.; 
I. aura,  the  wife  of  M.  .1.  Gainy,  a  merchant  of 
Gillespie;  May,  deceased;  William  H.  a  farmer 
of  Gillespie;  one  that  died  in  infancy;  and 
Maude,  the  wife  of  Edward  [bbetson,  a  real- 
estate  dealer  of  Los  Angeles,  California. 

In  bis  native  town  Edward  A.  Rice  pursued 
bis  education  and  afterward  went  upon  a  farm, 
being  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  at  No- 
komis.  Illinois,  for  ten  years.  In  1892  lie  came 
to  Litchfield  and  was  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  for  eleven  years,  conducting  the  en- 
terprise with  good  SUCCeSS.  lie  then  sold  out 
and  had  no  active  business  connection  for  two 
years.     In  1903,  however,  he  embarked  in  the 


,,., 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


gram  trade,  which  now  claims  his  attention. 
His  business  furnishes  a  good  market  for  the 
grain  producers  of  this  Ideality  and  his  annual 
purchases  and  sales  are  extensive  and  are  so 
judiciously  conducted  that  Ids  business  lias 
proved  a  gratifying  source  of  profit. 

In  1885  Mr.  Rice  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Stella  Durdy,  who  was  born  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  in  1866,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Alex- 
ander ( !.  and  Josephine  ( Burbaeh)  Durdy. 
Her  father  was  a  gram  dealer  at  Ohlman  in 
Montgomery  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rice  have 
six  children:  L'ual.  Cleo,  Emmet,  Addis,  Ralph 
and  Josephine.  Mrs.  Rice  is  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  church  and  Mr.  Rice  holds  member- 
ship relations  with  the  Benevolent  Protective 
Order  of  Elks.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  leaders  of  the  Democracy  in  Montgomery 
count]  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  board  of 
education  of  Litchfield.  In  1900  he  was  elected 
t<>  represent  his  district  in  the  state  legislature 
and  in  1902  was  re-elected,  being  the  third 
representative  from  the  county  that  has  ever 
been  chosen  for  a  second  term.  In  all  of  the 
positions  of  honor  ami  trust  either  of  business 
or  political  nature  to  which  he  has  been  called 
he  has  distinguished  himself.  His  honesty  and 
integrity  have  been  unquestioned,  while  time 
has  proven  the  soundness  ami  wisdom  of  most 
of  the  measures  which  he  has  advocated.  In 
the  general  assembly  he  lias  been  an  earnest, 
zealous  and  untiring  worker,  and  the  public 
g I  and  not  self-aggrandizement  has  domi- 
nated his  course. 


RANTER  HAYNES,  M.  D. 

In  the  practice  of  medicine  Dr.  Baxter 
Hawies  has  become  widely  known  and  his  pro- 
fessional  skill  and  personal  worth  have  won 
for  him  an  enviable  position  in  the  public  re- 
gard. He  is  now  living  in  Fillmore  township, 
and  is  a  native  of  Barren  county,  Kentucky, 
bom  December  20,  1827.  His  parents  were 
William  and  Annie  (Henley)  Haynes.  His 
paternal  -rand I'al  her.  John  llavnes,  was  born 
in  England,  and  when  sixteen  years  of  age 
came  to  America,  settling  in  this  country  whin 
it  was  still  numbered  among  the  colonial  pos- 


sessions of  Great  Britain.  He  served  lor  three 
years  during  the  latter  part  of  tin'  Revolution- 
ary war.  He  was  married  in  North  Carolina 
to  Miss  Mary  Stice,  who  was  born  in  Germany 
and  was  brought  to  the  n,»  world  when  thir- 
teen years  of  age.  They  removed  from  the  Old 
North  state  to  Kentucky  at  an  early  period  in 
its  development.  He  followed  {farming 
throughout  bis  entire  life  and  lived  to  be  one 
hundred  ami  two  years  of  age,  while  his  wife 
passed  away  in    Kentucky  when  in  the  nineties. 

It  was  in  North  Carolina  that  William 
llavnes  was  reared,  lie  was  born  there,  and 
when  a  youth  of  thirteen  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  removal  to  the  Blue  Grass  state. 
He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  also  be- 
eame  a  minister  of  the  Baptisl  church.  In 
1829  he  left  Kentucky  and  removed  to  Illinois, 
settling  in  .Morgan  county  among  its  early  resi- 
dents. Like  his  neighbors  he  had  to  face  the 
hardships  and  trials  incident  to  pioneer  life, 
but  he  made  the  most  of  his  opportunities  and 
succeeded  in  laying  the  foundation  for  a  good 
home  for  his  family.  He  there  died  in  1831. 
He  hail  married  Miss  Annie  Henley,  a  daughter 
of  Timothy  and  Mary  (Mosler)  Henley.  They 
were  of  Irish  birth  and  were  married  in  North 
Carolina.  Timothy  Henley  was  killed  two 
years  after  his  marriage,  and  was  supposed  to 
have  been  murdered  in  the  Blue  Eidge  mount- 
ains. His  widow-  afterward  became  the  wife 
of  William  Totty  and  removed  to  Kentucky, 
the  family  home  being  established  upon  a  farm 
there.  Mrs.  Totty  spent  her  remaining  days 
in  that  locality,  passing  away  when  more  than 
ninety  years  of  age.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  llavnes 
were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  but  only 
three  are  now  living. 

Dr.  Haynes  was  only  about  two  years  old 
when  taken  by  bis  parents  to  Illinois,  and  was 
reared  upon  a  farm  in  Morgan  county.  He 
afterward  began  life  on  his  own  account  on  a 
tract  of  land  which  he  secured  from  the  gov- 
ernment and  there  lie  carried  on  general  farm- 
ing until  twenty-eight  years  of  age.  He  then 
studied  under  Dr.  V.  L.  Raustick,  of  Seottville, 
Illinois,  and  having  prepared  for  the  practice 
of  medicine  he  opened  an  office  in  Dallas 
county.  Texas,  where  he  remained  for  one  year, 
or  until  the  fall  of  185b.     He  then  returned 


DR.    AND   MRS.    BAXTER    1IAYNKS 


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203 


to  this  state  and  settled  in  Montgomery  county 
in  1863,  since  which  time  he  lias  practiced 
within  its  borders.  He  attended  lectures  at 
Rush  Medical  College  in  1864-5  and  was  gradu- 
ated from  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons at  St.  Louis  thirty  years  ago.  He  has 
read  broadly  concerning  bis  profession,  has 
kept  in  touch  with  the  improvements  and  prog- 
ress that  have  been  made  in  connection  with 
the  medical  science  and  in  his  practice  has 
been  very  successful,  carrying  comfort  into 
many  a  household  as  he  ably  ministered  to  the 
needs  of  the  sick  and  suffering. 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1849,  Dr.  Haynes 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Susan  Bull, 
who  died  in  March.  1863,  and  on  the  20th  of 
February.  1864,  he  was  again  married,  his  sec- 
ond union  being  with  Margaret  J.  Brown,  of 
Hillsboro.  lie  had  five  children  by  the  first 
marriage  and  four  children  by  the  second  mar- 
riage, and  seven  of  the  Dumber  are  now  livin°\ 
namely  :  Moses,  Mrs.  Jane  Nichols,  Mrs.  Annie 
Lynn,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Smith.  William.  Mrs. 
Carolyne  Estella  Smithfield  and  Mrs.  Effie  May 
Jett. 

Dr.  Haynes  proved  his  loyalty  to  the  gov- 
ernment in  two  wars,  serving  his  country  in 
the  war  with  Mexico,  as  a  member  of  Company 
G,  First  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  in 
the  Rebellion  he  was  captain  of  Company  E. 
<»ne  Eimdred  and  Twenty-second  Illinois  In- 
fantry, with  which  he  served  for  two  years. 
He  organized  this  company  in  1862,  and  with 
his  command  he  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Parkers  Crossroads,  Tupelo,  Fort  Blakely  and 
many  skirmishes.  He  was  never  wounded,  nor 
was  he  in  the  hospital,  and  after  three  years 
of  honorable  and  active  service  hi  was  mus- 
tered out  in  1864.  Tie  has  always  been  as  true 
and  loyal  to  bis  country  and  her  best  interests 
as  be  was  when  he  followed  the  old  flag  upon 
the  battle-fields  of  the  south. 

Roth  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Haynes  are  members  of 
the  Baptist  church  and  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  being  made  a  Mason  in 
1866  at  Donnellson,  Illinois.  His  political  al- 
legiance is  given  to  the  Democracy.  When  he 
arrived  in  Montgomery  county  he  purchased 
forty  acres  of  land  and  is  now  the  possessor 
of  three  hundred    iH   thirty-seven   and   a   half 


acres,  constituting  one  of  the  valuable  farms 
of  the  county.  II is  wife  also  owns  forty 
acres  in  her  own  name.  Dr.  Haynes  has 
made  iiinst  of  the  improvements  upon  his 
property  ami  lias  capably  conducted  his  agri- 
cultural  interests  as  well  as  bis  profession. 
He  bas  long  been  accounted  f  the  suc- 
cessful physicians  of  Ibis  portion  of  the  state 
and  be  has  kept  informed  concerning  ad- 
vaneed  ideas  relative  to  the  medical  practice 
through  bis  membership  in  the  county,  dis- 
trict and  state  medical  societies.  lie  is  now 
the  second  oblest  practitioner  of  the  county,  and 
although  he  has  now  passed  the  Psalmist's  span 
of  three  score  years  and  ten  be  is  yet  to  some 
extent  engaged  in  practice,  responding  to  the 
calls  of  many  who  have  for  years  been  num- 
bered among  bis  patients. 


W.   II.    II.   BLACKBURN. 

W.  II.  II.  Blackburn,  who  carries  on  general 
farming  in  Bast  Fork-  township,  is  one  of 
Ohio's  dative  sons,  bis  birth  having  occurred 
in  Clark  county,  August  5,  1836.  His  parents 
were  George  W.  ami  Ann  (Fuller)  Blackburn, 
the  former  a  native  of  Virginia,  where  be  spenl 
his  boyhood  days  and  was  reared  to  the  occu- 
pation of  farming.  In  early  manhood  be  re- 
moved to  Ohio,  where  he  was  married,  and  sub- 
sequently he  went  with  bis  family  to  Indiana, 
whence  he  afterward  came  to  Illinois,  settling 
in  Montgomery  county.  This  was  in  1840  and 
he  was  one  of  the  early  pioneer  residents  of  this 
portion  of  the  state.  For  more  than  a  half 
century  he  remained  in  Illinois  and  bis  mind 
bore  the  impress  of  main  pictures  of  piomer 
experiences  and  conditions. 

W.  II.  II.  Blackburn  was  reared  upon  the 
old  family  homestead  in  Fast  Fork  township, 
working  in  the  fields  and  meadows  through  the 
summer  months,  while  in  the  winter  seasons 
he  mastered  Hie  branches  of  learning  taught  in 
the  public  schools.  When  twenty-one  years  of 
age  he  entered  upon  his  business  career,  being 
first  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  in 
a.  sawmill.  He  devoted  six  years  to  that  in- 
dustry  and  then  began  farming  upon  the  [dace 
wh  iv  he  now   resides.     Tie  broke  tin'  sod   and 


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PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


after  turning  the  furrows  planted  his  crops, 
which  in  course  of  time  brought  forth  good 
harvests.  Year  alter  war  he  continued  his 
labors,  working  from  earl)'  morning  until  late 
at  night.  He  has  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
in  the  home  place,  and  one  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  in  Fillmore  township,  and  also  forty  acres 
m  East  Fork  township,  so  that  his  landed  pos- 
sessions now  comprise  four  hundred  acres, 
which  is  the  visible  evidence  of  his  life  of  thrift 
and  industry.  He  has  been  the  builder  of  four 
houses,  two  in  Coffeen  and  two  in  Fillmore 
township.  In  the  early  days  he  hauled  rails 
over  the  wild  prairie  when  there  were  few  roads 
and  win  n  fences  had  not  been  built  to  indicate 
the  individual  owner  of  property.  Mr.  Black- 
burn received  five  hundred  dollars  from  his 
father  to  aid  him  in  starting  out  in  life,  but 
with  this  exception  all  that  he  now  possesses, 
both  realty  and  personal  property,  has  been 
acquired  through  his  own  labors. 

In  1859  Mr.  Blackburn  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Miranda  Wood,  who  died  in  ls.M. 
leaving  three  children:  Frank,  who  is  living 
in  Missouri;  Annie,  who  married  Hardy  Gates 
and  resides  in  Montgomery  county  ;  and  Flora, 
the  wife  of  Martin  Mason,  a  merchant  of  Fill- 
more. Mr.  Blackburn  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  being  with  Tabitha  Gates,  of 
North  Carolina.  They  have  four  children,  who 
were  reared  in  Montgomery  county:  John  Em- 
mett;  Addie,  who  in  19CM  married  Willet  Nich- 
ols and  resides  at  Coffeen :  Harry :  and  Fay. 
Mrs.  Blackburn  is  a  member  of  the  ('umber- 
land  Presbyterian  church.  Mr.  Blackburn 
votes  with  the  Democracy  and  keeps  in  touch 
with  the  questions  ami  issues  of  the  day,  but  has 
never  sought  or  desired  office  as  the  reward  for 
party  fealty.  His  attention  is  chiefly  given, 
however,  to  his  business  affairs  and  he  is  rais- 
ing both  grain  and  stock  with  good  success. 


CHARLES  H.  POLAND. 
Charles  11.  Poland,  who  follows  farming  and 
stock-raising,  is  one  of  the  active  sons  of 
Montgomery  county,  whose  present  place  of 
residence  was  also  his  birthplace.  He  was  born 
April  13,  1861,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Sal- 


lie  M.  N.  (Stokes)  Poland.  His  parents  were 
natives  of  Tennessee  and  came  thence  to  Illi- 
nois, settling  in  Fayette  county.  The  father 
removed  to  this  state  with  his  parents  when 
thirteen  years  of  age,  and  he  afterward  became 
the  owner  of  a  farm,  upon  which  the  town  of 
Ramsey,  Illinois,  has  been  built.  He  came  to 
Montgomery  county  in  1856,  locating  on  the 
farm  which  is  now-  the  home  of  his  son,  Charles 
H.  Here  he  began  the  development  of  his  land, 
comprising  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  and 
he  continued  its  cultivation  until  he  had  made 
it  a  very  productive  and  valuable  property.  He 
died  August  29,  1898,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two 
years,  and  his  widow,  who  still  survives  him, 
is  living  in  Fillmore,  Illinois,  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years. 

Charles  11.  Poland,  having  acquired  his  pre- 
liminary education  in  the  common  schools  of 
Montgomery  county,  afterward  spent  two  terms 
as  a  student  in  the  Northern  Indiana  Normal 
College  at  Valparaiso.  He  then  returned  home 
and  engaged  in  farming  until  1900,  when  he 
went  to  Metcalf,  Illinois,  where  he  conducted 
a  general  mercantile  store  for  about  two  years. 
In  190-?.  however,  he  sold  his  property  there 
and  returned  to  his  farm.  He  has  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  well  improved  land, 
and  this  is  very  rich  ami  arable,  the  well  tilled 
fields  yielding  to  him  splendid  harvests  in  re- 
turn for  the  care  ami  labor  he  bestows  upon 
them.  He  has  good  improvements  upon  his 
property  and  is  widely  known  as  an  enterpris- 
ing agriculturist. 

On  the  10th  of  January,  1886,  Mr.  Poland 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Amanda  E. 
Craig,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Nancy  Craig, 
of  Fayette  county.  Illinois.  They  became  the 
parents  of  two  children,  Can-oil  and  Roxie,  and 
Mrs.  Poland  died  on  the  16th  of  August.  1898. 
On  the  27th  of  March.  1902,  Mr.  Poland  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with 
Maude  Knowles,  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Mahala  Knowles.  who  were  early  settlers  of 
Montgomery  county,  and  the  father  is  now  liv- 
ing in  Fillmore. 

Mr.  Poland  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  he  also  be- 
longs to  the  Court  of  Honor.  He  votes  with 
the  Republican  party,  has  served  on  the  village 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 
IRSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


C.   H.   POLAND 


MR.    AND    MRS.    JACOB    POLAND 


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01-    I  HE 
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PAST    AND    PRESENT    OK    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


209 


board  of  Fillmore,  has  been  township  collector 
and  was  on  the  school  board  for  six  years.  The 
public  duties  thus  placed  upon  him  have  ever 
been  faithfully  discharged,  and  he  is  ever  loyal 
to  a  trust,  whether  of  a  public  or  a  private 
nature.  In  his  business  relations  he  is  thor- 
oughly reliable,  and  he  deserves  to  he  classed 
among  the  representative  fanners  of  Witt 
township. 


HENRY  KEITH AUS. 

Henry  Neuhaus.  who  for  eight  years  has  been 
engaged  in  general  merchandising  in  Farmers- 
ville,    w-as    born    in    Madison    county.    Illinois, 
August  18,  1869.    His  father.  Henry  Neuhaus, 
St.,  was  a  native  of  Germany   and   spent  the 
days   of   his   youth    in    that    country    and    was 
married   there  ere  his   emigration   to   the   new 
world.      The   year    1864    witnessed    his   arrival 
in   America.     Crossing  the  Atlantic,   he   made 
his   way    direct  to    Madison    county,   Illinois, 
where  he  located  upon  a   farm   and  still  makes 
bis  home,  being  one  of  the  prosperous  and  high- 
ly respected  agriculturists  of  that  community. 
Henry  Neuhaus.  whose  name  forms  the  cap- 
tion of   this   review,   was   born    and    reared    in 
Madison  county  and   remained   upon  the   farm 
with  his  father  until   he  had  attained  his  ma- 
jority.    He  had  fair  common-school  advantages, 
pursuing    his   education     through    the     winter 
months,    while    during    the    summer    season    he 
assisted  in  the  labors  of  plowing,  planting  and 
harvesting.     He  made  the   most   of  his  oppor- 
tunities in  the  schoolroom,  being  an  apt  scholar, 
and    broad     reading   and     experience    in     later 
years  have  also  largely  added  to  his  knowledge. 
While  residing  in  Madison  county  Mr.  Neu- 
haus   was     married    in    1892     to    Miss     Sophia 
Linker,  who  was  horn   in  that  county  and  was 
of'German  parentage.     Her  girlhood  days  were 
spent    in  the  same  neighborhood  in  which  Mr. 
Neuhaus  resided  and  as  hoy  and  girl   they  at- 
tended  school  together.     Following  their  mar- 
riage   they    began    (heir   domestic    life    upon    a 
farm  in  Madison  county  and  there  resided  for 
five   years,   his  attention   being  devoted   to  the 
tilling  of  the  soil.     In  1897,  however,  believing 
that   he   would   prefer  a   mercantile   career,   he 


bought  out  an  established  business  in  Farmers- 
Mile  and  has  since  been  identified  with  the 
commercial  interests  of  the  town.  He  now 
carries  a  well  -elected  stock  id'  general  goods, 
including  dry  goods  and  groceries,  and  his  pat- 
ronage has  constantly  increased  until  he  has 
become  one  of  the  prosperous  business  men  of 
his  locality,  lie  owns  his  own  store  building, 
which  is  a  neat,  well  arranged  and  well  lighted 
business  house  ami  his  unfaltering  courtesy  to 
his  patrons  and  his  earnest  desire  to  render 
satisfaction  in  all  trade  relations  have  secured 
to  him  a  business  that  is  represented  by  a  large 
figure  annually,  in  addition  to  his  store  he 
also  owns  a  neat  residence  which  he  has  re- 
built and  remodeled,  making  a  delightfully 
comfortable  home. 

Unto  Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Neuhaus  have  been  born 
four  children:  Paul.  Albert,  Bertha  and  Marie. 
The  parents  were  reared  in  the  Lutheran  faith 
and  arc  members  of  the  church  of  that  denom- 
ination in  Farmersville.  Politically  Mr.  Neu- 
haus is  a  Republican  and  is  now  serving  as  a 
member  of  the  village  board,  having  been 
elected  on  that  ticket,  lie  exercises  his  official 
prerogatives  in  support  of  measures  which  he 
deems  will  prove  of  benefit  to  the  town  and 
whether  in  or  out  of  office  gives  loyal  allegiance 
to  everything  pertaining  to  the  general  wel- 
fare. In  his  trade  relations  he  has  made  an 
honorable  name,  for  he  has  never  been  known 
to  take  advantage  of  the  necessities  of  his  fel- 
low men.  lives  faithfully  up  to  the  terms  of 
every  contract  and  fulfills  every  obligation. 


JOSHUA  OSBORN. 
Joshua  Osborn,  interested  in  general  farming 
in  Audubon  township,  was  born  on  the  9th  of 
April,  1836,  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  his 
parents  being  William  and  Sarah  (Manwaring) 
Osborn.  The  father  came  from  England.  He 
was  a  shoemaker  by  trade  and  followed  that 
calling  in  Philadelphia  prior  to  the  Mexican 
war.  When  there  was  need  of  military  service 
he  responded  to  the  call  of  his  adopted  coun- 
try and  joined  the  army,  but  his  health  became 
impaired  from  wounds  and  disease  contracted 
while  at  the  front  and  be  died  when  bis  son 


'.'Ill 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


.Joshua  was  but  ten  years  of  age.  He  had  mar- 
ried Sarah  Manwaring,  whose  father  was  of 
English  birth,  while  her  mother,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Piatt,  was  of  French  descent.  He 
died  when  ninety-six  years  of  age  and  his  wife 
reached  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  It  will 
thus  be  seen  that  Mrs.  Sarah  Osborn  came  of 
a  family  noted  for  longevity  and  she  reached 
the  venerable  age  of  eighty-six  years  and  at 
her  death,  which  occurred  at  the  home  of  her 
son  Joshua,  she  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  cemetery 
near  Mountainburg,  Arkansas.  In  the  family 
were  two  sons,  the  elder  being  John  L.  Osborn, 
who  conducts  a  general  store  in  Oscoda,  Michi- 
gan.    He  is  married  and  has  two  children. 

Joshua  Osborn  was  educated  in  Michigan. 
In  early  childhood  his  family  had  removed 
from  Philadelphia  to  Mount  Holly,  New  Jer- 
sey, and  when  he  was  a  lad  of  six  summers  the 
family  home  was  established  at  Rochester, 
Michigan,  twenty-five  miles  north  of  Detroit. 
There  Mr.  Osborn  attended  the  public  schools 
until  sixteen  years  of  age.  when  he  entered 
upon  life's  practical  duties  by  learning  the  shoe- 
maker's trade,  which  he  Followed  for  four  years, 
lie  arrived  in  Audubon  township.  Montgomery 
county,  Illinois,  in  1856,  and  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  land  in  Hurricane  township,  Fayette 
county.  Illinois,  but  never  resided  upon  that 
place.  For  six  years  after  his  arrival  here  he 
was  employed  by  (Mis  Little,  three  years  before 
entering  the  army  anil  three  years  after  his 
return  from  the  front. 

Prompted  by  a  spirit  of  partiotism  Mr.  Os- 
born responded  to  tin1  president's  call  for  troops 
and  on  the  3d  of  July.  1861,  enlisted  in  de- 
fense of  the  Union  as  a  private  of  the  Thirty- 
fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  being  mustered  in  at 
Jefferson  Barracks.  He  served  as  commissary 
sergeant  and  was  honorably  discharged  Sep- 
tember 27,  1864,  after  more  than  three  years' 
connection  with  the  army.  He  took  part  in 
the  battles  of  Pea  Ridge,  Perryville,  Stone 
River,  Chiekamauga,  Missionary  Ridge  and  all 
of  the  battles  of  the  Atlanta  campaign  until 
the  capitulation  of  that  city.  He  was  very 
fortunate  in  that  he  was  never  captured  nor 
wounded,  yet  be  never  faltered  in  the  perform- 
ance nf  any  duty,  although  it  called  him  into 
the  thickest  of  the  fight. 


Mr.  Osborn  was  married  on  the  20th  of  Feb- 
ruary. 1868,  to  Miss  Emma  F.  Bishop,  a 
daughter  id'  Robert  K.  Bishop,  of  Audubon 
township.  Mrs.  Osborn  was  the  elder  of  their 
two  children  and  Frank  Bishop  was  the  young- 
er. By  her  marriage  she  lias  become  the  moth- 
er of  three  children :  Frank  J.,  who  married 
Eva  West,  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old 
families  of  Audubon  township,  is  living  in 
Ohlman  and  has  one  child.  Otis  Ray.  Howard 
L.  is  a  resident  of  Jacksonville,  Illinois.  Eva 
M.  has  completed  the  course  in  the  district 
schools  and  expects  to  continue  her  education 
in  a  high  school. 

After  coining  to  Montgomery  county  Mr. 
Osborn  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land.  Later 
he  removed  to  Ford  county,  Kansas,  where  he 
secured  a  homestead  claim  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  going  to  that  state  in  1884.  In 
1886  he  removed  his  family  to  the  claim  and 
proved  it  up  by  living  upon  it  for  five  years. 
He  afterward  traded  that  land  for  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  four  acres  in  Arkansas,  where 
he  also  spent  five  years,  coming,  however,  to 
Montgomery  county  upon  the  expiration  of  that 
period.  He  has  been  quite  successful  here  in 
his  fanning  operations  and  now  has  a  good 
property  of  eighty  acres,  which  is  well  im- 
proved and  is  kept  in  excellent  condition.  He 
has  been  connected  to  greater  or  less  extent 
with  the  county  since  1856  and  is  therefore 
known  to  many  of  its  older  settlers  as  well  as 
its  later  citizens.  While  bis  life  lias  been  quiet- 
ly passed  it  has  exemplified  a  spirit  of  industry 
and  enterprise  that  is  most  commendable  and 
has  been  the  basic  element  of  his  present  com- 
fortable competence. 


MARSHALL    DKISKELL. 

'Idle  name  id'  Driskell  is  one  well  known  in 
Montgomery  county,  for  the  subject  of  this 
review  and  others  of  the  family  have  been  act- 
ivelv  and  successfully  engaged  in  farming  here 
for  many  years.  'Marshall  Driskell.  now  re- 
siding on  section  21,  Zanesville  township,  is 
living  a  retired  life,  enjoying  a  rest  which  he 
has  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves,  for 
through  many  vears  he  was  an  active  factor  in 


MR.    AND    MRS.    MARSHALL    D1MSKELL 


LIBRARY 

OF  TH£ 
UNIVERSITY  OF  '.LLiNOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


213 


farming  interests  and  he  became  the  owner  of 
a  well  improved  tract  of  land  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres. 

Mr.  Driskell  lias  intimate  knowledge  of  the 
history  of  Illinois  through  a  long  period,  for 
he  became  a  resident  of  the  state  about  1835 
and  has  lived  in  Montgomery  county  since 
1851.  He  was  born  in  Gallatin  county,  Ken- 
tucky. December  27,  1825,  and  was  a  son  of 
William  Driskell,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
that  state  and  was  there  married  to  Sarah 
Owens,  also  a  native  of  Kentucky.  The  father 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  in  Kentucky, 
and  both  he  and  his  wife  died  there.  They 
were  the  parents  of  three  children  and  they 
departed  this  life  during  the  early  boyhood  of 
their  son  Marshall. 

Thus  left  an  orphan  at  a  tender  age,  Mar- 
shall Driskell  was  reared  by  bis  uncle.  John 
Owens,  and  with  him  came  to  [llinois  in  1833, 
settling  in  Macoupin  county,  where  he  attained 
his  majority.  Desiring  a  companion  and  help- 
mate for  the  journey  of  life,  he  was  married 
in  that  county  in  1850  to  Miss  Louisa  Davis, 
who  was  born  and  spent  her  girlh 1  in  Ken- 
tucky, whence  she  came  to  Illinois.  In  L851 
Mr.  Driskell  brought  his  young  wife  to  Mont- 
gomery county  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land,  comprising  both  timber  and  raw  prairie 
land.  This  lie  at  once  began  to  clear  and  im- 
prove, and  he  opened  up  an  excellent  farm.  He 
afterward  bought  another  eighty  acre  tract  ad- 
joining, and  with  characteristic  energy  he  be- 
gan the  development  of  Ids  property.  In  the 
early  days  he  underwent  many  of  the  hard- 
ships and  adversities  incident  to  pioneer  life 
when  one  lias  but  limited  capital,  but  as  the 
years  passed  by  he  was  enabled  to  enjoy  many 
of  the  comforts  ami  conveniences  known  to  the 
older  east.  He  built  a  neat  and  substantial 
residence,  a  good  barn  and  other  necessary 
buildings  upon  his  place.  He  also  planted  an 
orchard,  made  fences,  cultivated  his  fields  and 
raised  good  stock.  As  he  found  opportunity 
he  extended  the  boundaries  of  bis  farm  by 
additional  purchase  until  he  owned  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres,  but  be  has  since  given 
his  son  an  eighty  acre  tract  and  now  retains 
possession  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on 
section    21.    Zanesville    township.      Tn    raising 


both  grain  and  stock  he  was  successful,  and  at 
length  be  had  saved  from  his  earnings  and  the 
sale  of  his  products  a  capital  sufficient  to  en- 
able him  to  put  aside  further  active  farm  labor 
and  live  m  the  enjoyment  of  a  well  earned 
rest. 

In  1894  Mr.  Driskell  lost  his  wife,  who  had 
for  many  years  been  a  faithful  companion  and 
helpmate  to  him  on  life's  journey.  They  were 
the  parents  of  six  children,  but  they  lost  their 
youngest,  a  daughter,  in  early  childhood.  The 
others  are  John,  who  is  conducting  the  home 
farm  and  is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  vol- 
ume; Alice  E..  the  wife  of  George  Martin; 
•fames  M.,  who  owns  and  operates  a  well  im- 
proved farm  adjoining  his  father's  land  in 
Zanesville  township;  Sarah  Catherine,  who  is 
acting  as  her  father's  housekeeper;  and  Net- 
tie L.,  the  wife  of  Robert  Allen,  a  resident 
farmer  of  Zanesville  township. 

Politically  Mr.  Driskell  is  a,  stanch  Demo- 
crat, believing  firmly  in  the  principles  of  the 
party  and  never  desiring  office  as  a  reward  for 
his  political  allegiance.  He  belongs  to  the 
Christian  church,  in  which  he  is  serving  as 
an  elder,  and  in  its  work-  he  takes  an  active  in- 
terest. As  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the 
-tati'.  be  certainly  deserves  mention  in  this 
volume,  for  his  residence  lure  covers  almost 
seventy  years.  This  has  been  a  period  of  the 
marvelous  growth  and  development  in  Illinois, 
and  no  one  feels  greater  pride  in  what  has 
been  accomplished  along  substantia]  lines  than 
does  Mr.  I  (risked,  while  in  the  community 
where  he  has  long  made  bis  home  he  lias  ever 
borne  his  part  in  the  work  of  improvement  and 
upbuilding. 


THEODORE  BUMANN. 

Theodore  Bumann,  an  inventor  and  manufac- 
turer, operating  an  extensive  productive  in- 
dustry of  Litchfield,  was  born  in  Bunker  Hill, 
Macoupin  county,  in  1857.  and  is  of  German 
lineage.  His  parents,  Frederick  and  Catherine 
(Knlil)  Bumann.  were  both  natives  of  Ger- 
many and  the  father  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  in  1848.  He  finally  located  at  Bunker 
Hill,  where  he  became  a  grain  merchant  and 


214 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


also  made  extensive  investments  in  farm  prop- 
erty until  he  is  now  a  large  landowner.  By 
trade  he  is  a  plasterer,  but  was  a  grain  mer- 
chant from  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  until  he 
retired  from  active  business  life.  He  is  now 
living  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  comfortable  com- 
petence that  has  been  acquired  entirely  through 
his  enterprising  efforts.  As  a  business  man  he 
has  figured  prominently  in  commercial  circles 
and  in  political  life  has  also  been  recognized  as 
a  local  leader.  He  has  served  as  a  member  of 
the  council  and  as  mayor  of  Bunker  Hill  and 
his  devotion  to  the  general  good  has  been  mani- 
fest by  active  co-operation  in  the  measures 
which  have  had  for  their  object  the  substantial 
improvement  of  his  city.  He  has  been  called 
to  office  as  a  Republican  candidate,  having  long 
supported  the  party.  Fraternally  he  is  identi- 
fied with  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge.  His  wife  is 
also  living  and  is  now  seventy-seven  years  of 
age.  In  the  family  were  nine  children,  four  of 
whom  yet  survive. 

Theodore  Bumann  having  obtained  his  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  of  Bunker  Hill 
was  later  engaged  in  the  hardware  business 
there,  conducting  his  store  for  about  fifteen 
years.  lie  early  displayed  considerable  me- 
chanical ability  and  inventive  ingenuity  and  he 
continued  his  experiments  until  he  had  per- 
fected  a  siphon  oil  can,  upon  which  he  received 
a  patent  in  1892.  The  following  year  ho  came 
to  Litchfield  and  built  a  factory  for  the  manu- 
facture of  tins  can.  His  establishment  com- 
prises a  large  plant,  the  building  being  twenty- 
six  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  and  with  the 
others  he  occupies  four  thousand  six  hundred 
feet  of  floor  space  and  employs  twenty-five  peo- 
ple, including  traveling  salesmen.  The  product 
of  (lie  factory  is  shipped  to  almost  every  state 
in  the  Union.  Everything  about  the  place  is 
m  a  flourishing  condition  ami  although  the  fac- 
tory is  being  operated  to  its  full  capacity  the 
supply  is  not  equal  to  the  demand.  Mr.  Bu- 
mann  also  invented  .in  improved  mouse  trap 
which  lie  manufactures,  and  other  products  of 
tin  Eactory  are  various  kinds  of  sheet  metal 
ware.  Altogether  lie  makes  over  twenty-five  dif- 
ferent articles,  hut  the  principal  output  are  oil 
cans,  pails  and  traps.  Unlike  many  men  of  in- 
ventive genius  Mr.  Bumann  also  |>"?sesses  good 


business  and  executive  ability  and  has  made  his 
enterprise  a  profitable  one.  His  brother,  A. 
M.  Bumann,  who  is  a  teacher  of  manual  train- 
ing in  the  normal  school  in  Pittsburg,  Kansas, 
is  financially  interested  in  the  business. 

In  1885  Mr.  Bumann  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Caroline  Hintz.  who  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, a  daughter  of  E.  C.  F.  Hintz,  who  was 
a  cabinet-maker  by  trade  and  settled  in  Bunker 
Hill  in  the  "70s.  .Mr.  ami  -Mrs.  Bumann  have 
three  children:  Harry,  Doris  E.  and  Albert. 
Mr.  Biimann  is  connected  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  camp  at  Bunker  Hill,  and  he  exer- 
cises his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  men 
and  measures  of  the  Republican  party.  He 
belongs  to  that  class  of  representative  American 
citizens  who,  while  promoting  their  individual 
interests,  also  advance  the  general  welfare,  and 
he  is  new  a  leading  factor  in  manufacturing 
circles  in  this  city. 


JOHN  W.  RITCHIE. 

John  W.  Ritchie  has  been  a  resident  of  Mont- 
gomery county  for  almost  a  half  century,  hav- 
ing located  here  in  1855.  He  was  born  August 
14.  1834,  his  parents  being  John  and  Seeley 
(Blackwelder)  Ritchie,  who  were  natives  of 
North  Carolina,  horn  in  Cabarrus  county.  The 
grandparents  had  been  residents  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, whence  they  removed  to  the  Old  North 
state,  founding  the  family  there.  They  were 
fanning  people,  living  in  a  manner  common  in 
colonial  days,  and  their  religious  faith  was  that 
of  the   Lutheran  church. 

John  Ritchie  was  born  in  1T98  and  died  in 
the  year  1854.  His  wife  passed  away  in  the 
same  year  and  they  wen'  laid  to  resi  near  their 
home  in  North  Carolina.  Mr.  Ritchie  had 
been  a  farmer  and  miller  and  he  was  also  the 
owner  of  slaves,  having  twelve  negroes  at  the 
time  of  his  death  who  were  worth  one  thou- 
sand dollars  each.  These  were  sold  together 
with  the  land  and  the  proceeds  of  the  estate 
was  then  divided  among  the  children.  In  the 
family  were  six  children,  of  whom  John  W. 
was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth.  Mary  Ann  be- 
came the  wife  of  Wilson  Ridenhour  and  after 
bis    deatli    married    Milas    Bond,    who    is    also 


JOHN  W.   RITCHIE 


LlBRAHY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  '.LLiNOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


217 


deceased^  but  his  widow  is  yet  living  in  North 
Carolina.  Elizabeth  married  Jacob  A.  Cruse 
and  both  died  in  North  Carolina.  Martin  A. 
is  living  in  North  Litchfield  township,  Mont- 
gomery county.  Daniel  M.  was  killed  by  a 
horse  in  childhood.  Sallie.  who  married  Jacob 
A.  Cruse,  died  in  North  Carolina  in  1884  at 
the  age  of  forty-eight  years. 

John  W.  Ritchie  was  educated  in  the  state 
of  his  nativity,  attending  both  subscription  and 
free  schools  and  later  continuing  his  studies 
in  the  schools  of  Illinois.  He  came  to  this 
state  m  1855  with  his  brother  and  his  family, 
settling  on  section  15,  North  Litchfield  town- 
ship. Later  lie  purchased  a  tract  of  land  of 
more  than  two  hundred  acres  and  as  a  com- 
panion and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  he  chose 
Miss  Rachel  S.  Cress,  a  daughter  of  George 
Henry  Cress,  of  North  Carolina,  while  her 
grandparents  were  from  Pennsylvania.  Her 
parents  resided  in  Cabarrus  county.  North 
Carolina,  near  Concord,  and  her  father  was  a 
farmer  and  slaveholder.  He  died  in  the  Old 
North  state  and  his  land  was  afterward  sold 
and  his  widow  came  to  Illinois,  arriving  here  in 
1855.  She  then  made  her  home  with  her  chil- 
dren until  her  death,  which  occurred  Septem- 
ber 7.  1901,  when  her  remains  were  interred 
in  the  Lutheran  cemetery  in  Litchfield.  She 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Fogleman 
and  belonged  to  one  of  the  old  and  prominent 
families  of  North  Carolina.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Cress  were  born  five  children,  of  whom 
the  eldest  was  Mrs.  Ritchie,  who  was  educated 
in  North  Carolina  and  was  married  the  year 
following  her  arrival  in  Illinois.  Eliza,  the 
second  daughter,  became  the  wife  of  M.  A. 
Ritchie  and  died  in  North  Carolina  in  1854. 
Martha  afterward  married  M.  A.  Ritchie  and 
is  still  living.  Helena  is  the  wife  of  D.  M. 
Blackwelder,  of  Litchfield.  Lotus  C.  died  in 
is  15  at  the  age  of  three  years  and  was  buried 
in  North  Carolina. 

John  W.  Ritchie  and  his  brother  purchased 
about  three  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land 
after  they  completed  the  payment  on  the  prop- 
erty it  was  divided  between  them.  Our  subject 
has  since  made  additional  purchases  until  his 
landed  possessions  now  aggregate  four  hundred 
and   fifty  acres.     He  has  greatly  improved  the 


home  farm,  upon  which  lie  resides,  making  it 
a  very  productive  and  valuable  tract  of  land, 
equipped  with  substantial  buildings  and  sup- 
plied with  modern  facilities  and  the  latest 
improved  machinery  to  promote  the  farm  work. 

Unto  -Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ritchie  were  born  eleven 
children:  George  A.,  who  died  in  infancy; 
James  M..  at  home;  .Lira  J.,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; Mary  E.  and  Sarah  E.,  at  home;  Joel 
K..  who  died  in  infancy  ;  C.  A.,  a  grocer  of 
Litchfield,  who  married  Margaret  Taulbee; 
Flora  P..  who  is  the  wife  of  William  E.  Bowles, 
of  North  Litchfield  township,  by  whom  she  has 
two  children,  Ruth  P.  and  J.  Stanley;  Alice 
Ann.  at  home;  Louise  E.,  who  died  in  infancy; 
and  Albert  L.,  of  North  Litchfield  township, 
who  married  Anna  Wahlrop  and  has  two  chil- 
dren, Morris  G.  and  John  M. 

Mr.  Ritchie  has  always  been  an  earnest  Demo- 
crat. Ins  first  presidential  ballot  being  cast  for 
Stephen  A.  Douglas,  since  wdiich  time  he  has 
never  faltered  iii  the  allegiance  to  his  party. 
IP'  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Evangel- 
ical church,  of  Litchfield.  They  have  long 
traveled  life's  journey  together,  sharing  with 
each  other  its  joys  and  sorrows,  its  adversity 
and  prosperity.  They  reared  a  family  of  chil- 
dren of  whom  they  have  every  reason  to  be 
proud  and  to  them  they  have  given  good  edu- 
cational privileges  and  in  addition  to  attend- 
ing the  common  schools  James  and  Charles 
have  been  students  in  Litchfield  and  Albert  in 
Valparaiso.  Indiana.  Mr.  Ritchie  has  also  been 
interested  in  the  upbuilding  and  development  of 
the  county,  furthering  all  measures  for  the 
practical  good  and  at  the  same  time  conduct- 
ing his  private  business  affairs  so  as  to  win 
success. 


HENRY  CRESS. 


Henry  Cress,  who  has  attained  deserved 
financial  success  by  reason  of  an  active  busi- 
ness career,  was  born  in  Fillmore  township, 
Montgomery  county,  in  1865.  His  father,  Dan- 
iel Cress,  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  born 
in  1835  and  in  18,56  he  came  to  Illinois,  set- 
tling in  Fillmore  township,  this  county,  where 
he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits,  residing  on 


218 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


one  farm  for  forty-three  years.  In  1900,  how- 
ever, he  removed  to  his  present  farm  in  the 
same  township.  He  lias  been  very  successful  in 
conducting  agricultural  interests  and  is  now 
the  owner  of  five  hundred  acres  of  valuable 
land.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the 
Democracy  and  his  religious  faith  is  indicated 
by  his  membership  in  the  Lutheran  church. 
He  wedded  Mary  J.  Sanders,  a  daughter  of 
Alva  and  Chloe  Sanders.  Her  father  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  was  a  great  traveler, 
visiting  many  parts  of  the  new  world  and  gain- 
ing thereby  broad  knowledge  and  experience. 
He,  too,  supported  the  Democracy.  Mrs.  Cress 
was  born  in  Audubon  township,  Montgomery 
county,  and  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-six  years. 
By  her  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  ten 
children,  nine  of  whom  reached  years  of  ma- 
turity :  Bettie,  who  is  the  wife  of  T.  C.  Dough- 
erty, of  Auburn,  Nebraska ;  Katie,  who  married 
Claypole  Whitten  and  is  living  on  the  old  home- 
stead; Martin,  a  farmer  who  makes  his  home 
in  Hillsboro ;  Henry ;  Lillie,  the  wife  of  Robert 
Wright,  a  farmer  who  resides  near  Irving; 
Hattie,  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Harvey,  an  agricul- 
turist of  Nebraska;  Peter,  at  home:  William, 
who  is  living  with  his  brother;  and  Luvena, 
who  is  the  widow  of  T.  F.  Haven  and  is  liv- 
ing in  Fillmore  township. 

Henry  Cress  acquired  his  education  in  the 
district  schools  near  his  home,  being  reared  to 
manhood  upon  the  old  farmstead.  He  assisted 
his  father  in  its  operation  until  twenty-five 
years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  Hillsboro  and 
began  clerking,  but  in  1903  he  began  business 
for  himself.  He  has  prospered  in  his  undertak- 
ings and  is  interested  in  the  Hillsboro  Electric 
Railway  Company. 

In  1898  Mr.  Cress  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Julia  Lohr.  a  daughter  of  William 
Lohr,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He 
was  born  in  Germany  and  at  an  early  day  came 
to  Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  casting  in  his 
lot  with  its  pioneer  settlers.  He  soon  became 
recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  and  influential 
residents  of  this  locality.  Mrs.  Cress  was  born 
in  Witt  township.  Montgomery  county,  in  1873, 
and  by  her  marriage  lias  become  the  mother  of 
one  child,  Foster,  who  was  born  in  Hillsboro 
in  1S99.     Mrs.  Cress  holds  membership  in  the 


Presbyterian  church.  Mr.  Cress  gives  his  po- 
litical allegiance  to  the  Democracy  and  while 
deeply  interested  in  the  success  of  his  party 
has  never  sought  or  desired  office.  He  and  his 
family  have  a  beautiful  home  in  Hillsboro  and 
enjoy  the  warm  regard  of  a  large  circle  of 
friends. 


A.  K.  VANDEVEE. 


A.  K.  Vandever,  the  editor  of  the  Irving 
Time-  and  also  proprietor  of  the  Irving  furni- 
ture store,  was  burn  in  Moweaqua,  Illinois, 
September  14,  1855.  His  parents  were  Aaron 
S.  and  Isabella  Vandever,  the  former  a  prac- 
ticing physician  at  Oconee,  Illinois.  He  was 
following  bis  profession  there  when  in  response 
to  his  country's  need  he  enlisted  in  Company  I, 
Thirteenth  .Missouri  Infantry,  and  was  wound- 
ed at  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson.  In  1863 
be  came  to  Irving,  Illinois,  but  he  never  re- 
covered from  bis  wound  and  ultimately  it 
caused  bis  death  in  1868.  He  was  then  but 
forty-four  years  of  age.  His  widow,  long  sur- 
viving him,  departed  this  life  in  1895,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-four  years. 

A.  K.  Vandever  acquired  his  early  educa- 
tion in  flic  public  schools  and  afterward  at- 
tended the  Central  Normal  College  of  Dan- 
ville. Indiana.  When  twenty-seven  years  of 
age  he  began  teaching  school  in  Montgomery 
county  ami  in  1900  he  turned  his  attention  to 
journalistic  work  in  connection  with  S.  J. 
Cottrell.  ,A  year  later  he  purchased  his  part- 
ner's interest  in  the  Irving  Times,  which  is  an 
excellent  local  newspaper  that  keeps  apace  with 
the  progressive  spirit  of  journalism  and  which 
is  devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  the  home 
locality.  Mr.  Vandever.  however,  has  not  con- 
fined his  attention  alone  to  this  line,  but  is 
an  act i vi'  factor  in  the  commercial  interests  of 
the  town,  conducting  a  good  furniture  store. 

In  1884  Mr.  Vandever  was  married  to  Miss 
Mamie  Haller,  a  daughter  of  E.  L.  Haller,  of 
Illinois,  ami  to  them  were  born  three  children: 
A.  E.,  who  is  eighteen  years  of  age;  Lester  K., 
a  youth  of  fourteen:  and  Frankie,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  three  months.  The  parents  are 
members  of  the   Presbyterian   church  and  Mr. 


LESTER  K.  VANDEVEE 


A.  K.  VANDEVEE 


MKS.  A.  K.  VANDEVEE 


A.  EDWAED  VANDEVEE 


LiBRAHY 

OF  I  HE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


221 


Vandever  is  now  serving  as  a  member  of  the 
building  committee  for  the  erection  of  the  new 
church,  lie  belongs  to  Irving  lodge.  No.  455, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  ami  to  the  Mutual  Protective 
League,  No.  8,  of  which  he  is  now  secretary, 
lie  has  been  active  in  public  life  ami  has  filled 
various  offices,  serving  as  police  judge,  as  super- 
visor for  two  terms,  as  assessor,  as  a  member  of 
the  school  board  and  for  two  terms  as  justice 
of  the  peace,  being  elected  to  these  positions  on 
the  Republican  ticket.  He  advocates  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  party  by  active  service  in  political 
campaigns  and  he  is  found  as  the  champion 
of  every  measure  which  is  dominated  by  a  spir- 
ii  of  progress  and  improvement  in  behalf  of 
the  community. 


JOHN  C.  CRABTREE. 

For  almost  sixty  years — the  entire  period 
of  his  life — John  ('.  Crabtree  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Montgomery  county.  He  was  born 
November  1.  1847,  in  Smith  Litchfield  town- 
ship, upon  the  farm  where  John  Simpson  now 
resides.  II  i>  lather.  John  Crabtree,  came 
from  Kentucky  to  Illinois  when  a  young  man 
and  was  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  settlers. 
He  lived  here  when  the  greater  part  of  the 
land  was  still  unimproved  and  when  the  work 
of  progress  and  development  lay  Largely  in  the 
future.  There  were  many  hardships  and  trials 
to  be  borne  in  establishing  homes  in  this  lo- 
cality, but  with  resolute  spirit  lie  met  all  diffi- 
culties and  triumphed  over  many  obstacles. 
He  married  Miss  Nancy  Griffith,  and  he  car- 
ried his  household  goods  across  a  footlog 
which  spanned  the  Long  branch.  They  lived 
in  a  little  rail  shack  until  a  cabin  could  be 
erected,  and  Mr.  Crabtree  carried  water  from 
a  spring  a  mile  and  three-quarters  from  his 
home,  hut  both  he  ami  his  wife  bravely  met 
the  pioneer  conditions  and  in  course  of  time 
were  enabled  to  enjoy  many  more  of  the  com- 
forts and  conveniences  of  life.  As  the  years 
passed  they  became  the  parents  of  twelve  chil- 
dren, seven  sons  and  five  daughters,  all  of 
whom  reached  adult  age  and  were  married 
with  the  exception  of  the  youngest  two.  The 
three   eldest    are   now   deceased,   but   eight   of 


the  number  arc  now  living.  Both  parents, 
however,  are  deceased. 

Upon  the  old  homestead  farm  John  C. 
Crabtree  spent  the  da_\s  of  Ins  boyhood  and 
youth  and  assisted  in  the  arduous  task  of  de- 
veloping new  fields,  lie  attended  the  com- 
mon schools  in  the  winter  months  and  in  the 
summer  seasons  gave  his  father  the  benefit  of 
his  labors.  In  1868  lie  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  ,Mis>  Esther  Witmer,  ami  they  be- 
came the'  parents  of  Jive  children:  Fanny,  the 
wife  of  Charles  Wethers;  Hettie,  the  wile  of 
Rufus  Gamble,  a  resident  of  Seattle.  Wash- 
ington; Chris,  who  is  located  at  Great  Falls, 
Montana;  John  Q.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  ope- 
raliou  of  a.  sawmill  in  California;  and  David, 
who  is  in  the  Treadwell   mines  in  Alaska. 

At  the  time  of  bis  marriage  Mr.  Crabtree 
received  from  his  father  a  gift  of  forty  acres 
of  land  near  Litchfield  and  resided  thereon 
for  a  year.  He  then  purchased  a  farm  on  sec- 
tion 28,  Hillsboro  township,  and  has  since 
blade  it  bis  home.  It  comprises  one  hundred 
and  nineteen  acres  of  land,  about  live  and  a 
half  miles  southwest  of  Hillsboro.  and  the 
fields  are  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
while  in  the  pastures  are  found  good  grades 
of  stock.  He  raises  cattle  and  hogs  and  bis 
sales  bring  to  him  a  good  profit  on  his  in- 
vestment. His  is  a  well  equipped  farm,  and 
wiih  the  exception  of  the  assistance  which  be 
received  from  In-  father  at  time  of  his  mar- 
riage Mr.  Crabtree  has  made  bis  way  unaided 
in  the  business  world  and  deserves  considerable 
credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  while  he  keeps 
well  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues  of 
the  day.  as  every  true  American  citizen  should 
do.  He  has  no  ambition  for  public  office,  pre- 
ferring to  devote  his  undivided  attention  to 
In-  business  interests,  in  which  be  is  meeting 
with   well   merited    success. 


POY  A.   RHINE. 

Poy  A.  Rhine,  who  was  born  June  28,  IPSO, 
upon  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  is  a  rep- 
resentative of  one  of  the  old  families  of  Illinois. 
His   paternal     grandfather   was    born    in     this 


222 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


state  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  His 
children  wore  Charles.  William,  Gardner,  Riley, 
Jesse.  Arthur,  George  T.,,  Mrs.  Lillie  Hupp  and 
Mrs.  Alice  Hupp.  The  sisters  are  yet  living. 
His  father,  George  T.  Rhine,  is  also  a  native 
of  Illinois,  born  in  Macoupin  county.  Septem- 
ber 10',  1847,  and  of  German  lineage.  He  wed- 
ded Mary  Spear,  a  native  of  New  Jersey  and 
of  English  lineage,  her  birth  occurring  October 
26,  1850.  The  father  developed  his  farm  from 
the  raw  prairie  and  made  all  of  the  improve- 
ments thereon,  transforming  it  from  a  tract 
of  wild  land  into  a  place  of  rich  fertility,  the 
fields  yielding  good  harvests.  He  died  April 
16,  1899,  and  his  wife  on  the  24th  of  March, 
of  the  same  year.  They  had  four  children,  but 
Frank  died  in  infancy.  Charles  died  in  April, 
1899,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years;  Luther 
died  March  31,  1899.  and  thus  the  parents 
and  the  two  sons  passed  away  within  a  month, 
the  physicians  being  unable  to  determine  the 
disease  which  caused  their  deaths. 

Roy  A.  Rhine  spent  his  boyhood  days  under 
the  parental  roof  and  acquired  his  education  in 
the  Walker  school  in  Nokomis.    He  has  always 
carried  on  agricultural   pursuits  from  the  time 
when   he  was  trained  to   farm  labor  by  work- 
ing in  his  father's  fields.     He  began  farming 
on  his  own  account  upon  the  place  where  he 
now  resides,  having  here  eighty  acres  of  land. 
He  is  the  only  survivor  of  his  father's  family. 
In  his  farming  operations  he  has  been  energetic 
and  purposeful  ami  by   means  of  his  untiring 
industry  he  has  won  a  fair  measure  of  success. 
On  the  17th  of  July,  1901.  Mr.   Rhine  was 
married  to  Miss  Flora  Eddington,  a  daughter 
of   Wesley   and   Ella  Eddington,  of   Macoupin 
county.  Illinois.     She  is  of  English  descent  and 
her   parents    were    early    settlers    of    Macoupin 
countv.      Mr.   and    Mrs.    Rhine    now   have   two 
sons:     George  Wesley,  who  was  born  in  Jan- 
uary,  1902;  and  Benjamin,  born  February   1, 
1904.     Mrs.  Rhine  acquired  her  literary  educa- 
tion in  the  town  schools  of  Macoupin  county, 
has  been  liberally  educated  in  music  and  is  an 
excellent  performer  on  the  piano.     Mr.  Rhine 
■   votes  with  the  Democracy,  but  while  he  keeps 
well  informed   on  the   questions  and  issues  of 
the  day  so  as  to  cast  an  intelligent  ballot  he 
has  never  sought  or  desired  office,  preferring  to 


give    his    undivided    attention    to    his    business 
affairs. 


WILLIAM    T.   QUARTLEY. 

William  T.  Quartley,  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Montgomery  county,  whose  residence 
here  dates  from  1877,  is  living  on  section  32, 
Raymond  township,  where  he  has  a  well  im- 
proved and  valuable  farming  property  of  two 
hundred  acres.  He  was  born  in  Somerset- 
shire, England,  July  4,  1853.  His  father, 
Thomas  Quartley,  was  descended  from  a  long 
line  of  English  ancestors,  and  in  his  native 
land  was  married  to  Miss  Harriet  Hooper, 
also  born  on  the  "merrie  isle.''  Mr.  Quartley 
reared  his  family  in  England  and  continued  a 
resident  of  that  country  until  called  to  his 
final  rest. 

William  T.  Quartley  was  there  reared,  at- 
tending public  schools,  and  in  early  manhood 
became  imbued  with  the  desire  to  seek  a  home 
and  fortune  in  the  new  world,  having  heard 
favorable  reports  concerning  the  opportunities 
here  afforded.  He  was  twenty-three  years  of 
age  when,  in  1S77,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  and 
located  in  Montgomery  county,  Illinois.  Hav- 
ing no  capital  with  which  to  purchase  land,  he 
began  work  as  a.  farm  hand  and  was  thus  em- 
ployed for  two  years,  alter  which  he  rented  a 
farm  for  several  years.  Subsequently  he  pur- 
chased a  part  of  his  present  farm,  becoming 
the  owner  of  an  improved  place  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  and  with  characteristic 
energv  he  began  i is  further  cultivation  ami  de- 
velopment. At  a  later  date  he  extended  its 
boundaries  by  the  purchase  of  an  additional 
tract  nf  forty  acres.  He  has  been  raising  good 
graded  shorthorn  cattle,  boss  and  horses,  and 
as  a  stock-raiser  and  dealer  he  has  met  with 
gratifying  and  well  merited  success.  He  con- 
tinued his  labors  uninterruptedly  until  1889, 
when  he  returned  to  his  native  country  and 
visited  his  parents  and  friends,  remaining  for 
one  year  in  the  Old  World.  He  also  went  to 
Scotland  and  Ireland,  visiting  the  important 
cities  of  those  countries  and  other  points  of 
historic  and  modern  interest,  and  also  spent 
two    weeks    in    the    city    of    London.      In    1890 


ME.    AND    MRS.    W.    T.    QUARTLEY 


LIBRARY 

Of  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OE    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


225 


he  again  came  to  America,  and  in  189*2  he 
made  a  second  visit  to  England,  where  he  re- 
newed the  friendships  of  his  youth. 

Mr.  Quartley  married  while  abroad,  having 
for  fourteen  years  been  in  eorespondence  with 
the  lady  whom  he  made  his  wife.  It  was  on 
the  1th  of  February,  1893,  that  he  was  joined 
in  wedlock  to  Miss  Marian  Pish,  who  was  born 
in  England,  hut  was  of  Scotch  lineage.  Her 
father  was  a  farmer  of  England,  and  they  were 
married  in  the  "Id  church  in  her  native  town. 
She  was  born  in  Elworthy  and  had  remained 
under  the  parental  roof  until  she  gave  her 
hand  in  marriage-  to  Mr.  Quartley.  They 
sailed  from  Liverpool  on  the  8th  of  February, 
and  on  the  steamship  Majestic  they  arrived  in 
the  New  York  harbor  on  the  16th  of  that 
month.  They  then  went  south  on  a  wedding 
trip  and  afterward  came  to  Illinois,  where  a 
reception  was  held  I'm-  them  on  the  26th  of 
February  by  a  half-brother  at  his  home  in 
Macoupin  county. 

Politically  Mr.  Quartley  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican where  national  questions  and  issues  are 
involved,  hut  at  local  elections  he  votes  inde- 
pendently. He  lias  never  sought  or  desired 
office  for  himself,  hut  has  given  his  undivided 
attention  to  his  business  affairs,  in  which  he 
lias  prospered,  lie  was  reared  in  the  faith  of 
tlie  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  His  wife 
was  reared  in  the  Episcopal  faith,  hut  since 
coming  to  America  has  joined  the  Methodist 
church  with  her  husband.  Mr.  Quartley  is  an 
industrious  and  successful  farmer  and  has 
made  for  himself  an  honored  name  in  the  land 
of  his  adoption.  He  has  many  sterling  traits 
of  character,  being  of  kindly  spirit,  of  gener- 
ous disposition  and  of  strong  manhood  and 
honorable  purpose.  He  and  his  estimable  wife 
are  much  esteemed  in  the  community,  and 
with  pleasure  we  present  the  record  of  their 
careers  to  the  readers  of  this  volume. 


THOMAS  H.   WOOD. 

Thomas  H.  Wood,  the  efficient  police  magis- 
trate of  Litchfield,  who  is  also  extensively  ope- 
rating in  real  estate,  carrying  on  business  as  a 
member   of    the    firm    of   Wood    Brothers,    was 


born  June  28,  L857,  in  Montgomery  county, 
his  parents  being  John  and  Elizabeth  (Wil- 
liams) Wood,  lie  remained  upon  the  home 
farm  until  twenty-six  years  of  age  and  in  1885 
he  became  a  resident  of  Raymond,  where  he 
began  business  as  a  contractor  and  builder, 
erecting  many  buildings  there  and  elsewhere. 
In  1893  he  became  actively  and  extensively  en- 
gaged in  real  estate  operations  by  building  an 
addition  to  Raymond  and  purchasing  the  land. 
which  he  divided  and  sold  as  town  lots  or  in 
small  trail.-  of  about  a  quarter  of  a  block  each. 
He  also  traded  for  the  Park  View  addition  to 
the  town  and  closed  out  that  subdivision.  He 
has  owned  various  kinds  of  property  including 
unimproved  swamp  land,  coal  mines,  farm 
lands  and  business  property  and  he  has  prob- 
ably bought  and  sold  more  property  than  any 
other  one  man  in  the  county.  Realizing  the  dis- 
advantages attending  the  conduct  of  his  busi- 
ness in  a  small  town,  Raymond  having  only  a 
population  of  about  fifteen  hundred,  he  re- 
moved to  Litchfield  in  order  that  he  might 
have  better  railroad  and  other  facilities,  taking 
up  his  abode  here  March  12,  1901. 

In  connection  with  bis  real  estate  interests 
Mr.  Wood  has  conducted  an  insurance  business 
as  agent  for  different  fire,  life  and  accident  in- 
surance companies,  representing  the  John  Han- 
cock, the  Mutual  Life,  the  Aetna  Accident  and 
also  large  fire  insurance  companies. 

Mr.  Wood  was  elected  police  magistrate  on 
the  19th  of  April.  1904,  and  in  this  capacity  he 
has  charge  of  all  criminal  business  in  the  city 
and  manages  the  civil  business.  He  has  made 
a  most  enviable  record  in  office,  having  had 
jurisdiction  over  one  hundred  and  thirty  cases 
in  a  month.  He  was  elected  for  a  term  of  four 
years  and  his  course  has  been  entirely  satis- 
factory to  the  public.  In  bis  political  affilia- 
tion he  is  a  stalwart  Democrat  and  was  very 
active  in  politics  until  about  five  years  ago, 
since  which  time  his  attention  has  been  given 
more  largely  to  his  business  affairs.  In  Ray- 
mond he  served  as  deputy  sheriff  and  was  also 
constable  and  assessor  of  the  township.  He 
made  a  new  set.  of  books  for  Raymond  under 
the  new  \:\\\ .  which  was  taken  as  the  basis  of 
equalization  for  the  entire  county.     Three  mem- 


826 


PAST    AMi    PEESENT    OF    Mo.NTOO.M  EEY    C()l  NTY 


bers  of  the  board  of  review  appointed  by  the 
county  judge  never  made  a  change  in  the  books 
of  assessment  which  were  gotten  up  by  Mr. 
Wood  while  assessor  of  Kaymond  in  1896,  and 
he  was  the  only  one  of  eighteen  assessors  who 
performed  a  work  of  this  character  so  that  his 
book  was  taken  as  a  basis  by  the  board  of 
equalization  for  the  entire  county.  He  was  a 
candidate  for  the  office  on  the  Democratic 
ticket  and  was  the  only  one  of  his  party  on 
the  entire  city  ticket  that  was  elected.  In  both 
his  business  and  political  career  he  has  dis- 
played marked  ability  and  rare  capacity  for 
successful  effort  and  has  made  for  himself  an 
enviable  record. 


JOHN  HENRY  BREMEE. 

John  Benry  Bremer,  of  Hillsboro,  is  well 
known  in  industrial  and  agricultural  circles  of 
Montgomery  county,  lie  possesses  untiring  en- 
ergy, is  quick  of  perception,  forms  his  plans 
readily  and  is  determined  in  their  execution; 
and  his  close  application  to  business  ami  his 
excellent  management  have  brought  I"  him  the 
high  degree  of  prosperity  which  is  to-day  hi= 
It  is  true  that  he  became  interested  in  a  busi- 
ness already  established,  but  in  controlling  ami 
enlarging  such  an  enterprise  many  a  man  of 
even  considerable  resolute  purpose,  courage  ami 
industry  would  have  failed;  ami  lie  has  demon- 
strated the  truth  of  the  saying  that  success  i.- 
mit  the  result  of  genius,  hut  the  outcome  <<(  a 
clear  judgment  and  experience. 

Mr.  Bremer  was  born  in  Hanover.  Germany, 
on  the  9th  of  November,  1850,  and  came  to 
the  United  States  in  June,  ls;>7.  with  his  par- 
ents, William  II.  and  Mary  (Bartoff)  Bremer. 
Hi-  father  was  born  in  Hanover  and  in  1857 
made  arrangements  whereby  he  left  his  native 
country  and  brought  his  family  to  the  new 
world,  locating  upon  a  farm  a  half  mile  north 
of  Hillsboro.  There  he  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  for  many  years  and  was  a  resident 
of  the  same  locality  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1899,  when  he  was  seventy-four 
years  of  age.  He  held  membership  in  the 
Lutheran  church  and  belonged  to  the  church 
council   for  a  quarter  of  a   century.     He  took 


a  very  active  and  helpful  part  in  religious  work 
and  did  everything  in  his  power  to  promote  the 
cause  of  Christianity  and  extend  its  influence  in 
Montgomery  county.  His  study  of  the  political 
issues  ami  questions  of  the  day  led  him  to  give 
earnest  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party.  His 
wife,  also  a  native  of  Hanover,  and  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Lujtheran  church,  died  in  18(51 
at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years.  They  were  the 
pari  nts  of  live  children :  Johanna,  the  wife  of 
Herman  Wiegand,  a  shoemaker  residing  in  Mor- 
risonville ;  John  Henry,  of  this  review ;  Minnie 
ami   Ida.  both  deceased;  and  Sophia. 

John  Henry  Bremer  was  a  student  in  the 
district  schools  and  entered  the  public  schools 
of  Hillsboro  in  his  boyhood  days,  but  his  edu- 
cational privileges  were  somewhat  limited,  as 
his  services  were  needed  upon  the  home  farm. 
In  IS!i5  he  came  into  possi  ssion  of  the  Hills- 
boro roller  mills  and  has  since  been  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  flour  in  connection  with  the 
operation  of  his  farm.  The  mill  has  been  re- 
cently remodeled  and  supplied  with  the  latest 
improved  machinery  for  the  manufacture  of 
high  grade  Hour,  of  breakfast  foods  and  of  meal. 
This  is  one  of  the  large  mills  of  the  county. 
having  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  bar- 
rels pel'  day,  ami  the  business  is  successfully 
conducted  under  the  able  supervision  of  Mr. 
Bremer.  In  the  spring  of  1904  he  extended  his 
activities  into  other  fields  of  labor  and  formed 
a  partnership  with  Daniel  Tee  and  engaged 
in  the  lumbering  business,  establishing  a  yard 
on  the  east  side  of  the  mill  on  South  Main 
street.  There  the  firm  handles  all  kinds  of 
dressed  and  undressed  lumber  and  its  patronage 
is  now  extensive.  The  farm  which  Mr.  Bremer 
owns  comprises  three  hundred  acres  of  \en 
highly  improved  land.  Upon  the  [dace  are  mod- 
ern buildings,  including  a  handsome  residence 
equipped  with  all  modern  conveniences.  The 
land  is  splendidly  drained,  the  fields  are  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  the  place  is 
stocked  with  high  grades  of  cattle. 

In  L878  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Br<  mer 
and  Miss  Minnie  Brinker,  who  was  born  in  Ger- 
many in  1856  and  came  to  the  United  State* 
when  but  seven  years  of  age  with  her  parents, 
Louis  and  Minnie  Brinker.  who  located  in  St. 
Louis.  Missouri.     Mr.  Bremer  was  a  carpenter 


OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


J.    H.    BREMER 


WILLIAM    H.    BREMEK 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


23] 


by  trade,  but  subsequently  purchased  a  farm 
in  Butler  Grove  township,  Montgomery  count)'. 
where  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until 
1899.  He  then  retired  from  business  and  has 
since  made  his  home  with  his  daughter.  1  nto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bremer  were  born  nine  children: 
Mamie.  George,  Ida.  Henriette,  Minnie.  Otto, 
Henry,  Louis  and  Frederick.  The  last  named 
is  now  deceased  and  the  mother  passed  away  in 
July,  1897.  In  190]  Mr.  Bremer  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Alice 
Currier,  a  daughter  of  August  Currier,  an  archi- 
tect. Both  of  her  parents  are  now  deceased. 
Mrs.  Bremer  was  born  in  Hillsboro  in  18G4 
and  has  two  children,  Jesse  and  Lawrence. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bremer  are  members  of 
the  Lutheran  church  and  in  politics  he  is  a 
Ri  publican.  He  has  served  as  highway  commis- 
sioner for  nine  years  and  has  also  been  a  church 
official,  acting  as  trustee  and  a  member  of  the 
church  council,  lie  takes  a  very  active  and  help- 
ful interest  in  church  affairs,  contributing  gen- 
erously to  the  support  of  the  organization  and 
doing  all  in  his  power  to  promote  its  growth 
and  extend  its  influence.  Almost  bis  entire 
life  has  been  passed  iii  Montgomery  county, 
where  he  has  so  directed  bis  labors  as  to  win 
good  results,  while  bis  integrity  as  well  as  Ins 
industry  stands  a-  an  unquestioned  fact  in  his 
business  career. 


CHARLES   A.   BOST. 


Charles  A.  Bost.  representing  agricultural 
and  horticultural  interests  of  Montgomery 
county,  is  living  on  section  28,  Rountree  town- 
ship. His  birth  occurred  within  the  corporation 
limits  of  this  township,  on  the  old  family  home- 
stead, October  7,  1866,  his  parents  being  Daniel 
and  Amanda  S.  (Ridenhour)  Bost.  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  North  Carolina,  whence 
they  came  to  Montgomery  county  in  1833,  lo- 
cal mil;  in  Rountree  township  among  its  earliest 
settlers.  As  there  were  no  good  roads  at  that 
time  the  journey  was  made  on  horseback  and 
for  a  number  of  years  they  lived  in  true  pio- 
neer style,  performing  the  arduous  task  of  es- 
tablishing a  new  home  upon  the  frontier.  Sub- 
sequently  they    resided    in    Butler   for   a    short 


period  and  about  eight  years  ago  they  took  up 
their  abode  in  Nokomis,  where  .Mr.  Bost  is  now 
living  retired  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
eighl  years.  His  wife  is  now  sixty-five  years 
of  age. 

Charles  A.  Bost  pursued  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Butler  Grove  township  and  after- 
ward accompanied  bis  parents  on  their  removal 
to  Butler,  lie  remained  at  home  until  eighteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  began  earning  his  own 
livelihood  by  working  by  the  month  as  a  farm 
band,  being  thus  employed  until  1888.  He 
then  went  to  Missouri  and  in  the  following  year 
he  removed  to  Kansas  and  afterward  to  Okla- 
homa, lie  secured  a  lot  at  Crescent  City  and 
assisted  in  laying  out  the  town.  He  was  also 
assistant  postmaster  there  and  took  an  active 
and  helpful  part  in  the  early  development  of 
'  that  place,  but  in  March,  1890,  he  sold  his  in- 
terests there  and  returned  to  Montgomery  coun- 
ty. Here  he  followed  farming  for  a  year,  after 
which  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  for 
about  five  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  took  up  his  abode  at  bis  present  place 
of  residence  on  section  28,  Rountree  township. 
At  first  he  rented  a  tract  of  land  here,  but  he 
now  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  When 
he  took  up  his  abode  at  this  place  he  at  once 
began  the  improvement  and  development  of  the 
property  and  he  now  has  a  good  house,  a  com- 
modious and  substantial  barn  and  many  mod- 
ern equipments.  Shade  trees  add  to  the  value 
and  attractive  appearance  of  the  place  and  the 
land  is  divided  into  fields  of  convenient  size 
by  well  kept  fences.  He  was  entirely  without 
capital  when  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  this 
farm  and  he  had  no  stock,  but  upon  the  place 
are  now  seen  good  grades  of  cattle,  horses  and 
hogs  and  bis  fields  annually  return  to  him  good 
harvests,  while  among  his  other  possessions  is 
a  fine  young  orchard  of  one  thousand  trees. 

While  Mi'.  Bost  has  led  a  very  busy  and  use- 
ful life  in  his  efforts  to  accumulate  a  comfor- 
table competence  for  his  family  he  has  also 
found  time  and  opportunity  to  serve  his  fel- 
low townsmen  in  positions  of  public  trust.  He 
was  elected  town  clerk  in  1900  and  is  now 
filling  that  position  and  also  the  office  of  school 
director,  lie  is  likewise  a  member  of  the  cen- 
tral committee  of  bis  township  and  has  given 


.,.;., 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


unfaltering   support    to   the   principles    of   the 
Republican  party  since  attaining  his  majority. 

On  the  23d  of  October,  1890,  Mr.  Bost  was 
married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  C.  Nussman,  a 
daughter  of  Eli  and  Sarah  E.  (Liticker)  Nuss- 
man, who  are  residents  of  Eountree  township. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bost  are  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren: Florence  Elmira,  born  June  25,  1887; 
Edna  P.,  November  18,  1891;  Warner  (!.,  No- 
vember Id,  1892;  Hazel  L.,  January  18,  1895; 
and  Archibald,  who  was  born  February  11, 
1896,  and  died  on  the  20th  of  July  of  the 
same  year.  The  parents  attend  the  Lutheran 
church  and  Mr.  Most  belongs  to  the  Modern 
Woodmen  camp  at  Nokomis  and  Rountree 
Council  No.  131,  M.  P.  L..  which  was  organ- 
ized in  Eountree  township.  In  politics  he  is  a 
stalwart  Eepublican  and  he  was  the  father  of 
the  mail  route  of  this  locality.  He  also  wrote 
the  first  hunting  license  of  his  township.  Hav- 
ing spent  his  entire  life  here  he  has  been  deeply 
interested  in  what  has  been  accomplished,  in 
the  progress  that  has  been  made  and  in  the 
development  which  has  marked  the  transition 
of  the  county  from  pioneer  conditions  to  a 
state  of  advanced  modern  civilization.  In  his 
business  he  has  prospered  as  the  result  of  his 
untiring  diligence  and  enterprise  and  well  mer- 
its the  success  that  has  come  to  him 

It  will  be  interesting  in  this  connection  to 
note  something  id'  the  early  history  of  Eli 
Nussman,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Bost.  He  was  the 
first  white  child  horn  where  the  city  of  Hills- 
boro  now  stands,  there  opening  his  eyes  to  the 
light  of  day  in  a  little  cabin  located  not  far 
from  the  Rountree  spring,  which  furnishes  the 
water  for  the  present  water  works  system  of 
Hillsboro.  His  natal  day  was  April  9,  1824. 
Two  years  after  Illinois  had  been  admitted  to 
the  Union  as  a  state  his  father,  John  Nussman. 
left  his  home  in  Cabarrus  county.  North  Caro- 
lina, and  came  with  his  family  to  Illinois,  being 
the  first  white  man  to  settle  among  the  hills  and 
primeval  forests  of  Hillsboro.  His  rude  cabin 
was  the  first  building  erected  at  the  future 
county  seat.  When  his  son  Eli  was  six  years  of 
age  the  father  determined  to  better  his  fortunes 
by  taking  up  some  of  the  wild  land  that  lay 
north  of  Hillsboro.  There  were  few  settlers  in 
the  entire  county  and  the  rich  prairies  of  the 


northern  portion,  which  now  sell  for  from  sev- 
enty to  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre,  were  then 
considered  worthless  lands.  In  his  native  state 
John  Nussman  had  followed  farming,  but  after 
his  arrival  in  this  county  he  conducted  a  wagon 
shop.  He  determined,  however,  to  return  to 
his  former  vocation  and  this  led  to  his  change 
in  location.  In  1830  he  removed  to  what  is 
now  Rountree  township  and  upon  the  farm 
which  he  there  developed  he  reared  his  family 
of  eleven  children,  of  whom  Eli  Nussman  was 
the  youngest.  The  wife  and  mother,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Kathryn  Fogleman,  died 
August  13,  1846,  wdiile  John  Nussman  survived 
until  May  '.';,  1852,  passing  away  when  about 
seventy-five  years  of  age.  When  he  removed  to 
his  farm  in  1830  he  was  the  only  white  man 
in  the  county  north  of  Irving  township.  There 
was  much  wild  game  and  venison  was  a  com- 
mon dish  upon  the  family  table,  while  wild 
turkey,  prairie  chickens  and  honey  were  also 
easily  secured.  Near  the  family  home  was  a 
camping  place  for  the  Kiekapoo  Indians,  who 
were  friendly  to  their  white  neighbors,  fre- 
quently making  them  presents  of  small  trink- 
ets and  trading  them  deer  skins  and  venison 
for  ammunition  and  bacon.  Mrs.  Nussman 
made  all  the  wearing  apparel  for  the  family, 
manufacturing  the  cloth  as  well  as  the  gar- 
ments. This  consisted  of  thick,  heavy  jeans, 
linsey  and  a  coarse  cloth  made  from  cotton 
grown  on  the  place,  for  in  those  days  cotton 
was  raised  to  considerable  extent  by  the  pio- 
neers of  this  county.  Eli  Nussman  received  but 
limited  educational  advantages,  for  there  were 
no  schools  worth  mentioning  in  his  locality 
and  the  knowledge  he  gained  was  received 
through  contact  with  his  fellow  men  and  by 
observation  and  experience.  In  this  way.  how- 
ever, he  has  gained  much  valuable  learning  and 
has  become  a  well  informed  man.  In  his  youth 
he  delighted  in  hunting  and  found  great  pleas- 
ure in  the  sport  long  after  attaining  man's 
estate.  He  has  long  been  regarded  as  one  of 
the  best  practical  farmers  of  the  county  and 
at  one  time  he  owned  four  hundred  acres  of 
land,  upon  which  he  raised  all  kinds  of  stock 
to  be  found  on  a  well  regulated  stock  farm. 
When  nearly  four  score  years  of  age  he  planted 
and    cultivated    thirty-five    acres    of    corn.     In 


PAST    AND    EEESENT    OF    -MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


■»:;:; 


his  younger  years  he  was  remarkably  strong 
ami  vigorous  and  boasts  that  he  killed  Ins  two 
deer  before  breakfast  and  often  as  many  as 
four  a  day.  He  also  tells  of  making  rails  for 
twenty-five  cents  a  hundred  and  regarded  it 
as  a  good  price. 

Mr.  N'ussman  married  Miss  Sarah  Liticker, 
a  daughter  id'  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arba  Liticker,  who 
were  early  settlers  of  Fillmore  township.  They 
were  married  May  •  '..  1858,  when  Mrs.  Xuss- 
111:111  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  her  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  April  (i,  1840.  They  became  the 
parents  id'  six  children,  three  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing: Harriet  Catharine,  the  wife  of  George 
Caulk;  Mary  Emeline,  wile  of  Tom  Bost;  and 
Elizabeth  Nora,  the  wife  of  Charles  Bost.  Mr. 
Nussman  has  never  taken  a  verj  active  interest 
in  politics,  but  has  always  been  identified  with 
the  Democracy,  lie  has  ever  been  known  as  a 
man  of  strong  integrity,  honest  and  honorable 
in  all  of  his  transactions  and  popular  among 
those  who  knew  him.  He  has  always  bad  the 
warm  affection  of  his  family  and  is  numbered 
among  the  honored  pioneers  of  Montgomery 
count  v. 


G.  A.  RICHMOND. 
G.  A.  Richmond,  a   well  known  cattle-raiser 

and  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  id'  Fill- 
more township,  was  bom  upon  the  place  where 
he  now  resides,  his  natal  day  being  October 
8,  1851.  His  parents  were  Gideon  and 
Harriet  (Knowles)  Richmond.  His  father, 
now  deceased,  was  born  in  Licking  county, 
Ohio,  in  1820,  and  was  a  son  id  Henry  and 
Eliza.  F.  Richmond,  I  be  former  burn  in  Mas- 
sachusetts and  the  latter  in  New  Jersey. 
Gideon  Richmond  was  reared  in  the  state  of 
bis  nativity  and  afterward  Eollowed  (be  occu- 
pation of  farming  there  until  1845,  when  be 
came  to  Montgomery  county  and  settled  upon 
the  lull  in  Fillmore  township.  He  was  one 
of  the  early  resident-  of  that  locality.  lie 
purchased  the  old  homestead  at  the  time  of  his 
arrival,  began  transforming  the  wild  laud  into 
richly  cultivated  fields,  and  in  due  course  of 
time,  owing  to  the  success  which  be  achieved 
through  his  own   efforts,  he  became  known  as 


an  extensive  farmer.  He  gave  particular  at- 
tention to  the  raising  of  wheal  and  to  some 
extent,  produced  corn.  lie  also  engaged  in 
stock-raising,  and  whatever  be  undertook  be 
earned   forward   I"  successful  completion.     He 

possessed,   reover,  good   business  ability  and 

sound  judgment,  and  be  carefully  considered 
every  advance  move.  At  the  time  of  liis  death 
he  owned  over  five  hundred  acres  of  land.  He 
was  respected  by  all  for  his  many  good  quali- 
ties, and  bis  example  is  well  worthy  of  emu- 
lation, proving  what  can  be  accomplished  by 
strong  and  determined  purpose  when  supple- 
mented by  honorable  business  methods.  He 
was  married  in  1848  to  Miss  Harriet  Knowles, 
who  was  bom  in  New  Hampshire  and  came  to 
Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  when  eight  years 
nf  age  with  her  parents,  Joseph  and  Hannah 
Knowles.  There  were  only  a  few  houses 
within  the  borders  of  the  county  at  the  time 
nf  her  arrival,  and  the  town  of  Fillmore  had 
imt  been  established.  There  were  only  three 
dwellings  within  a  mile  of  this  place,  and  al- 
most  tl ntire  country   was  a  section  of  wild 

prairie,  upon  which  mil  a  furrow  bad  been 
turned  or  an  improvement  made.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Richmond  were  born  four  children, 
but  only  two  are  living:  (f.  A.,  of  this  review; 
and  Dora,  the  widow  of  Ora  E.  Lane,  of  Fill- 
more, iir.  Richmond  was  always  a  Demo- 
crat in  bis  political  views,  and  he  never  fal- 
tered in  support  of  the  partj  in  which  he  be- 
lieved, lie  died  as  the  result  of  a  stroke  of 
paralysis  in  1895,  ami  since  that  time  his 
widow  lias  made  her  home  with  her  son.  C.  A. 
Richmond.  Her  youngest  son,  Ernest,  died  in 
1903. 

G.  A.  Richmond  pursued  bis  education  in 
the  district  school  near  his  father'-  home,  and 
in  bis  boyhood  and  youth  worked  upon  the 
bnnie  farm,  assisting  in  the  various  labor-  thai 
fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  When 
twenty-five  years  of  age  be  began  operating  bis 
father's  land  on  bis  own  account  and  dial  he 
has  prospered  in  bis  business  undertakings  as 
the  years  have  gone  by  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  be  is  now  the  owner  of  throe  hundred 
acres  of  valuable  land,  well  improved  and 
equipped  with  all  modern  conveniences.  Upon 
his  place  is  a  good  bouse  and  substantial   barn. 


23  I 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


He  is  devoting  the  greater  part  of  his  time 
and  attention  to  the  raising  of  cattle  and  owns 
a  thoroughbred  shorthorn  bull.  All  the  cattle 
which  he  sells  are  raised  upon  his  farm,  and 
his  business  interests  have  become  extensive, 
so  that  he  is  now  one  of  the  prosperous  men 
of  his  community.  He  has  placed  his  de- 
pendence, not  upon  any  fortunate  combina- 
tion of  circumstances,  hut  with  a  realization 
that  labor  is  the  basis  of  all  prosperity  he  has 
worked  earnestly  and  indomitably,  and  is  now 
one  of  the  well  known  and  substantial  stock- 
dealers  of  his  community. 

G.  A.  Richmond  was  married  about  twenty- 
five  years  ago  to  .Miss  Ada  Bost,  a  daughter 
of  John  J.  Bost.  .She  spent  her  girlhood  days 
in  Montgomery  county  and  has  become  the 
mother  of  three  children:  Nellie,  now  the  wife 
of  R.  Sanders,  of  Fillmore;  Zella,  who  married 
Frank  Woleott ;  and  Kent,  who  resides  at 
home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richmond  have  a  wide  and 
favorable  acquaintance  in  Montgomery  coun- 
ty. Both  hold  membership  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  take  an  active  interest  in  its 
work  and  delight  in  its  growth  and  tin'  ex- 
tension of  its  influence.  Mr.  Richmond  also 
belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being  made 
a  Mason  in  1886  at  Fillmore  lodge.  No.  670, 
and  he  is  also  connected  with  the  Woodmen 
camp  and  the  Court  of  Honor,  and  his  political 
views  are  in  accord  with  the  principles  of  the 
Democracy.  Those  who  have  known  him  from 
boyhood  and  have  been  daily  witnesses  of  his 
life  are  numbered  among  his  stanches!  friends, 
a  fact  which  indicates  that  his  career  has  ever 
been  guided  by  upright  principles,  and  while 
he  has  won  prosperity  he  lias  also  gained  an 
untarnished  name. 


CHARLES  B.  McKINNEY. 

Charles  B.  McKinney,  a  representative  of 
the  business  interests  of  Irving  as  a  dealer  in 
general  merchandise,  was  horn  in  Center  coun- 
ty. Pennsylvania.  January  2.  1856,  his  parents 
being  Edward  C.  and  Eliza  A.  (Brown)  Mc- 
Kinney. both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the 
Kovstone   state,    the    father    born     in     Mifflin 


county  and  the  mother  in  Dauphin  county. 
They  became  residents  of  Montgomery  county, 
Illinois,  in  November,  1883,  and  subsequently 
removed  to  Decatur,  this  state,  where  the  fa- 
ther's death  occurred  in  July,  1885.  His  widow 
removed  to  Chicago,  where  she  now  makes  hei 
home. 

Charles  B.  McKinney  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  Pennsylvania  and  in  Penn 
Hall  Academy.  He  later  engaged  in  teach- 
ing through  the  winter  months,  while  in  the 
summer  seasons  he  continued  his  studies,  in 
May,  1878,  he  went  to  Kansas,  where  he  taught 
school  for  two  years  and  on  the  31st  of  May, 
1880,  he  arrived  in  Montgomery  county, 
locating  at  Irving.  Here  he  resumed  teaching 
and  he  also  worked  at  carpentering  and  farm- 
ing. In  November.  188?.  however,  he  became 
a  factor  in  the  commercial  life  of  the  town  by 
con  ring  into  partnership  with  James  L.  Mc- 
David  under  the  firm  name  of  McDavid  & 
McKinney,  proprietors  of  a  general  mercantile 
store.  This  relationship  was  maintained  until 
July.  1892,  when  Mr.  McDavid  sold  his  interest 
to  James  S.  Kelly,  and  they  were  partners  until 
the  1st  of  March,  1895,  when  Mr.  McKinney 
bought  out  Mr.  Kelly's  interest.  He  now  has 
the  largest  stock  of  goods  in  the  town  and  is 
doing  a  very  profitable  business.  Ids  trade  still 
increasing.  His  methods  recommend  him  to 
the  potronage  of  the  public  and  the  support  of 
a  customer,  when  once  secured,  is  always  re- 
tained, because  of  his  honorable  treatment  of 
his  customers  and  his  earnest   desire  to  please. 

On  the  10th  of  April,  1881,  Mr.  McKinney 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Idella  W.  Kelley, 
a  daughter  of  Harvey  M.  Kelley.  They  had 
two  children:  Darwin  Pay.  who  is  a  clerk  in 
his  father's  store;  and  Owen  LaMar,  also  in 
the  -tore.  Mrs.  McKinney  died  September  12, 
L889,  and  on  the  21st  of  January,  1891,  Mr. 
McKinney  married  Mrs.  .Jennie  Townsend,  of 
Staunton.  Illinois.  Their  children  are  Harold 
Verne,  who  was  born  August  1.  1893;  and 
Claude  Belaud,  horn  December  2d.  1895. 

Mr.  McKinney  is  an  adherent  of  Democratic 
principles  and  served  as  a  member  of  the 
school  hoard  of  his  town  for  six  years,  while  at 
the  present  time  he  i-  serving  as  a  member  of 
the  council.     He  belongs   to   the  Mutual   Pro- 


Mil.    AND    MRS.    C.    B.    MrKIXXKY 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PEESBNT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


-:;; 


tective  League;  the  Court  of  Honor,  No.  333; 
the  Modern  Woodmen  Camp,  No.  1498;  the 
[rving  lodge,  Mo.  155,  A.  P.  &  A.  M..  of  which 
he  has  been  master  for  a  number  of  years;  and 
to  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  is  well  known 
in  fraternal  circles,  where  his  close  adherence 
to  the  helpful  and  benevolent  spirit  of  the  dif- 
ferent orders  has  made  him  widely  known  as  a 
representat  ive  member. 


SAMUEL  A.   MERIWETHER. 

Samuel  A.  Meriwether,  who  follows  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising  on  section  30,  Harvel 
township,  has  a  good  tract  of  land  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  constituting  a  valuable 
farm,  which  is  pleasantly  located  within  four 
miles  of  Raymond,  Harvel  and  Waggoner,  so 
that  the  advantages  of  town  life  are  easily  ob- 
tained, while  he  is  at  the  same  time  enjoy- 
ing the  liberty  of  a  country  home.  Born  in 
Illinois,  Mr.  Meriwether  is  a  native  of  Greene 
county,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  February 
5,  1843.  He  represents  an  old  family  of  the 
south,  his  father.  Henry  \V.  Meriwether,  hav- 
ing been  born  in  Jefferson  county,  Kentucky, 
in  1791,  soon  after  the  admission  of  that  state 
into  the  Union  and  not  long  after  the  close 
of  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  was  reared 
amid  frontier  scenes  in  Kentucky,  and  be- 
cause of  the  responsibilities  that  devolved  upon 
him  and  the  labor  that  he  performed  he  de- 
veloped a  self-reliant  character.  Having  ar- 
rived at  years  of  maturity,  he  married  Jane 
Meriwether.  March  17,  1811.  She  died  Au- 
gust 18,  1828,  and  on  October  22,  1829,  he 
was  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with 
Miss  Dorothea  Lewis  Hill,  who  was  the  mother 
of  our  subject.  She  was  burn  in  Virginia,  hut 
was  largely  reared  in  Kentucky.  Mr.  Meri- 
wether became  a  prominent  and  successful 
business  man  of  Jefferson  county  and  took  an 
active  interest  in  public  affairs,  serving  at 
one  time  as  sheriff  of  his  county.  He  re- 
moved to  Illinois  in  1835,  settling  in  Greene 
countv.  where  he  purchased  land  and  ultimate- 
ly became  the  owner  of  two  farms,  which  he 
developed  and  improved.     In  1814  he  removed 


to  Macoupin  county,  where  lie  also  became  the 
owner  of  a  farm,  making  it  hi,-  hem,'  until  his 
life's  labors  wen'  ended  in  death.  April  2, 
L856,  when  be  was  sixty-six  years  of  age.  His 
wile,  surviving  him  some  lime,  passed  away 
September  'A  I860. 

In  retrospecct  one  can  see  Samuel  .V.  Meri- 
wether as  a  farm  boy  of  Macoupin  count) 
working  in  the  fields  through  the  summer 
months,  while  in  the  winter  seasons  he  attend- 
ed the  public  schools.  After  completing  the 
course  of  instruction  in  the  district  schools  he 
entered  the  high  school  at  Carrollton,  Greene 
county.  In  1864  he  went  to  the  west,  spend- 
Lng  a  year  in  mining  in  Montana  am!  Idaho, 
after  which  he  returned   to  this  -late. 

It  was  in  Kentucky,  however,  thai  Mr.  Meri- 
wether was  married,  the  wedding  ceremony  be- 
ing performed  in  Cumberland  county  on  the 
20th  of  January,  1870,  on  which  occasion  Miss 
Sarah  Laker  became  his  wife.  She  was  born 
ami  reared  in  Kentucky  and  was  a  daughter 
of  Daniel  and   Lucy   (Chetham)    Laker. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meri- 
wether located  in  Auburn,  Kentucky,  where 
he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  for  one  year 
and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  re- 
turned to  Illinois,  settling  in  Macoupin  coun- 
ty, where  he  carried  on  farming  with  oood  suc- 
cess for  four  vears.  His  unfaltering  indus- 
try and  capable  management  during  that  pe- 
riod brought  to  him  the  capital  Unit  enabled 
him  to  purchase  the  farm  upon  which  he  now 
resides  on  section  30,  Harvel  township.  Opon 
that  place  at  that  time  was  an  old  house,  hut 
he  has  since  replaced  it  by  a  large,  substantial 
and  modern  residence.  He  located  here  in 
1878  and  began  to  farm  and  improve  this 
place,  the  rich,  productive  soil  yielding  to  him 
good  harvests.  He  has  also  other  outbuild- 
ings ami  hi'  has  five  acres  in  an  orchard.  He 
has  also  tilled  some  of  his  land  and  fenced  a 
part  of  it.  and  now  has  a  good  place,  the  rich 
fields  promising  golden  harvests  in  the  late 
autumn.  In  connection  with  general  farm- 
ing he  raises  good  stock,  making  a  specialty 
of  pure-blooded  Cottswold  sheep.  He  is  well 
known  as  a  br ler  and  dealer  in  -beep  in  Mont- 
gomery county,  and  has  some  very  fine  ani- 
mals,   while    his    annual    sales    return    to    him 


338 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


good  income.  He  is  also  a  director  of  the  Vir- 
den  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meriwether  have  five  children: 
Arthur,  who  is  married  and  is  a  farmer  of 
Pitman  township;  Dorothea,  who  is  success- 
fully engaged  in  teaching  in  this  county  and 
resides  at  home;  Lucy,  who  is  with  her  par- 
ents; Elizabeth,  who  is  engaged  in  teaching 
music  and  is  at  home;  and  Owen  \V.,  who  as- 
sists in  the  operation  of  the  farm. 

Mr.  Meriwether  east  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  Peter  Cooper  and  is  a  stalwart  Demo- 
crat, being  now  in  sympathy  with  the  princi- 
ples and  policy  of  that  party,  lie  has  never 
sought  or  desired  office,  preferring  to  give  his 
time  and  energies  to  his  business  affairs.  He 
is,  however,  a  believer  in  good  schools  and  in 
the  employment  of  competent  teachers,  and 
for  nine  years  he  has  served  on  the  school 
board,  during  which  time  he  has  put  forth 
effective  efforl  in  behalf  of  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation. He  and  Ins  wife  and  all  of  their 
family  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  in  the  work  of  which  they  take  a 
very  active  and  helpful  part.  Mr.  Meriwether 
is  serving  as  an  elder  in  the  church  and  is  also 
a  very  active  and  helpful  Sunday  school 
worker,  having  served  as  superintendent  for 
twenty  years,  while  for  two  years  he  has  been 
president  of  the  County  Sunday  School  Asso- 
ciation. His  influence  is  ever  on  the  side  of 
right,  of  truth  and  justice,  and  he  does  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  pr »te  the  moral  de- 
velopment  of  the  county. 


heathen  races  of  that  country.  His  wife,  who 
was  born  in  Eastport,  Maine,  died  when  her 
-on   Dr.  Johnson  was  but  three  weeks  old,  but 


the  father  sun  ived  until  181 


He  was  a  sec- 


('.  \V.  JOHNSON,  M.  1>. 

|)i-    C.   VY.  Johnson,  of   Litchfield,  now    en- 

gaged    in   the   practice  of   i licine,   has  made 

his  work  of  greal  value  to  his  fellow  men.  He 
was  born  in  Hong  Kong.  China,  in  1848,  his 
parents  Icing  Rev.  John  \Y.  and  Anna 
(Stephens)  Johnson.  The  father  was  a  Bap- 
tist minister,  born  in  New  Hampshire  in  1820. 
lie  completed  his  education  in  Dartmouth 
College  and  afterward  went  as  missionary  of 
tin'  Baptist  church  tn  China,  where  he  lived  and 
labored  for  many  years,  his  efforts  proving  a 
potent    influence    in    the    Christianizing    of   the 


ond  lime  married  in  1859  and  afterward  re- 
lumed to  China,  where  he  lived  until  1863, 
when  he  again  came  to  America.  His  death, 
however,  occurred  at  Swatow,  China,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  missionary  work,  and  flags 
in  that  place  were  lowered  at  half-masl  because 
he  was  beloved  by  all.  11  is  son  afterward 
formed  the  acquaintance  of  Captain  Lowell, 
who  was  commander  of  a  ship  and  who  at- 
tended the  funeral  of  Rev.  Johnson.     The  In 3 

of  Rev.  Johnson  was  the  headquarters  of  all 
Americans  visiting  or  residing  in  Hong  Kong 
for  any    length   of   time. 

Dr.  Johnson  came  from  China  to  the  United 
States  in  order  to  pursue  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  this  country.  The  ship  on  which 
he  -ailed  was  attacked  by  the  Confederate 
pirate  ship  Florida  on  the  15th  of  February, 
1863.  The  passengers  and  crew  were  put  to 
ever)  inconvenience  and  after  everything  of 
value  was  taken  a  torch  was  applied  and  the 
vessel  burned  to  the  water's  edge.  Dr.  John- 
son pursued  his  preliminary  education  in 
Thilips  College  at  Exeter,  New  Hampshire. 
lie  afterward  went  to  Providence,  Rhode 
Island,  where  he  completed  a  course  in  the 
University  grammar  school,  and  he  afterward 
attended  Scofield  Business  College,  from 
which  he  won  a  diploma  on  the  11th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1867.  Determining  to  engage  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  as  his  life  work,  he  entered 
Jefferson  Medical  College  at  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  graduated  witli  the 
class  of  ISC',  lie  was  afterward  appointed  a 
trustee  of  the  insane  hospital  at  Augusta. 
Maine,  where  he  remained  from  1880  to  1883, 
after  which  he  was  offered  a  position  as  assist- 
ant superintendent,  hid  declined.  Entering 
upon  the  active  practice  of  medicine,  he  there 
engaged  in  the  prosecution  of  his  profession 
for  a  number  of  years,  lie  was  appointed  a 
justice  of  the  peace  in  Maine  by  Governor 
Davis  on  the  5th  of  January.  1881,  and  on  the 
Cith  of  April.  1882,  he  was  appointed  examin- 
ing surgeon  as  a  member  of  the  pension  hoard, 
lie   located    in   Litchfield   April    22,   1886.   and 


DK.    C.    W.    JOHNSON 


LIBRARY 

OF  1HE 

UNIVERSITY  0/  ILLINOIS 


PAST  AM)  PEESENT  OF  MONTGOMERY  COUNT'S 


241 


has  since  been  a  member  of  the  profession  here, 
active  in  practice  and  laboring  with  success  in 
the  alleviation  of  human  suffering.  The  pub- 
lic and  the  medical  fraternity  accord  him  high 
rank  and  bis  acknowledged  skill  has  won  him 
a  very  liberal  patronage. 

On  the  7th  of  June,  is;  I.  in  Lubec,  Maine, 
Dr.  Johnson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Allie  Ryerson,  and  unto  them  were  born  two 
children.  Simeon  Ryerson,  the  elder,  is  a 
practicing  physician  at  Divernon,  Illinois,  and 
was  named  in  honor  of  bis  maternal  grand- 
father. He  is  a  graduate  of  DeP'auw  Uni- 
versity of  Indiana,  where  he  completed  bis 
course  in  1895,  and  also  of  the  University  of 
Illinois,  completing  a  course  in  the  medical 
department  with  the  class  of  1898.  The 
younger  child,  a  daughter,  died  when  seventeen 
months  old. 

In  bis  political  views  Dr.  Johnson  is  a  stal- 
wart Republican  and  keeps  well  informed  on 
the  [--ues  of  the  day.  lie  lias  in  bis  possession 
Ins  father's  library,  which  contains  three  vol- 
umes concerning  the  United  States  expedition 

of  (  oini lore  M.  ('.  Perry,  published  in  185G. 

Dr.  Johnson  lias  made  his  home  in  Litchfield 
for  eighteen  years  and  is  well  known  here  as  a 
representative   member  of   the   profession. 


JAMES   W.    KIRKPATRICK. 

•  lame-  W.  Kirkpatriek.  superintendent  of 
the  plant  of  the  Illinois  Brick  &  Tile  Company 
at  Litchfield,  was  born  in  Alton,  this  stale,  in 
L858,  and  his  ancestry,  both  lineal  and  col- 
lateral, for  many  generations  has  been  dis- 
tinctively American.  He  is  a  great-grandson 
of  .lames  Kirkpatriek.  who  served  as  a  cap- 
tain in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  was  killed 
while  the  troops  were  engaged  in  skirmishing 
wiili  the  British.  He  was  shot  while  at  his 
dinner  table  with  nine  of  his  children  around 
him.  His  son.  Thomas  Kirkpatriek,  was  the 
first  settler  of  Madison  county.  Illinois,  and 
assisted  in  the  erection  of  the  first  I'ort  iii  the 
count \  which  was  built  to  protect  the  pioneer 
residents  against  the  Indians.  He  had  re- 
moved from  Tennessee  to  Madison  county  in 
1802  and  was  very  prominent   and   influential 


in  molding  its  policy  and  shaping  its  pioneer 
history,  lie  served  as  the  firs!  judge  of  the 
county  and  was  one  of  the  thirty-six  delegates 
that  weiii  to  Kaskaskia.  Illinois — then  the 
capital  of  the  territory — to  formulate  plans  for 
the  admission  of  the  state  into  the  Union.  Ho 
accumulated  a  large  properly  for  those  days, 
and  the  town  of  Edwardsville  has  been  built 
upon  the  land  winch  he  at  one  time  owned. 

Samuel  I).  Kirkpatriek.  father  of  .lames  W. 
Kirkpatriek,  was  bom  near  Edwardsville,  Illi- 
nois, and  is  now  living  in  Portland,  Oregon, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years.  He 
was  a  lumber  merchant  and  soon  after  the  close 
of  the  Civil  war  came  to  Litchfield,  where 
he  remained    until    1879,   when    he  removed  to 

Oregon,   where   he   has   since   made   bis   h e. 

lie  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  for  many  years  has  been  one  of  its  active 
and  helpful  workers.  Fraternally  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Masonic  lodge  and  with  the 
A.  K.  T.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Mary  Jane  Elsworthy,  was  born 
near  London,  England,  and  is  now  sixty- 
nine  years  of  age.  She  came  to  the  United 
States  with  her  parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William 
Elsworthy;  when  a  little  maiden  of  five  sum- 
mers, the  family  home  being  established  in 
Alton.  Illinois.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kirkpatriek  be- 
came the  parents  of  six  children:  Carrie,  de- 
ceased; Annie,  the  wife  of  Rev.  M.  G.  Cole- 
man, pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
at  Paris,  Illinois;  James  W. ;  Edward,  de- 
ceased; and  Myrtle,  the  wife  of  Edward  Haz- 
zard,  who  is  cashier  of  the  bank  at  Lake 
( 'harles.  Louisiana. 

To  the  public-school  system  of  Litchfield 
James  W.  Kirkpatriek  is  indebted  for  the  edu- 
cational privileges  which  he  enjoyed.  He 
afterward  began  learning  the  trade  of  brick- 
making  and  has  since  followed  that  pursuit  as 
a  life  occupation.  For  five  years  he  was  as- 
sociated with  George  Matthews,  in  the  manu- 
facture of  brick  and  <m  the  expiration  of  that 
period  they  sold  out  to  J.  W.  Chamberlain  & 
Son,  while  Mr.  Kirkpatriek  accepted  the  posi- 
tion as  superintendent  with  the  Litchfield  Brick 
&  Tile  Company,  with  which  he  remained  for 
four  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  was  made  superintendent    of  the  brick  and 


'.'  1 2 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTdoMKIiV    COFXTY 


tile  works  of  Monticello,  Piatt  County,  whore 
he  continued  for  lour  years  and  in  1896  he 
returned  to  Litchfield  to  accept  the  superin- 
tendency  of  the  brick  works  owned  by  David 
Davis,  Sr.  He  is  still  identified  in  the  same 
capacity  with  that  productive  industry.  In 
1902,  however,  the  concern  was  incorporated 
under  the  name  of  the  Illinois  Brick  &  Tile 
Company,  with  David  Davis,  Jr.,  as  president, 
Mrs.  Blanche  K.  Davis  as  treasurer,  Regina 
Davis  as  secretary  and  James  YV.  Kirkpatriek 
as  superintendent.  The  company  was  capital- 
ized for  twenty  thousand  dollars  and  employ- 
ment is  furnished  to  from  twenty  to  twenty- 
five  men.  The  product  of  the  factory  is  both 
building  and  paving  brick  and  drain  tile  and 
the  capacity  is  twenty  thousand  brick  per  day. 
The  plant  is  well  equipped  with  modern  ap- 
pliances and  machinery  and  the  output  is  now 
extensive  and  of  such  excellent  quality  that 
n   finds  a  ready  sale  on  the  market. 

In  1881  Mr.  Kirkpatriek  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Hattie  Ringwald,  who  was  born 
in  Germany  in  1862  and  in  1870  was  brought 
to  America  by  her  parents,  who  located  in 
Alton,  her  father  following  the  occupation  of 
farming  in  that  locality.  Three  children  have 
been  horn  of  this  union:  Harry,  who  is  a  fire- 
man on  tlie  Big  Four  Railroad,  now  living  at 
Mattoon,  Illinois;  Edward,  deceased;  and  one 
that  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Kirkpatriek  belongs 
to  the  Odd  Fellows  Lodge,  his  wife  to  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  he  is  a  Republican 
in  his  political  affiliation  His  life  has  been  char- 
acterized by  untiring  diligence  ami  one  ele- 
ment of  the  success  which  he  has  achieved  is 
the  fait  that  he  has  persevered  in  the  calling 
which  as  a  young  tradesman  he  embarked,  con- 
centrating his  energies  alone  this  one  line  with 
good  result. 


SOLOMOX  IIAAKF. 
Solomon  Haake  was  horn  June  .">.  "lSti?.  in 
Fillmore  township,  upon  the  farm  where  he 
now  makes  his  home,  and  throughout  his 
active  business  career  he  has  carried  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  The  family,  as  the  name  in- 
dicates,   i«    of    German    lineage.      His    parents 


were  Henry  ami   II; ah   (Welge)  Haake.    The 

father  was  horn  in  the  province  of  Hanover, 
Germany,  in  1821,  and  there  remained  until 
aboul  thirty  years  of  age.  He,  too,  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  on  crossing  the  At- 
lantic to  the  new  world  he  made  his  way  west- 
ward to  Illinois,  settling  m  Macoupin  coun- 
ty, whence  he  afterward  removed  to  Mont- 
gomery county.  Here  he  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Fillmore 
township,  constituting  a  part  of  the  farm  upon 
which  Solomon  Haake  now  resides.  He  worked 
earnestly  in  order  to  gain  a  comfortable  com- 
petence and  established  a  good  home  for  his 
family,  and  a-  i he  years  advanced  he  was  en- 
ahled  to  extend  the  boundaries  of  his  farm  by 
additional  purchases  until  he  was  the  owner  of 
a  valuable  tract  of  five  hundred  and  five  acres 
of  rich  land,  the  productive  condition  of  which 
enabled  him  to  garner  good  harvests  each  fall. 
He  was  married  to  Miss  Hannah  Welge,  a  sis- 
ter of  Louis  Welge,  of  Hillsboro.  and  they  be- 
came the  parents  of  four  children,  of  whom 
one  child  died  at  the  age  of  three  years.  Those 
living  are  Mrs.  Ida.  Wolters.  Otto  and  Solo- 
mon. The  father  died  in  1899  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eighi  years,  hut  the  mother  is  still  liv- 
ing, residing  with  a  brother  upon  the  old 
homestead.  Mr.  Haake  was  a  Democrat  in 
his  political  views,  hut  he  had  neither  time  nor 
inclination  for  public  office,  as  his  business 
affairs  claimed  all  of  his  attention.  When  he 
arrived  in  Montgomery  county  he  worked  for 
ten  dollars  per  month  and  all  that  he  possessed 
was  acquired  through  his  untiring  effort.  He 
possessed  good  business  ability  and  keen  fore- 
sight and  judiciously  invested  his  earnings 
until  he  stood  as  one  of  the  substantial  resi- 
dents of  his  adopted  county. 

Solomon  Haake  was  reared  on  the  old  fami- 
ly homestead  and  at  the  usual  age  entered  the 
public  schools,  wherein  he  gained  a  fair  knowl- 
edge  of  the  common  branches  of  English  learn- 
ing. His  training  at  farm  labor  was  not 
meager,  for  bis  father  instructed  him  in  the 
various  duties  of  the  farm  and  he  gained  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  this  work  in  all  of  its  de- 
pa  rt  incuts.  He  continued  to  assist  his  father 
until  the  hitter's  death  and  then  entered  upon 
an    independent     business    career.      He    raises 


OF  TH£ 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


ME.    AND    MRS.    SOLOMON    HAAKE 


ME.    AND    MBS.    HENEY    HAAKE 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOM  K1!Y    COUNTY 


'.' !  7 


both  grain  and  stock,  having  taken  up  the  lat- 
ter In-. inch  of  business  since  Ins  father's  death. 
He  lias  made  all  of  the  improvements  upon 
his  home  place,  including  the  erection  of  a 
substantial  residence  and  good  bams.  There 
was  not  even  a  fence  upon  the  land  when  he 
took  possession  of  it,  and  he  has  since  divided 
the  place  into  fields  of  convenient  size  by  well 
kept  fences,  has  secured  modern  machinery  to 
facilitate  the  farm  work  and  has  carried  on  his 
labors  along  progressive  lines.  He  owns  two 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land,  which  he  re- 
ceived as  his  share  of  his  father's  estate,  while 
his  brother  also  received  an  equal  amount.  'The 
boys  had  assisted  their  father  in  paying  off  his 
indebtedness  and  in  developing  the  farm,  and 
the  property  came  to  them  as  the  legitimate 
reward  of  their  labor. 

On  the  10th  of  February.  L897,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Haake  and  Miss  Effie  Fesser, 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  three 
children:  Graydon  Paul,  born  January  4, 
1898;  Maude  Elberta,  born  December  26, 
1902;  and  Solomon  Kay,  born  June  23,  1904. 
Mrs.  Ilaake's  father,  August  Fesser,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Hanover.  Germany,  and  on  coming  tq 
America  in  1S65  located  in  Christian  county, 
Illinois,  but  a  year  later  came  to  Montgomery 
county  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
Fillmore  township.  As  time  passed  he  pros- 
pered in  his  farming  operations  and  is  to-day 
the  owner  of  four  hundred  and  eighteen  acres 
of  fine  farming  land.  He  married  Adaline 
Livingston,  a  native  of  this  county,  and  to 
them  were  born  sis  children,  five  of  whom  are 
still  living.  In  politics  Mr.  Fesser  is  a  Re- 
publican, while  Mr.  Haake  votes  with  the 
Democracy,  but  is  not  an  active  politician,  for 
his  interests  are  concentrated  upon  his  busi- 
ness affairs,  which,  being  managed  capably, 
have  brought  to  him  a  very  desirable  financial 
return. 


GEORGE    W.    DUFFER. 

George  W.  Huffer,  who  is  engaged  in  real 
estate  dealing  in  Coffeen,  was  born  on  the 
99th  of  February.  1864,  in  Shelbyville,  Shelby 
county,   Illinois,  his  parents  being  Noah   and 


Catharine  Huffer.  The  father  was  born  in 
Heading.  Berks  county.  Pennsylvania,  on  the 
3d  of  April,  1898,  and  when  ten  years  of  age 
became  a  resident  of  Ohio.  He  remained  m 
that  state  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and 
during  that  time  learned  the  blacksmith's 
trade.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  removed 
to  Shelbyville.  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  m 
the  manufacture  of  plows  and  carriages.  He 
also  made  the  first  scrapers  and  graders  for  the 
Big  Four  Railroad  Company,  for  at  that  time 
there  were  no  iron  fenders  in  operation.  He 
invented  what  was  known  as  Hurler's  corn- 
planter,  which  was  patented  on  the  8th  of 
February,  1861.  It  was  the  first  planter  ever 
made  that  covered  two  rows.  Mr.  Huffer  of 
this  review  now  has  the  patent  which  was 
issued  to  his  father.  After  perfecting  his  in- 
vention Mr.  Huffer  began  contract  work  and 
remained  in  this  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred April  29,  1899.  He  never  reaped  the 
just  reward  of  his  invention,  for  the  papers 
were  not  drawn  up  properly  by  his  lawyer, 
and  other  men  used  his  ideas  by  making 
slight  changes  in  the  machine.  On  the  2d 
of  August,  18%3,  Noah  Huffer  married  Miss 
Catharine  Dush,  who  was  horn  in  Wooster 
county,  Ohio,  February  7,  1834,  and  died  June 
15,  1901.  They  became  the  parents  of  four 
children :  Catharine  Elizabeth,  who  married 
Joseph  Wade  and  died  in  1885;  Simon,  who 
lives  in  Decatur:  George  W. ;  and  Mary  L., 
who  is  married  and  lives  at  Cowden. 

George  W.  Huffer  acquired  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  district  schools  in  Shelby  county. 
He  afterward  learned  telegraphy,  and  in  April, 
L884,  as  a  telegraph  operator  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Toledo.  Cincinnati  &  St.  Louis 
Railroad  at  Cowden.  Illinois.  His  wife  also 
learned  telegraphy  and  they  worked  in  the 
same  office  for  seven  years.  Mr.  Huffer  con- 
tinued in  the  railroad  employ  for  almost  twen- 
ty years,  giving  excellent  satisfaction  to  the 
corporations  which  he  represented.  In  con- 
nection with  A.  Studebaker  he  opened  the 
American  Exchange  Bank  in  Coffeen  in  1900, 
but  afterward  sold  out  to  his  partner.  He 
then  turned  Ids  attention  to  the  real  estate  and 
insurance  business  in  Coffeen.  in  which  he 
his    since    been    engaged.       lie    has    secured    a 


v  1 8 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTUO.MEKY    COFNTY 


good  clientage  in  this  Line  and  has  negotiated 
many  importanl  real  estate  transfers  and  writ- 
ten considerable  insurance. 

On  the  23d  of  November,  1887,  Mr.  llull'er 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Inez  L.  Stude- 
baker,  a  daughter  oi  A.  Studebaker,  of  Cof- 
feen,  and  to  them  one  child  has  been  born,  1!. 
Hortense.  Mrs.  Euffer  belongs  to  the  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian  church.  Mr.  Huffer 
gives  Ins  political  allegiance  to  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  both  he  and  bis  wife  are  fa- 
v.orably  known  in  the  social  circles  of  Coffeen, 
having  gained  many  warm  friends  during  their 
residence  here. 


A.  T.  STRANGE. 

A.  T.  Strange,  living  on  a  farm  in  Grisham 
township,  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  in- 
fluential citizens  of  Montgomery  county,  con- 
trolling important  business  interests  and  at 
the  same  time  taking  an  active  part  in  com- 
munity affairs,  Ins  efforts  proving  beneficial 
and  far-reaching.  ELs  public  spirit  is  manifest 
by  co-operation  in  many  helpful  public  move- 
ments, and  his  integrity  in  both  citizenship 
and  m  business  life  is  above  question. 

Mr.  Strange  was  horn  in  Floyd  county. 
Georgia,  on  the  6th  of  July,  L850,  a  son  of 
John  A.  and  Fidello  A.  (Grisham)  Strange, 
who  in  his  boyhood  days  removed  to  Blount 
county.  Tennessee,  so  that  the  period  of  his 
youth  was  passed  in  the  two  states.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-one  years  he  began  teaching 
school  and  at  the  same  time  continued  his  own 
studies.  In  the  fall  of  1st;;  he  came  to  Illi- 
nois going  to  Reno,  Bond  county,  where  lived 
Ins  maternal  grandfather,  Archibald  Grisham. 
lie  secured  a  position  as  a  teacher  in  Bond 
county,  and  in  1872  he  came  to  Montgomery 
county,  where  he  followed  the  same  profession 
for  several  years  and  subsequently  engaged  in 
teaching  only  through  the  winter  months,  while 
the  summer  seasons  were  devoted  to  other  labor. 
chiefly  farming. 

On  the  22d  of  August.  1872,  Mr.  Strange 
was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  M.  Copeland,  a 
daughter  of  Samuel  Copeland,  and  they  re- 
moved  to  the   farm   in  Grisham  town-hip  upon 


which  they  now  reside.  To  the  development 
ol  his  land  and  the  improvement  of  Ins  farm 
he  devoted  his  energies  i'r early  spring  un- 
til after  crops  were  harvested  m  the  autumn, 
while  in  the  months  ol  winter  he  labored  in  the 

scl lroom,   hut   in    1884  he  gave  up  teaching 

altogether  and  bis  entire  attention  was  devoted 
to  agricultural  pursuits  until  1891.  In  IstlU 
he  became  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Hills- 
boro  Mutual  Fanners'  Insurance  Company, 
was  chosen  its  first  secretary  and  has  since 
held  that  office.  Under  his  able  management 
the  business  has  increased  from  one  hundred 
and  sixty  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  property 
insured  in  1900  to  over  one  and  a  quarter  mill- 
ions. In  1894  he  aided  in  organizing  the 
I'ana  Cyclone  Mutual  Insurance  Company  and 
was  made  its  secretary,  so  that  he  now  repre- 
sents both  companies  in  that  capacity.  The 
latter  company  also  has  grown  rapidly  from  a 
small  beginning  to  its  present  amount  of  near- 
ly one  and  a  half  millions  in  force.  In  1895 
he  began  merchandising  at  Walshville  and  has 
since  conducted  his  store  with  good  success, 
hut  makes  his  home  upon  his  farm,  which  is 
pleasantly  and  conveniently  situated  aboul  two 
miles  east  of  Walshville,  and  which  comprises 
one  hundred  and  forty-four  acres  of  rich  and 
valuable  land,  now  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mis.  Strange  were  born  four 
children,  of  whom  two  are  deceased.  The  liv- 
ing sons  are  twiiis — Algy  F.  and  Eury  B. 
Strange.  The  former  is  now  a  practicing  den- 
tin of  Litchfield,  while  the  latter  is  now  a 
student  in  the  Marion  Sims  Dental  College  at 
St.  Louis.  Missouri. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Strange  is  a  Re- 
publican, stalwart  in  support  of  the  party.  He 
served  as  township  clerk  for  three  years  and 
later  was  supervisor  of  his  township  for  three 
terms.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  Walsh- 
ville lodge.  A.  F.  &  A.  M..  was  made  a  Mason 
therein  in  1871,  and  for  twenty-nine  years  was 
worshipful  master.  He  then  resigned  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  son.  His  devotion  to  the  craft 
is  above  question,  and  in  his  life  he  exemplifies 
its  beneficent  spirit  and  its  principles  of  broth- 
erly kindness  and  helpfulness.  He  is  a  trustee 
of  the   William   Jordan   educational    trust   fund 


A.    T.    STRANGE 


LIBRARY 

OF  FH£. 

{DIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OK    MONTiio.M  EKY    COUNTY 


25] 


a  fund  of  twelve  thousand  dollars,  the  income 
from  which  goes  for  educational  purposes  in 
the  township.     Ee  lias  also  been   trustee    and 

administrator  of  man\  estates,  which  shows  how 
high  is  the  position  which  tie  has  attained  in 
the  public  regard  and  confidence.  Never  has 
any  trust  reposed  in  him  been  betrayed  in  the 
slightest  degree,  for  he  is  a  man  of  unflinching 
honor  and  business  reliability,  and  in  his 
adopted  county  his  name  is  a  synonym  for 
si  raight  forward   dealing. 


AUGUST  T.  DOERR. 

August  T.  Doerr,  living  on  section  1,  Ray- 
mond township,  is  one  of  the  progressive  and 
thrifty  agriculturists  of  his  community  and 
his  land,  covering  one  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
is  highly  cultivated  and  well  improved.  His 
life  record  began  on  the  22d  day  of  May,  1856, 
in  Madison  county,  Illinois,  on  which  date  he 
first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day.  His 
parents  were  Peter  and  Joanna  (Volbrecht) 
Doerr.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Germany 
and  when  a  young  man  came  to  the  new  world, 
going  to  Missouri  in   is  14.  at  the  time  of  high 

DC  O 

water  in  that  state.  Ee  was  married  in  St. 
Charles,  Missouri,  in  1846,  to  Joanna  Vol- 
brecht, who  was  also  a  native  of  Germany,  and 
they  resided  for  two  years  in  St.  Charles,  after 
which  they  spent  seven  years  in  St.  Louis. 
Subsequently  they  removed  to  Edwardsville, 
Illinois,  and  Mr.  Doerr  was  then'  engaged  in 
business  as  a  brick-mason,  contractor  and 
builder,  which  pursuit  he  had  also  followed  in 
Missouri.  He  afterward  bought  land  in  L854, 
becoming  the  owner  of  a  tract  upon  which  his 
son  August  T.  now  resides.  In  the  spring  of 
1851  he  took  up  his  abode  thereon,  broke  the 
fields,  planted  crops  and  in  course  of  time 
garnered  rich  harvests.  Be  also  built  a  house 
and  moved  his  family  to  the  farm  from  Ed- 
wardsville in  the  spring  of  1858.  Through 
many  a  succeeding  year  he  was  numbered 
among  the  enterprising  agriculturists  of  his 
community  and  spent  his  last  days  upon  the 
old  homestead  there,  dying  in  1893  at  the  ripe 
old  age  of  seventy-two  years.  His  wife  de- 
parted this  life  in  1897.     In  their  family  were 


seven  children,  three  sons  ami  four  daughters, 
of  whom  six  are  yet   h\  ing. 

August  T.  Doerr  was  reared  under  the 
parental  roof,  largely  spending  his  youth  upon 
the  home  farm,  ami  when  not  engaged  with  the 
labors  of  the  Held  he  attended  the  common 
schools  near  Ins  home  ami  the  graded  schools 
of  Butler.  When  he  .-tailed  out  upon  an  in- 
dependent liusiness  career  he  desired  to  have  a 
companion  ami  helpmate  for  the  journey  of  life 
ami  on  the  l.Mh  of  October,  1879,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Alice  R.  Williamson,  a 
native  of  Montgomery  county,  where  her  girl- 
hood  days  were  passed.  Shi'  acquired  a  fair 
education  and  engaged  in  teaching  school  prior 
to  her  marriage.  She  is  a  daughter  of  William 
Williamson,  formerly  of  Hamilton  county, 
Ohio,  ami  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Montgom- 
ery county.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Doerr  has  been  blessed  with  five  living  chil- 
dren: Elmer,  who  is  married  and  is  a  draughts- 
man in  the  steel  works  at  Granite  City;  Walter, 
who  is  foreman  of  the  water  works  at  I.emar, 
Iowa:  Mabel,  William  and  Nellie,  at  home. 
Thev  lost  one  daughter,  their  youngest  child, 
Anna,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years. 

Mr.    Doerr   sine led    to    a    part    of   the   old 

homestead  and  after  coming  into  possession 
of  this  property  he  built  a  good  home  thereon 
and  continued  the  work  of  further  cultivation 
and  improvement,  making  the  farm  one  of  the 
desirable  properties  of  the  neighborhood.  In 
connection  with  the  raising  of  grain  he  i-  also 
engaged  in  the  raising  and  Eeeding  of  stock,  and 
both  branches  id'  his  business  have  proved  a 
good  source  of  income.  He  finds  time  for  the 
discharge  of  public  duties  and  as  a  citizen  he 
is  public-spirited  and  progressive,  unfaltering 
in  his  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party.  lie 
cast  his  tirst  presidential  ballot  for  General 
James  A.  Garfield  and  for  each  of  its  nominees 
since  that  time.  He  was  elected  and  served 
as  drainage  commissioner  for  two  years,  has 
been  a  member  of  the  school  hoard  and  has  been 
a  delegate  to  various  county  conventions,  and 
as  every  true  American  citizen  should  do.  he 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  politics,  earnestly  desir- 
ing the  success  of  the  principles  which  he  be- 
lieves to  contain  the  best  elements  of  good  gov- 
ernment.    He  has  frequently  attended  the  agri- 


253 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


cultural  institutes  and  is  a  most  progressive 
farmer,  laboring  earnestly  for  the  betterment 
of  the  agricultural  class.  lie  recognized  the 
value  of  the  interchange  of  thought  and  ex- 
perience that  comes  in  agricultural  institutes 
and  has  done  much  to  make  the  organization  in 
Montgomery  county  a  success.  For  the  past 
six  years  hi'  has  made  a  study  of  the  raising  of 
different  kinds  of  corn  and  has  developed  some 
well  known  varieties  and  also  propagated  some 
new  varieties.  He  and  his  wife  arc  members 
of  the  Methodisi  Episcopal  church,  in  the  work 
of  winch  they  take  an  active  and  helpful  inter- 
est, lie  has  served  as  Sunday-school  superin- 
tendent for  more  than  twenty  years,  has  been 
a  teacher  in  the  Sunday-school  and  is  active 
in  behalf  of  the  Christian  education  of  the 
young.  Km-  six  years  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Woodmen  camp.  Progress  and  advance- 
ment are  terms  synonymous  with  the  business 
record  i<(  Mr.  Doerr,  who  since  starting  out  in 
life  for  himself  has  put  forth  every  effort  to 
make  his  labors  effective  and  resultant.  He 
has  worked  earnestly  and  along  modern  lines 
and  lias  not  only  followed  advanced  methods 
instituted  by  ethers,  hut  has  been  the  promoter 
of  agricultural  interests,  especially  along  the 
line  of  producing  new  varieties  of  corn  and 
demonstrating  the  possibilities  of  the  state  for 
production  of  this  cereal. 


CHARLES  GILLMAN. 

Charles  Gillman,  a  practical,  progressive  ami 
intelligent  farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  living  on  section  8,  Pitman 
township,  is  the  owner  of  valuable  landed  pos- 
sessions, In-  farm  comprising  seven  hundred 
acres,  lie  is  also  classed  with  the  pioneer  resi- 
dents of  Illinois,  having  established  bis  home 
in  Sangamon  county  in  1854,  while  since  1862 
he  has  lived  in  Montgomery  county.  He  is  one 
of  the  worthy  citizens  that  Germany  has  fur- 
nished to  this  country,  and  he  possesses  many 
of  thi'  strict  and  sterling  characteristics  of  its 
people. 

He  was  born  in  Brunswick,  July  17,  1835. 
and  had  good  school  advantages  in  bis  youth. 
His  knowledge  of   English,  however,  has  been 


acquired  since  he  arrived  in  ibis  state.  When 
a  young  man  he  was  employed  as  a  sheep  herder 
in  Brunswick,  Germany,  but  he  did  not  regard 
the  business  outlook  as  very  encouraging  and 
believed  thai  he  tnighl  enjoy  better  opportuni- 
ties in  the  new  world.  At  the  age  of  nineteen, 
therefore,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  in  185* 
became  a  resident  of  Sangamon  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  joined  some  German  friends 
who  had  previously  come  to  the  United  States. 
There  Mr.  Gillman  entered  the  employ  of  ('.  T. 
Hoppin,  his  duty  being  to  herd  and  care  for  a 
large  thick  of  sheep  numbering  fifteen  hundred 
head.  He  continued  in  this  employ  for  more 
than  four  years,  during  which  time  he  made 
good  wages,  which  he  carefully  saved,  and  then 
with  the  capital  he  had  acquired  through  his 
own  efforts  he  embarked  in  the  sheep-raising 
business  on  his  own  account.  He  resided  in 
Sangamon  county  for  three  years,  making  his 
home  near  Auburn,  and  in  1862  he  purchased 
land  where  he  now  resides,  becoming  the  owner 
of  a  tract,  of  three  hundred  and  six  acres,  of 
which  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  is  partially 
improved.  He  at  once  began  its  further  de- 
velopment and  cultivation  and  in  connection 
with  the  tilling  of  the  soil  he  was  engaged  in 
the  raising,  feeding  and  fattening  of  cattle, 
hogs  and  sheep  for  the  market.  As  he  pros- 
pered in  his  undertakings  he  purchased  more 
land  from  time  to  lime,  and  is  now  the  owner 
of  seven  hundred  acres.  At  one  time  his  realty 
holdings  comprised  one  thousand  acres,  but  be 
has  since  sold  about  three  hundred  acres.  He 
i.-  one  of  the  largest  feeders  and  shippers  of  fat 
stock  in  the  northern  part  of  Montgomery 
county,  shipping  from  one  hundred  to  two  hun- 
dred head  el'  fat  cattle  annually,  besides  several 
carloads  of  hogs  and  sheep.  Mr.  Gillman  has 
bis  place  well  improved.  He  has  creeled  a 
large,  substantial  and  attractive  residence,  built 
in  modern  style  of  architecture  and  surrounded 
by  a  well-kepi  lawn  inclosed  within  an  iron 
fence.  There  are  many  beautiful  forest,  shade 
and  ornamental  trees  on  the  place,  and  in  the 
rear  of  the  home  are  good  barns  ami  outbuild- 
ings. The  latest  improved  machinery  is  used 
in  cultivating  the  fields  and  harvesting  the  \ 
crops,  and  all  modern  equipments  are  found 
upon  fins  well  conducted    farm. 


MR.    AND   MRS.    CHARLES    GILLMAN 


LIBRARY 
Of   [HE 

university  of  Illinois 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


■?:>:, 


In  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  in  1862,  Mr. 
Gillman  married  Miss  Anna  Handley.  also  a 
native  of  German}',  and  they  became  the  par- 
ents of  five  sons  and  five  daughters:  Frank,  a 
substantial  farmer  of  Montgomery  county; 
Henry,  a  traveling  salesman;  John,  a  pros- 
perous merchant  of  Farmersville ;  Emma,  the 
wife  of  George  Cardenbaek;  Ella,  the  wife  of 
I. ale  Bristo,  a  resident  of  Missouri;  Carrie,  the 
wife  of  Grant  Rodgers,  a  farmer  of  Pitman 
township;  Flora  and  Anna,  at  home;  and  two 
suns,  deceased.  Of  these  William  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-seven  years  and  George  at  the 
age   of   twenty-four  years. 

Mr.  Gillman,  interested  in  the  progress  of 
his  county  along  man)  lines,  gives  liberally  to 
the  support  of  different  churches  as  well  as  to 
the  Lutheran  church  at  Farmersville,  of  which 
he  and  Ins  wife  are  consistent  and  active  mem- 
bers. He  votes  with  the  Republican  party,  hut 
has  never  desired  political  preferment.  Forty- 
two  years  have  come  and  gone  since  he  arrived 
in  Montgomery  county.  He  landed  in  America 
a  poor  young  man.  empty-handed  and  amid 
strangers,  he  worked  his  way  upward,  his 
labor  and  enterprise  making  for  him  success, 
while  his  straightforward  dealing  has  secured 
him  an  untarnished  name.     His  business  record 

is  i ml I  creditable  and  his  life  history  proves 

conclusively  what  can  be  accomplished  if  one 
has  determination  and  is  not  afraid  to  work. 
In  his  private  relations  he  is  kindly  and  cour- 
teous, an  agreeable  companion  and  true  friend. 


R.   FOREST  LINGLE. 

R.  forest  Lingle,  a  representative  farmer  of 
Montgomery  county  whose  enterprise  and  in- 
dustry are  typical  of  the  progressive  spirit  of 
the  west,  resides  en  section  15,  Irving  town- 
ship. He  is  a  native  son  of  the  county,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Rountree  township, 
March  1  1.  1865.  1 1  is  parents  are  \.  II.  M. 
and  Harriet  ( '.  Lingle,  natives  <d'  North  Caro- 
lina and  Illinois,  respectively.  The  father  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Montgomery  county 
and  in  1853  he  went  to  California  attracted 
by  the  discovery  of  gold  upon  the  Pacific  slope. 
He  drove  to  the  far  off  state  with  an  ox  team 


and  spent  one  year  in  that  section  of  the  coun- 
try, lie  i-  now  living  in  Rountree  township, 
where  he  owns  four  hundred  acres  of  land  ana 
eighty  in  Irving  township,  lie  is  seventy-three 
years  id'  age  and  his  wife  has  reached  the  age 
of  sixty-three  years.  In  their  family  were  eight 
children,  all  of  whom  an1  yet  living  with  the 
exception  of  the  eldest.  Albert  A.,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  two  years.  The  others  in  order 
of  birth  arc  II.  Forest;  Linnie  May  and  Lula 
Belle,  twins,  tin'  former  the  wife  of  Jacob  C. 
Snider,  and  the  latter  the  wife  of  William 
Bryce;  Joseph  <>..  who  is  living  upon  the  home 
place;  Elva  (!..  the  wife  id'  Frank  Berry,  of 
Irving  township;  Alma  1,..  the  wife  of  Asa 
Black,  of  Auburn,  Illinois;  and  Hubert  G.,  who 
married  Viola  Masters,  and  is  living  in  Roun- 
tree township. 

R.  Forest  Lingle  was  a  public  school  student 
in  Rountree  township  in  his  early  boyhood  days 
and  he  received  mental  training  in  farm  labor 
upon  the  old  homestead,  where  he  remained  un- 
til twenty-five  years  of  age.  He  then  deter- 
mined to  follow  as  a  life  pursuit  the  occupation 
to  which  he  had  been  reared  and  began  farming 
fin-  himself  in  Rountree  township.  After  five 
years  had  passed  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land,  where  he  now  lives.  He  has  a  well  de- 
veloped property,  upon  which  he  has  made  ex- 
cellent improvements,  so  that  his  farm  is  now 
productive  and  his  labor  profitable.  For  four- 
teen years  he  has  been  operating  a  threshing 
machine  and  a  clover  huller,  being  his  own  en- 
gineer, ami  his  labors  in  this  direction  have 
added  materially  to  his  income. 

On  the  24th  of  September,  1889,  Mr.  Lingle 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ettie  A.  Cham- 
bers,  a  daughter  of  Francis  and  Elizabeth  A. 
Chambers,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ohio 
and  became  early  settlers  of  Fayette  county, 
Illinois.  In  1885  they  removed  to  Nokomis, 
Montgomery  county,  where  Mr.  Chambers  is 
still  living,  hut  in  1901  he  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  id'  his  wife,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  sixty-two  years.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lingle  have  been  horn  two  children:  Ivan  M., 
who  is  eleven  years  of  age.  and  Francis  F.,  one 
year  old.  'the  parents  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  Mr.  Lingle  is 
a  Republican  in  his  political  views.     He  is  in- 


256 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


terested  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  county's  prog- 
ress and  upbuilding  and  has  given  his  aid  and 
co-operation  to  many  measures  for  the  general 
good,  so  that  for  his  value  in  citizenship  as 
well  as  his  estimable  traits  of  character  in 
private  life  he  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  his 
manv   friends. 


JOHN    RUSSELL. 


John  Russell,  the  owner  of  a  farm  of  three 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  Audubon  township, 
is  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  settlers,  whose 
memory  goes  back  to  the  time  of  the  log  cabins 
and  uncleared  fields  in  Montgomery  county. 
He  was  born  on  the  25th  of  April,  1822,  on 
the  east  fork  of  the  creek  northeast  of  Coffeen. 
His  parents  were  John  and  Charlotte  (Britt) 
Russell.  The  father  was  born  in  Johnson 
county,  North  Carolina,  in  1797,  and  removed 
thence  to  Kentucky,  where  he  resided  for  two 
or  three  years.  He  afterward  spent  one  year 
mi  the  Missouri  river  about  two  hundred  miles 
above  St.  Louis,  after  which  he  decided  to  re- 
turn to  Kentucky.  He  proceeded  down  the 
Missouri  river,  thence  crossed  the  country  of 
Montgomery  county.  Being  pleased  with  this 
locality  lie  decided  to  remain  and  in  1821  set- 
tled upon  a  tract  of  land  near  Coffeen,  where  he 
raised  a  crop.  He  did  not  purchase  land  for 
the  settlers  then  believed  that  they  would  never 
need  to,  but  speculators  came  in  ami  made  the 
purchases  and  Mr.  Russell  thus  obtained  no 
property  from  the  government.  These  were 
early  pioneer  times  when  existing  conditions 
were  iii  marked  contrast  to  those  of  the  present 
daw  There  were  many  wolves  in  the  county 
and  the  hark  houses  of  the  Indian  wire  still 
standing  during  the  boyhood  clays  of  John 
Russell.  Jr.  Large  herds  of  deer  were  frequent- 
ly seen  in  forests  or  upon  the  prairie  ami  there 
weiv  many  wild  turkeys  and  other  feathered 
game.  When  the  prairie  was  burned  over  it 
was  found  to  be  thickly  strewn  with  buffalo 
bones.  There  were  no  schoolhouses  ami  no 
churches  and.  in  fact,  the  privileges  of  the  pio- 
neer -elt lia's  were  very  few.  The  clothing  was 
made  out  of  flax,  wool  and  cotton,  and  thread 
spun   and   cloth   woven   by   the   women    of   the 


household.  John  Russell.  Sr.,  died  upon  the 
farm  on  which  the  subject  of  this  review  now 
resides. 

His  son,  John  Russell,  assisted  in  cutting 
the  logs  and  building  the  old  house,  which  still 
stands  upon  the  place.  There  was  much  timber 
in  this  district  and  Mr.  Russell  acquired  a  part 
of  his  presi  nt  farm.  At.  one  time  he  owned  two 
hundred  acres  of  timber  land  and  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  prairie  land.  He  still  owns 
the  latter  tract  and  he  lias  altogether  three 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  at  this  writing.  He 
was  reared  as  were  the  other  members  of  the 
family,  numbering  live  brothers  and  four  sis- 
ters. Those  still  living  are  Mrs.  Martha  Davis, 
eighty-four  years  of  age,  a  resilient  of  Decatur; 
and  Joseph,  also  living  in  Decatur. 

Mr.  Russell  has  been  twice  married,  his  first 
wife  being  Miss  Elizabeth  Beck,  by  whom  he 
had  two  children.  Susan  and  William  1*.  Af- 
ter her  death  lie  was  married  on  the  18th  of 
July,  1858,  to  her  sister.  Miss  Nancy  Beck,  who 
was  born  December  8,  1832,  and  pursued  her 
education  in  a  log  schoolhouse  such  as  was  com- 
mon at  that  day.  Her  parents  were  John  and 
Nancy  (Blair)  Beck,  both  natives  of  Illinois, 
the  former  of  German  descent  and  the  latter 
of  English  lineage.  The  children  born  of  our 
subject's  second  marriage  are:  Belle,  the  wife 
of  John  Moyer,  of  Pana,  Illinois;  Florence,  the 
wife  of  Ed  Betzel,  of  Pana:  John;  Luzena,  the 
wife  of  John  Pacock.  a  resident  of  Audubon 
township;  Ollie,  the  wife  of  Charles  Sarles; 
Alice,  at  home:  Edward:  ami  Mabel,  the  wife 
of  .lames   Monaghan,  of   Audubon  township. 

Mr.  Russell  has  always  been  a  Democrat  in 
his  political  affiliation  and  he  east  his  first  vote 
for  .lames  K.  Polk.  His  wife  is  a  member  of 
tlir  Christian  church.  His  entire  life  has  been 
)ia><eil  in  Montgomery  county  and  his  memory 
forms  a  connecting  link  between  the  pioneer 
past  and  the  progressive  present.  He  has  wit- 
nessed wonderful  changes  and  the  difference  is 
no  more  marked  in  any  line  of  life  than  in 
farming,  for  the  old  crude  hand  implements 
have  been  replaced  by  modern  machinery, 
whereby  a  man's  daily  work  is  greatly  increased 
in  amount  ami  lessened  in  actual  manual  labor. 
No  longer  are  the  log  cabins  seen,  for  they  have 
been    replaced   by   commodious  and   substantial 


ME    AND    MRS.    JOHN    RUSSELL 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


251) 


modem  dwellings  and  do  more  are  the  i  \  idences 
of  pioneer  Life  seen.  While  Mr.  Russell  has 
man}  pleasant  memories  of  the  olden  days  he 
has  rejoiced  in  the  progress  that  has  been  made. 


CHARLES  E.  MORGAN. 

Charles  E.  Morgan,  well  known  in  financial 
circles  in  Montgomery  county,  is  the  capable 
cashier  of  the  Litchfield  Bank  &  Trust  Com- 
pany. He  was  hern  in  Springfield,  [llinois, 
on  the  2d  of  April,  L862,  and  is  a  sun  of  Walter 
1'.  and  Mary  (Brockman)  Morgan.  His  father 
was  i tected  with  the  Wabash  Railroad  Com- 
pany for  thirty-three  years,  occupying  his  po- 
sition up  to  the  time  of  his  death  and  two 
uncles  of  our  siiliject  were  also  identified  with 
the  operating  department   of  railroad    service. 

The  mother  of  Charles  E.  Morgan  died  when 
he  was  but  three  years  of  age  and  he  was  reared 
by  Ins  paternal  grandfather,  Horace  Morgan. 
In  issl  he  entered  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Springfield,  Illinois,  as  errand  hoy  and  col- 
lector, remaining  in  that  institution  for  three 
and  a  half  years,  during  which  time  he  gamed 
a  practical  knowledge  of  the  banking  business. 
He  afterward  went  to  work  on  the  railroad  as 
a  hrakenian  on  the  passenger  train  and  fol- 
lowing the  death  of  his  father  he  was  made 
conductor  on  a  dining  car.  running  between 
Forty  Wayne,  Indiana,  and  Decatur,  over  the 
Wabash  line.  On  the  1st  of  June,  1892,  he  re- 
moved from  Fort  Wayne  to  Lichfield,  Illinois, 
and  here  he  entered  what  was  originally  the 
Bank  of  Litchfield,  then  the  property  of  Beach, 
Davis  &  Company.  Later  this  firm  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Beach,  Martin  &  Company,  and  from 
ISO?  until  100?  the  business  was  conducted 
under  the  firm  style  of  M.  M.  Martin  &  Com- 
pany. On  the  Ith  of  September,  of  tin'  latter 
roar,  the  present  Litchfield  Bank-  &  Trust  Com- 
pany was  organized  as  an  incorporated  state 
bank  and  Charles  F.  Morgan  has  since  served 
as  cashier  of  the  institution,  a  position  which 
he  ably  fills.  He  had  become  connected  with 
this  institution  as  assistant  cashier  and  was 
promoted  to  cashier  in  1S07.  succeeding  Colonel 
Van  Duzen,  who  had  served  in  that  capacity  for 
a  nnmher  of   years.     Mr.   Morgan    is    popular 


with  the  patrons  of  the  hank  because  of  his 
promptness  and  dispatch  in  discharging  his 
business  duties  and  also  because  of  his  obliging 
manner  and   unfailing  courtesy. 

On  the  2d  of  September,  L890,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  .Morgan  and  Miss  Mattie  A. 
Martin,  a  daughter  of  M.  M.  Martin,  general 
superintendent  of  the  ear  department  of  the 
Wabash  Railroad  Company  at  Decatur.  Her 
father  also  held  numerous  valuable  properties 
in  Litchfield,  was  the  owner  of  the  hank  and 
was  also  the  leading  partner  in  the  Litchfield 
Foundry  &  Machine  Company.  Mrs.  Morgan 
-  the  oldest  daughter  and  was  educated  in  the 
Litchfield  public  schools,  and  by  her  marriage 
has  hoc. inn-  the  mother  of  two  children,  Harold 
and  Mabel,  aged  respectively  thirteen  and  nine 
years. 

In  Ins  political  views  Mr.  Morgan  is  a  stai- 
n-art Republ  can  ami  has  served  a-  president  of 
rhe  school  hoard,  as  member  of  the  city  council 
and  as  city  treasurer.  He  is  also  treasurer 
of  the  Homestead  Loan  &  Building  Association. 
Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Benevolent 
Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  is  serving  as 
treasurer  pf  the  lodge  in  Litchfield.  He  and 
his  wife  have  many  warm  friends  in  this  city 
and  the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes  is  ex- 
tended to  them,  for  they  are  people  of  genuine 
worth,  enjoying  in  large  measure  the  esteem 
of  those  with  whom  thev  have  been  associated. 


JOHN  T.  SH1NDLER. 
John  T.  Shindler,  yard  ami  hill  clerk  with 
the  Wabash  Railroad  Compan}  at  Litchfield, 
was  horn  on  the  3d  of  October.  1868  in  Ma- 
coupin county,  Illinois,  ami  is  a  son  of  George 
('.  and  Elizabeth  Shindler.  Hi-  early  youth 
was  spent  upon  a  farm  and  his  education  was 
acquired  in  the  district  schools  of  the  home 
neighborhood.  He  continued  to  assist  in  the 
cultivation  and  improvement  of  his  father's 
land  until  twenty-one  years,  after  which  he  re- 
moved to  Litchfield  and  entered  the  employ 
of  the  American  Express  Company,  with  which 
he  continued  for  a  year.  He  next  entered  the 
dry-goods  business,  with  which  he  was  identi- 
fied for  nine  voars  as  a  clerk  for  Mr.  Towey  in 


260 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


the  New  York  store.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Big  Four 
Railroad  Company,  with  which  he  continued 
for  a  year  and  a  half  and  on  the  1st  of  Jan- 
uary, 1903,  he  became  connected  with  the  Wa- 
bash Railroad  Company  as  yard  clerk  and  bill 
clerk.  He  yet  occupies  these  positions  and  the 
responsibility  which  devolves  upon  him  is  ably 
met,  owing  to  his  business  activity,  capacity 
and  energy. 

On  the  1st  of  March,  1896,  Mr.  Shindler  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jennie  Allen,  a 
native  of  Litchfield,  who  was  born  and  reared 
in  this  city,  where  she  has  always  made  her 
home.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  .Shindler  have  been 
born  two  children :  Harold  A.,  who  was  born 
February  13,  1897,  and  is  now  seven  years  of 
age;  and  George  Melvin,  born  June  4,  1902. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Shindler  is  a 
Democrat.  Earnest  in  his  advocacy  of  his 
party  he  believes  firmly  in  its  principles.  He 
was  township  clerk  of  North  Litchfield  town- 
ship in  1901  and  1902  while  with  the  Big  Four 
Railroad  Company.  Fraternally  he  is  con- 
neeted  with  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur.  a  beneficent 
insurance  order.  He  belongs  to  the  First  Bap- 
tist church  of  Litchfield  and  while  connected 
with  mercantile  interests  served  as  a  teacher 
in  the  Sunday-school,  but  the  important  and 
responsible  duties  which  now  devolve  upon  him 
leave  him  little  opportunity  for  such  work. 


JAMES  W.  CLOTFELTER. 

James  Washington  Clotfelter,  one  of  the  re- 
spected and  reliable  citizens  of  Hillsboro,  is 
still  interested  in  the  stock  business,  although 
he  has  passed  the  seventy-ninth  milestone  on 
life's  journey.  His  has  been  an  eventful  career, 
full  of  many  interesting  incidents.  He  is 
familiar  with  the  pioneer  experiences  of  Mis- 
souri. Illinois  and  of  California,  has  known 
what  it  is  to  meet  the  hardships  and  trials  inci- 
dent to  frontier  life,  to  undergo  hunger  and  to 
f.irr  danger.  He  is  new  spending  the  evening 
of  bis  life  amid  the  comforts  which  have  been 
won  through  capable  business  management  and 
unfaltering  energy  and  in  Hillsboro  and  Mont- 


gomery county  the  circle  of  his  friends  is  almost 
co-extensive  with  the  circle  of  bis  acquaintance. 

Mr.  Clotfelter  was  born  in  Iredell  county, 
North  Carolina,  May  25,  1825,  and  on  the  1st  of 
March,  1833,  started  with  his  parents  from  that 
state  to  Missouri,  but  during  the  first  week  of 
the  journey  the  father  died.  The  widowed 
mother,  with  her  nine  children,  continued  on 
their  way  and  at  length  settled  at  Cape  Girar- 
deau, Missouri,  but  in  the  autumn  of  the  same 
year  they  removed  to  Hillsboro,  making  an 
overland  trip  to  this  city.  While  enroute  they 
camped  one  night  on  Silver  creek  and  the  mem- 
bers of  the  family  with  the  exception  of  Mr. 
Clotfelter  of  this  review,  who  was  sleeping, 
witnessed  one  of  the  most  remarkable  phenome- 
non that  nature  has  displayed — the  shower  of 
falling  meteors,  in  which  it  seemed  that  the 
heavens  were  falling.  Mr.  Clotfelter  and 
others  of  the  family  spent  their  first  night  in 
Montgomery  county  in  the  house  now  owned 
by  Charles  Baxter  on  the  street  in  Hillsboro 
leading  to  ( Iress  Hill. 

Soon  after  their  arrival  the  mother  moved 
into  a  cabin  on  the  Charles  Miller  farm.  There 
were  then  two  cabins  there  connected  by  a  shed 
and  Mrs.  Clotfelter  and  her  nine  children  oc- 
cupied one  of  these,  while  a  family  almost  as 
numerous  lived  in  the  other.  When  two  years 
bad  passed  the  Clot  Teller  family  removed  to 
the  old  Andrew  Burk  farm  south  of  the  city, 
and  purchased  the  cabin  and  improvements  for 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  dollars.  As  the  years 
passed  the  children  married  and  moved  to 
Innnes  of  their  own  until  there  were  left  only 
the  mother,  one  sister,  who  is  dow  Mrs.  William 

Pri and  James  W.,  of  this  review.     In  L846 

the  mother  died  and  the  household  being  thus 
broken  up  James  W.  Clotfelter  started  out  in 
life  on  bis  own  account.  He  was  then  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  In  the  autumn  of  that  year 
he  went  with  his  brother  to  Missouri,  but  soon 
returned  to  Montgomery  county  and  entered 
the  employ  of  a  Mr.  Haller.  In  company  with 
others,  he  then  started  for  Wisconsin,  driving 
five  hundred  head  of  cattle  to  that  state.  Two 
months  were  consumed  in  making  the  trip  and 
for  his  services  Mr.  Clotfelter  was  paid  nine 
dollars  per  month.  He  accomplished  the  re- 
turn journey  on  horseback  in  fifteen  days  and 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


MRS.    JAMES    W.    CLOTFELTER 


JAMES    W.    CLOTFELTER 


LIBRARY 

OF   IHt 

UNIVERSITY  Of  'aiflOlS 


FAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMEEY    COUNTY 


365 


on  the  way  he  stopped  at  Sycamore,  where  he 
worked  for  two  weeks  in  a  brickyard,  receiving 
his  board  in  compensation  for  his  services.  The 
following  year  he  purchased  nine  horses,  which 
he  took  to  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  other  cities, 
endeavoring  to  effect  a  sale,  but  in  those  days 
horses  were  not  in  demand  and  prices  were  Low, 
most  farmers  preferring  to  use  oxen  in  the 
tilling  of  the  soil.  Had  the  price  of  Iced  been 
anything  like  it  is  today  he  would  have  lost 
money  in  this  venture,  but  he  states  that  he 
spent  one  night  in  Chicago  and  thai  (lie  lull 
for  sheltering  Ins  horses  and  himself  was  one 
dollar  and  a  half.  After  visiting  two  or  three 
cities  he  at  length  succeeded  in  selling  seven  of 
his  horses  and  the  remaining  two  he  traded  for 
two  yoke  of  oxen,  which  he  sold  for  eighty 
dollars,  and  the  price  that  he  asked  was  so  low 
that  the  purchaser  thought  he  had  stolen  them, 
Mr.  Clotfelter  having  a  hard  time  in  convincing 
him  that  he  had  traded  for  them.  At  length 
he  arrived  in  Hillsboro  with  an  old  bugg]  and 
a  part  of  the  money  which  he  had  received  in 
payment  for  the  horses. 

Three  times  Mr.  Clotfelter  has  journeyed  to ' 
California,  making  the  first  trip  in  1850  in 
company  witli  William  and  Ben  Wilton.  The 
tales  of  fiction  can  hardly  rival  the  story  of  the 
hardships  and  trials  which  he  endured.  The 
three  men  started  with  others,  but  had  gone 
only  a  short  distance  when  William  Wilton  was 
taken  ill  and  they  were  compelled  to  wait  for 
two  weeks  until  he  had  recovered  sufficiently 
to  resume  the  journey.  The  food  supply  also 
became  low  and  Mr.  Clotfelter  and  Mr.  Ilan- 
kerson  determined  that  they  would  travel  on 
alone,  hoping  that  fate  would  lie  kind  enough 
to  assist  them  in  getting  through.  Leaving 
their  companions  they  started  on  foot  for  Cali- 
fornia. The  first  half  of  their  trip  was  made 
in  good  time  with  few  hardships  for  game  was 
plentiful  and  furnished  them  a  good  supply  of 
food,  but  the  farther  they  went  the  scarcer  (lie 
game  became.  After  tra-veling  some  time  they 
were  joined  by  another  man.  from  Springfield, 
Illinois.  When  they  arrived  at  the  desert  they 
were  nearly  without  food  and  had  it  not  been 
for  the  berries  that  they  occasionally  found 
along  the  way  they  would  have  starved  to  death. 
When  they  had  succeeded  in  crossing  the  desert 


ilr.  Clotfelter's  companions  were  almost  ex- 
hausted and  it  was  decided  that  he  should  go 
on  alone  and  wait  for  them  at  a  place  where 
ihe\    could   secure   something   to   eat.     After  a 

I ly   trip  he  arrived   one   night   at  a   wayside 

inn  and.  applying  for  something  to  eat,  he  was 
informed  that  he  could  get  something  if  he 
was  able  t<>  pay  for  it.  lie  pn-sessed  only  a 
five  dollar  bill,  which  he  gave  in  exchange  for 
two  biscuits  and  a  place  to  spend  the  night. 
The  next  morning  lie  asked  for  work  and  was 
given  a  jcli  at  carrying  hay.  There  he  awaited 
his  companions,  who  on  their  arrival  were  also 
given  employment  and  the  three  stayed  there 
about  a  day  until  they  had  rested.  When  they 
were  ready  to  leave  the  proprietor  told  them 
that  lhe\  could  easily  make  plenty  of  money  in 
California  and  as  they  had  no  money  to  pay 
their  board  he  agreed  In  lake  their  notes.  While 
Mr.  Hankerson  was  making  out  a  note  for  forty 
dollars  Mr.  Clotfelter  succeeded  in  getting 
possession  of  sixteen  biscuits  through  the  kind- 

ueSS    'd    the    COOk    and    the\     r    inipi'e    resinned 

their  journey,  luil  as  his  companions  were  too 
weak  in  keep  it  up.  it  was  decided  that  each 
should  shift  fur  himself  ami  the}  parted  com- 
pany in  meet  again  in  California.  On  leaving 
the  inn  they  had  a  wagon  and  three  yoke  of 
oxen  luil  when  afterward  seen  the  oxen  had 
disappeared,  being  consumed  as  food,  and  tin' 
wagon  left  behind.  Mr.  Clotfelter  traveled 
night  and  day  without  a  gun  In  protect  himself, 
from  the  wild  animals  or  the  Indians,  and  it 
was  a  desolate,  lonely  trip.  One  night,  while 
traveling  along  the  Carson  river,  he  stopped 
near  the  seventeen  mile  desert  and  laid  down  to 
sleep.  hi  the  morning  he  found  that  he  had 
used  as  a  couch  the  hollow  between  two  newly 
made  graves. 

After  arriving  at  Weaverville,  California,  he 
began  prospecting  for  gold  and  succeeded  in 
making-  enough  with  which  In  return  to  Tlli- 
nois.  In  1853  he  again  made  a  trip  to  Cali- 
fornia and  once  more  visited  the  Golden  state 
in  1859.  During  the  years  of  his  residence  in 
Montgomery  county  lie  has  been  engaged  in 
the  stock  business  and  few  dealers  of  this  part 
of  tlie  state  are  better  known.  He  is  still  en- 
gaged with  his  son  Ralph  in  buying  and  selling 
stock  and  has  conducted  an  extensive  and  pro- 


266 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


titable  business.  In  all  trade  transactions  he 
is  alert  and  enterprising,  yet  lias  never  Wren 
known  to  take  advantage  of  the  necessities  of 
his  fellow  men  in  any  business  dealing. 

In  1854  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Clot- 
felter  and  Miss  Dorcas  Bost,  a  daughter  of  Mr. 
and  .Mrs.  Jacob  Bost.  They  became  the  parents 
of  ten  children,  eight   of  whom  are  now    Living, 

na 1\:    Mrs.    Thomas   Williams:    Mrs.    Aimer 

Cress,  Mrs.  Thomas  M.  Jett,  Mrs.  .lames  P. 
Brown.  Lizzie.  Minnie,  Ralph  and  Mrs.  Dr. 
William  A.  Allen.  The  mother  died  in  1S92 
and  Mr.  Clotfelter  has  since  resided  with  one 
of  his  daughters  in  Hillsboro.  He  is  one  of 
its  oldest  citizens  and  has  watched  its  develop- 
ment from  a  little  village  situated  in  a  wild  and 
desolate  district  to  one  of  the  best  residence 
towns  of  the  state,  lie  has  been  deeply  in- 
terested in  all  that  has  been  accomplished  here 
and   has   borne   his   full   share  in   the  work   of 

progress.      His    has,    indeed.    I □    an    eventful 

career  and  his  life  history,  if  written  in  detail, 
would  constitute  a  thrilling  story.  He  can  re- 
late manv  interesting  incidents  of  early  pioneer 
experience  in  Illinois  as  well  as  of  his  mining 
life  in  California.  His  business  career  has 
been  characterized  by  unflagging  perseverance 
and  indefatigable  energy  and  today  ho  stands 
as  one  of  the  substantial  residents  of  Mont- 
gomery county  because  of  his  capable  manage- 
ment and  unfaltering  effort. 


J.  P.  CHAPMAN. 


J.  H.  Chapman,  who  is  a  representative 
farmer  of  Raymond  township  Living  on  section 
!».  is  also  classed  with  the  public-spirited  ami 
prominent  men  of  liis  community,  where  he  is 
now  serving  for  the  second  term  as  justice  of 
the  peace.  His  life  record  began  in  Greene 
county.  Illinois,  where  he  first  opened  his  eyes 
to  the  light  of  day  on  the  1st  of  August,  1843. 
Descended  from  English  ancestry,  he  i-  a 
grandson  of  Luke  Chapman,  who  was  horn  in 
England  ami  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
in  L824,  settling  in  West  Virginia  near  Wheel- 
ing, although  the  state  had  not  at  that  time 
been  divided  from  the  Old  Dominion.  He 
reared   his    family  there  and   died   about   1832. 


His  son.  Judge  William  Chapman,  who  was 
horn  in  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1817,  was  only 
about  seven  years  of  age  at  the  time  the  fam- 
ily crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world.  He 
remained  in  West  Virginia  until  ls:;:i,  when 
in  early  manhood  he  sought  a  home  in  the 
west,  believing  that  this  less  thickly  settled  dis- 
trict would  afford  better  business  opportunities. 
He  made  his  way  to  Greene  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  was  employed  as  a  civil  engineer  in 
connection  with  the  construction  of  the  Great 
Western  Railroad,  now  a  part  of  the  Wabash 
Railroad  system.  He  was  also  a  teacher  and  in 
this  connection  was  actively  identified  with  the 
educational  development  of  his  community.  In 
Greene  county  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ann  M. 
Alverson,  who  was  horn  and  reared  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  in  1852  they  removed  to  Mont- 
gomery county,  locating  near  Raymond,  wdiere 
tin-  father  entered  land  from  the  government, 
securing  a  claim  of  three  hundred  and  sixty 
acres.  Although  not  a  furrow  had  been  turned 
or  an  improvement  made  upon  that  place  he  at 
once  began  its  development  and  continued  its 
cultivation  until  it  had  become  a  productive 
tract.  He  also  extended  the  boundaries  of  his 
farm  until  it  comprised  more  than  six  hundred 
acres,  lie  reared  his  family  and  spent  his 
life  there,  being  called  to  the  home  beyond 
in  January,  1896.  He  was  one  of  the  promi- 
nent men  of  the  county,  serving  as  township 
treasurer  for  twenty  years,  also  as  supervisor 
and  for  four  years  as  associate  judge.  His 
public  duties  were  discharged  with  the  utmost 
fidelity  and  capability  and  he  took  an  active 
and  helpful  pail  in  shaping  the  early  policy 
of  the  county  and  in  promoting  its  substantial 
upbuilding.  He  had  a  wide  acquaintance  and, 
moreover,  received  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  the  entire  community  by  reason  of  his  up- 
right  life  and  general  usefulness. 

J.  P.  Chapman  spent  the  days  of  his  youth 
in  Montgomery  county  upon  the  old  family 
homestead  and  shared  in  the  hardships  and  pri- 
vations of  pioneer  life,  assisted  in  the  arduous 
task  of  developing  a  new  farm  and  also  enjoyed 
to  the  fullest  extent  the  pleasures  that  were 
common  among  the  pioneer  people  at  a  time 
when  hospitality  reigned  supreme  in  every 
frontier    home.     TTis    educational     advantages 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


267 


were  somewhat  limited,  but  reading,  experience 
and  observation  have  added  greatly  to  his 
knowledge  in  later  years  and  have  made  him 
a  well  informed  man.  He  remained  with  his 
father  until  he  had  attained  his  majority  and 
then  offered  his  services  to  the  government,  en- 
listing in  May,  1864,  when  twenty  years  of  age 
as  a  member  of  Company  11.  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-lli i rd  Illinois  Infantry  for  one  hundred 
days.  He  went  south  and  participated  in  sev- 
eral skirmishes  in  Arkansas  and  Tennessee,  but 
was  largely  engaged  in  guard  and  garrison 
<luty.  He  continued  with  the  regiment  until 
honorably  discharged  in  January,  1864,  and 
then  returned  to  his  home.  Farming  lias  been 
his  life  work  and  in  his  business  career  he  has 
displayed  unfaltering  perseverence  as  well  as 
keen  business  sagacity  and  energy.  lie  broke 
the  land  upon  which  he  lives  and  developed  his 
present  fine  farm,  comprising  two  hundred 
acres  of  very  rich  and  productive  land,  situated 
within  two  miles  of  Raymond. 

In  1861  Mr.  Chapman  was  united  in  mar- 
riage td  .Miss  Catherine  Hendrickson,  a  native 
of  Ohio,  who  was  reared  in  that  state.  Sin- 
died  July  22,  1878,  leaving  lliree  suns.  Kobert 
it.  Chapman,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  Denver, 
Colorado;  Professor  Gideon  P.  Chapman,  who 
is  principal  of  the  high  school  at  Divernon, 
Illinois;  and  Byron  Chapman,  who  is  engaged 
in  the  machinist  business  in  Omaha,  Nebraska. 
Prior  to  his  marriage  .Mr.  Chapman  had  pur- 
chased the  farm  ami  had  also  rented  land 
there  for  a  few  years.  At  the  time  of  his 
marriage  he  took  his  bride  to  the  home  which 
he  had  prepared  and  they  lived  happily  t> 
gether  there  for  about  fourteen  years.  In  July. 
lssn.  Mr.  Chapman  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  being  with  Isabella  Rogers,  who 
was  born  m  Macoupin  county.  Illinois,  but  was 
reared  in  Montgomery  county.  Slie  passed 
away  on  the  15tb  of  March,  1903.  By  this 
marriage  there  were  the  following  children: 
Grace,  at  home;  Ethel,  the  wife  of  Archibald 
Rhodes,  a  farmer  of  Raymond  township; 
George,  who  assists  in  the  operation  of  the 
home  farm;  Mary,  Benjamin.  Joseph  R.,  John, 
Emma,   Ann  and  Jessie,  all   with   their   father. 

In    matters  of  citizenship   Mr.    Chapman    is 
public-spirited  and   progressive  and   in   1864   as 


a  supporter  of  tin-  Republican  party  he  proudly 
cast  Ins  first  presidential  ballot  for  Abraham 
Lincoln.  He  has  since  been  unfaltering  in  his 
devotion  to  the  party  and  upon  that  ticket  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  school  board,  serv- 
ing lor  eighteen  consecutive  years,  lie  is  now 
serving  his  third  term  as  justice  of  the  peace, 
having  been  first  elected  in  1900  and  in  the  dis- 
charge of  bis  duties  he  displays  unbiased  judg- 
ment, strict  equity  and  unfaltering  devotion 
to  the  trust  reposed  in  him.  Fraternally  he 
is  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge 
in  which  he  has  filled  all  of  the  offices  and  is 
now  a  past  chancellor,  while  in  the  grand  lodge 
he  has  represented  the  subordinate  organiza- 
tion. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  camp  and  the  Grand  Army  post,  and 
in  the  latter  lias  tilled  many  positions,  is  also 
a  past  commander  and  has  been  a  representa- 
tive to  tin-  national  encampment.  His  ac- 
quaintance throughout  the  county  is  extensive, 
for  almost  his  entire  life  has  been  passed  within 
its  borders  and  his  activity  in  business  and  pub 
lie  affairs  has  been  such  as  to  extend  his  ac- 
quaintance and  win  for  him  the  highest  regard 
and  esteem. 


GEORGE  SIMS. 

George  Sims,  who  is  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing on  section  30,  Rountree  township,  was  born 
m  Banffshire,  Scotland.  November  27,  184S, 
bis  parents  being  William  and  Ann  (Broady) 
Sims,  who  in  the  year  185]  bade  adieu  to  the 
land  of  the  heather  and  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  tbe  new  world.  They  located  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, whence  they  afterward  removed  to  Clin- 
ton county,  Illinois,  and  in  1867  they  arrived 
in  Montgomery  county,  where  they  spent  their 
remaining  days,  both  passing  away  in  Roun- 
tree township.  Mrs.  Sims  died  in  1885,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-three  years,  and  "Mr.  Sims  passed 
away  in   1878,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years. 

George  Sims,  whose  name  introduces  this 
record,  was  a  young  lad  when  he  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Illinois,  hav- 
ing been  but  two  years  of  age  when  brought  by 
bis  parents  to  the  United  States.  He  pursued 
bis  e, location   in   the  public  schools  of  Clinton 


368 


IWST    AM)    1'BESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


county  and  was  reared  to  farm  life,  early  be- 
coming familiar  with  the  various  duties  and 
labors  that  fall  to  the  Lot  of  the  agriculturist. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  he  began  farm- 
ing on  his  own  account  and  he  now  owns  two 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  line  land,  all  of 
which  is  well  improved.  Tins  farm  is  the  visi- 
ble evidence  of  his  life  of  industry  and  thrift, 
for  it  has  come  to  him  as  the  result  of  his 
energy,  careful  management  and  good  business 
and  executive  ability,  lie  has  labored  earnest- 
ly as  the  years  have  gone  by  and  is  now  one  of 
the  substantial  residents  of  his  community. 

On  the  12th  of  October,  1893,  Mr.  Suns  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Florence  Colvin,  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Rachel  (Davis)  Colvin, 
the  former  a  native  of  Ireland  and  the  latter 
of  Indiana.  Mr.  Colvin  came  to  the  United 
States  when  fifteen  years  of  age  and  established 
his  home  in  Indiana,  where  he  followed  the 
cabinet  maker's  trade.  In  1872  he  came  to 
Montgomery  county,  locating  near  Butler, 
where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  passing 
away  in  1901,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  His 
wife  departed  tins  life  in  1875.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sims  have  been  born  five  children:  Lil- 
lie.  Nellie.  Dewey.  Cora  and  Lora.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sims  hold  membership  with  the  Presby- 
terian church  and  lie  gives  his  political  support 
to  the  Republican  party,  but  has  never  sought 
or  desired  office,  preferring  to  give  his  undi- 
vided attention  to  his  business  affairs. 


HIRAM    C   CUNDIFF. 
Hiram  C.  Cundiff,  who  is  conducting  a  livery 

stable  in  Coffeen,  is  oi f  the  native  sons  of 

Montgomery  county,  bis  birth  having  occurred 
in  Fillmore  township  on  the  1Kb  of  April, 
is  1 1.  His  father.  William  Cundiff.  was  bom 
in  Kentucky,  while  the  mother  of  our  subject 
was  a  native  of  South  Carolina.  William 
Cundiff  arrived  in  Montgomery  county  during 
the  period  of  its  early  settlement  and  develop- 
ment and  assisted  in  opening  up  tin-  region 
to  civilization.  Tie  particularly  aided  in  re- 
claiming the  wild  land  for  cultivation  and  be- 
came an  extensive  farmer,  owning  six  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  which  he  made  very  productive, 


owing  to  the  care  and  labor  which  he  bestowed 
upon  his  fields.  He  was  also  extensively  en- 
gaged in  raising  stock  and  always  had  high- 
grade  animals  upon  his  farm.  His  worth  as 
a  citizen  and  business  man  were  widely  ac- 
knowledged and  made  him  one  of  the  valued 
residents  of  this  portion  of  the  state.  His 
death  occurred  in  L862,  and  he  is  now  sur- 
vived by  only  two  of  his  thirteen  children. 

I  liram  ('.  Cundiff  was  reared  in  Montgomery 
county  and  is  indebted  to  its  public  school  sys- 
tem for  the  early  educational  privilege-  which 
he  enjoyed.  He  started  out  in  life  on  his  own 
account  when  twenty-three  year-  of  age,  hav- 
ing by  this  time  gained  practical  experience  in 
the  work  id'  the  farm  in  its  various  depart- 
ments, lie  began  farming  and  stock-raising 
on  his  own  account,  cultivating  the  cereals  best 
adapted  to  soil  and  climate  and  having  good 
grades  of  cattle,  horses  and  hogs.  He  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  one  hundred  ami  sixty  acres 
in  Fillmore  township  and  then  removed  to 
Hillsboro,  where  he  lived  tor  a  short  tune.  Soon 
afterward,  however,  he  bought  a  farm  lying  in 
Fillmore  and  East  Fork  townships.  For  twen- 
tv-one  years,  however,  he  has  made  his  home 
in  Coffeen.  He  built  the  first  house  in  the 
town  and  conducted  a  hotel  for  a  number  of 
years.  When  the  first  passenger  train  ran 
through  the  town  it  stopped  here  and  the 
passengers  took  dinner  at  Mr.  Cundiff's  home. 
He  now  owns  two  houses  in  the  town  and  is 
proprietor  of  a  livery  stable  which  he  is  con- 
ducting. He  also  built  the  first  livery  stable  in 
Witt.  He  made  all  of  the  improvements  upon 
his  farms,  assisting  materially  in  developing  the 
county,  ami  in  his  business  life  has  so  managed 
bis  affairs  as  to  receive  a  good   financial  return. 

In  L863  Mr.  Cundiff  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Mildred  Knight,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
Knight,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  four 
children,  but  Alma  B.  died  at  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-three  years,  being  accidentally  killed  by  the 
train  in  Hillsboro  in  June,  L894.  Those  still  liv- 
ing are:  Mary  Ellen,  the  wife  of  Milton  Salli- 
day,  of  Litchfield;  Dora,  the  wife  of  Bainey 
Mathewson,  of  Coffeen:  and  Charles,  who  is 
married  and  lives  in  Coffeen. 

Mrs.  Cundiff  belongs  to  the  Free  Methodist 
church,  while  Mr.  Cundiff  is  identified  with  the 


MR.    AND    MRS.    H.    C.    CUNDIFF 


UBRARV 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  \UlNOL 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


21  1 


Modern   W Imen  camp.     He  votes  with    the 

Democracy  and  is  interested  in  the  success  of 
his  party,  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  office, 
preferring  in  give  his  time  ami  energies  in  his 
business  affairs.  Saving  always  lived  in  Mont- 
gomery county,  he  has  a  wide  acquaintance 
within  its  borders,  and  that  many  who  have 
known  him  from  early  boyhood  are  numbered 
among  his  stanchest  friends  is  an  indication 
that  his  has  been  an  honorable  and  upright  ca- 
reer. 


JAM  PS  P.  BANDY. 

James  P.  Bandy,  who  i>  successfully  en- 
gaged m  farming  in  North  Litchfield  township, 
was  born  December  30,  1845,  in  Macon  county, 

Tennessee,  his  parents  being  Wesley  and  Pris- 
cilla  (Ozbun)  Bandy,  also  natives  of  Tennes- 
see. The  father  was  of  French  descent  ami 
both  the  paternal  and  the  maternal  great-grand- 
fathers were  Revolutionary  soldiers,  serving 
under  General  Washington.  The  paternal 
great-grandfather  served  with  Washington  for 
seven  years  and  fourteen  days  and  the  maternal 
great-grand  father  was  a  member  of  the  army 
for  almost  as  lone-  a  period.  The  maternal 
grandfather  of  Mr.  Bandy  served  in  the  Crete 
war  in  Florida  and  in  the  south.  His  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Bandy,  often  saw  Andrew  Jackson 
pass  by  her  father's  home,  which  was  situated 
on  the  regularly  traveled  road. 

Wesley  Bandy  remained  a  resident  of  Ten- 
nessee until  1851,  when  he  removed  to  Greene 
county.  Illinois,  where  he  resided  for  three 
years,  and  in  1854  lie  came  to  Montgomery 
county,  settling  a  half  mile  northeast  of  where 
his  son,  James  P.  Bandy,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  now  resides,  lie  was  accompanied  mi 
his  trip  to  this  state  by  four  of  his  children. 
He  purchased  sixty-three  acres  of  land  at  fixe 
dollars  per  acre  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
he  was  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  thirty 
acre-.  Tie  arrived  just  after  the  Big  Four  Rail- 
road had  been  laid  from  Alton  to  Litchfield 
and  there  were  six  bouses  in  what  is  now  the 
largest  city  of  the  county,  lie  took  an  active 
interest  in  what  was  accomplished  as  the  coun- 
ty merged  from  pioneer  conditions  to  take  its 


place  aniiiiie-  the  leading  counties  of  the  c - 

monwealth  and  he  always  bore  his  full  share 
in  the  work  of  public  progress,  lie  dud  April 
•2s,  1901,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  May  5,  1901,  at  the 
age  nf  eighty-five,  their  remains  being  interred 
m  Honey  Bend  cemetery  nf  Montgomery  coun- 
ty. Mr.  Bandy  was  always  an  advocate  of 
Democratic  principles.  His  wife  was  a  Meth- 
odist in  religious  faith  and  both  enjoyed  the 
esteem  of  many  friends.  They  had  nine  chil- 
dren: Elizabeth,  who  is  the  widow  of  J.  S. 
Bowles,  and  resides  at  Honey  Bend;  John  F., 
who  died  in  1872 ;  dames  P.;  B.  W.,  who  mar- 
ried Kemmie  Blaekwelder  and  is  living  in 
North  Litchfield  township;  Margaret,  the 
widow  of  James  T.  Gordon,  and  a  resident  of 
Litchfield;  Lucy  .1..  who  married  Bird  Briggs, 
but  both  are  now  deceased,  her  death  having 
occurred  in  18S"2.  since  which  time  her  son 
Fred  P.  Briggs  has  lived  with  dames  P.  Bandy; 
ami  three  children  who  died  in  infancy. 

Tn  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  James 
P.  B,andy,"we  present  tn  our  readers  the  life 
record  of  one  who  i-  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  Montgomery  county.  In  early  life 
be  was  brought  to  this  state  and  has  since  been 
deeply  interested  in  what  has  been  accomplished 
here  along  all  lines  of  progress  and  substantial 
development,  lie  was  married  in  December, 
1894,  to  Lucy  P.  Shawn,  a  daughter  of  John 
K.  and  Catherine  (Adkinson)  Shawn,  the 
former  a  native  of  Ohio  and  the  latter  of  Ten- 
nessee. The  father  died  when  Mrs.  Bandy  was 
quite  voung.  passing  away  in  1877.  His 
widow  still  siir\i\cs  and  is  now  the  wife  of 
Robert  Briggs.  of  North  Litchfield.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Shawn  were  born  ten  children:  Wil- 
liam, who  died  in  infancy;  Thomas,  who  died 
and  was  buried  in  California  when  twenty-one 
years  of  age;  Fannie,  who  is  the  widow  of 
Thomas  Nevins  and  rcsules  in  Litchfield  : 
James  M.,  who  married  Anna  Clanton  and 
since  her  death  makes  bis  home  with  his 
mother:  George  M.,  who  wedded  Mary  Vine- 
yard and  died  in  April.  1901.  being  survived 
by  his  wife  and  six  children,  his  widow  now 
living  at  Fort  Smith.  Arkansas:  Joseph  ('.. 
who  married  Flora  Sawyer  and  is  a  farmer  at 
Sitka.  Oklahoma  :  Eugene,  who  died  at  the  age 


■;:■> 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OE    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


of  thirteen  years;  Riley,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  live  years;  John  W.,  who  died  in  childhood: 
and  Lucy  R. 

•fames  P.  Bandy  began  farming  for  his  father 
in  1870  ami  they  continued  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits together  until  the  father's  death.  The 
son  is  now  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  six- 
ty-three and  a  third  acres  of  well  improved  land 
and  carries  on  general  farming  with  good  suc- 
cess. In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Democrat 
and  religiously  his  wife  is  connected  with  the 
Baptist  church  at  New  Eope.  Their  home  has 
been  blessed  \\\(\\  three  children:  Lester  W., 
hum  June  28.  1896;  Joseph  P.,  born  June  4, 
line.-;  and  Jesse  E..  horn  October  30.  1903. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Handy  have  many  friends  in  this 
locality  who  will  receive  with  pleasure  this 
record  of  their  lives. 


EICHAED  F.  BENNETT,  M.  D. 
Dr.  Richard  E.  Bennett,  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  and  surgery  in  Litchfield,  hav- 
ing much  more  than  local  reputation  as  an  able 
member  of  the  profession,  is  a  native  of  Shelby 
county,  Illinois,  his  birth  having  occurred  upon 
a  farm  there  October  2,  L839.  His  parents  were 
William  B.  and  Lavina  Bennett,  who  afforded 
their  son  such  advantages  and  privileges  as  they 
could,  especially  in  the  line  of  education.  He 
attended  the  common  schools  and  afterward  the 
Moultrie  County  Seminary  and  when  but  sev- 
■  titeen  years  of  age  he  began  teaching  in  his 
native  county,  following  this  pursuit  in  order 
that  he  might  obtain  the  means  to  continue  his 
own  education  and  prepare  for  a  successful 
business  career.  For  three  years  he  followed 
teaching  and  then  entered  upon  a  previously 
conceived  plan  to  study  medicine.  He  read 
diligently  and  persistently,  completing  his 
course  by  graduation  from  the  medical  school  of 
Cincinnati  with  the  class  of  1861.  His  pro- 
fessional career  has  been  one  of  continuous 
progression,  reading  and  investigation  keeping 
him  in  touch  with  the  progress  that  is  continu- 
ally being  made  by  the  members  of  the  medical 
fraternity.  He  has  ever  been  conscientious 
in  the  performance  of  his  professional  duties, 
diagnosing  his  cases  with  great  care  and  mani- 


festing in  his  chosen  work  a  knowledge  that  has 
classed  him  with  the  leading  representatives  of 
the  calling  in  southern  Illinois.  He  has  prac- 
ticed almost  continuously  in  Litchfield  since 
1862.  save  when  various  professional  duties 
have  called  him  into  other  parts  of  the  state. 

Dr.   Bennett   is   well   known   in   political   cir- 
cles as  a  stalwart  Republican,  being  long  reeocr- 
nized  as  a  leader  of  his  party  in  his  community. 
He  has  given  (lie  same  earnest  thoughl   toward 
understanding  the  political  questions,  issues  and 
condition-    of    the    day    that     ha-    characterized 
his  professional  career  and  largely  has  a  states- 
man's grasp  of  affairs.     In  the  spring  of  1871 
he  received  the  party  nomination  for  alderman 
in  Litchfield   and  although   living  in  a   Demo- 
cratic  ward   received    a    majority   that    was   at 
once  large  and   complimentary,    indicating  his 
personal  popularity  and  the  confidence  reposed 
in  him  by  those  who  knew  him  best.     Elected 
for  a  second   term,  he   proved   during  his   in- 
cumbency in  the  office  his  deep  interest  in  com- 
munity affairs  by  the  loyal   support    which  he 
gave  to   further  progressive  measures  that  had 
for  their  object  the  substantial  upbuilding  and 
improvement  of  the  city.     So  popular  and  ef- 
ficient did  he  prove  as  a  member  of  the  council 
that    he   was    then    nominated    for   mayor    and 
again  he  received  the  public  endorsement,  be- 
ing chosen  for  the  office  by  successive  elections 
until  he  had  served  as  chief  executive  of  Litch- 
field  for  five  consecutive  terms.     His  adminis- 
tration   was    ever    business-like,    he    managing 
the  affairs  of  his  office  with  due  regard  to  the 
interests  of  the  citizens  at  large.     For  almost  a 
quarter  of  a  century  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the   school    hoard   id'    Litchfield    and    the  cause 
of  education  has   found  in   him  a  warm   friend 
who  ha.-  put   forth  effective  effort  in  employing 
competent   teachers   and    raising    tin1   standard 
of  the  public  schools.     Iii   isss  he  received  the 
Republican  nomination  for  state  senator  in  the 
thirteenth    Illinois    district    and    although    the 
Democratic   victory   was  a    foregone  conclusion 
he.  nevertheless,  made  a  strong  canvass  and  re- 
duced the  usual  Democratic  majority  more  than 
one-half.     Subsequently  he  was  elected  a  state 
committeeman    from   the    eighteenth    congres- 
sional district  and  served   in   that  capacity  for 
four  years.     He  has  always  been  urged  to  be- 


DR.   E.   F.   BENNETT 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


-■;  5 


come  a  congressional  candidate,  but  has  re- 
fused, preferring  to  remain  in  the  active  prac- 
tice of  his  profession.  Further  political  honors 
came  to  him  in  connection  with  his  profession. 
In  January,  1897,  he  was  appointed  a  trustee 
of  the  Incurable  Insane  Hospital  al  Peoria  and 
in  January,  1898,  he  resigned  to  accept  a  posi- 
tion on  the  state  hoard  of  health,  of  which  he 
was  the  treasurer  for  two  years.  In  October, 
190D.  he  was  appointed  superintendent  of  the 
[llinois  Southern  Hospital  fur  the  Insane  at 
Anna.  Illinois,  the  appointment  coming  to  him 
from  Governor  Tanner  without  his  solicitation. 
He  tried  to  decline  this,  hut  was  strongly  urged 
to  accept  by  the  Governor,  who  was  a  warm 
personal  friend,  and  he  ultimately  decided  to 
enter  upon  his  duties  there,  which  position  he 
filled  until  the  latter  part  of  1903.  This  is 
one  of  the  best  institutions  of  the  kind  in  the 
state  and  under  the  capable  control  of  Dr.  Ben- 
nett and  his  four  assistants  excellent  improve- 
ments were  made  in  the  institution  and  in  the 
methods  of  earing  for  the  unfortunate  ones 
there.  Since  his  retirement  from  the  office  he 
has  largely  devoted  his  time  to  rest  and  recrea- 
tion, spending  considerable  time  in  visiting  his 
son,  Dr.  H.  F.  Bennett,  in  Chicago,  lie  has 
financial  interests  in  Litchfield,  having  Eor  more 
than  a  decade  been  president  of  the  Oil  City 
Building  &  Loan  Association  and  the  pro- 
moter of  other  important  commercial  and  in- 
dustrial concerns  lure. 

Tn  the  year  of  his  graduation  from  medical 
college  Dr.  Bennett  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza- 
beth J.  Storm,  of  Shelby  county.  Illinois,  and 
unto  them  have  been  horn  a  son  and  daughter. 
'The  former.  Dr.  II.  I''.  Bennett,  of  Chicago,  was 
graduated  from  a  medical  college  of  that  cm 
in  1894  and  immediately  afterward  began  prac- 
tice there.  At  the  completion  of  hi,  college 
course  he  successfully  passed  a  competitive  ex- 
amination whereby  he  was  appointed  to  the 
position  of  interne  in  the  Cook  County  Hos- 
pital and  after  serving  for  a  year  and  a  half 
in  that  capacity  he  was  made  a  member  of  the 
visiting  stall'  id'  the  institution  and  ha-  been 
connected  therewith  for  the  past  six  years.  He 
is  also  professor  of  orthopaedic  surgery  in  Ben- 
nett Medical  College,  but  in  October  of  the  pres- 
ent year  (1904  )  lie  expects  to  come  to  Litchfield 


to  enter  upon  the  active  practice  of  medicine 
with  his  father.  His  nine  years'  experience  in 
connection  with  the  Cook  County  Hospital  as 
well  as  the  duties  of  a  good  private  practice 
in  Chicago  have  well  qualified  him  for  his 
chosen  life  work  and  his  services  will  prove 
invaluable  in  this  community.  The  daughter, 
Marie  Bennett,  is  a  graduate  of  the  North- 
western University  at  Evanston.  Illinois,  with 
the  class  of  June,  1899. 

Dr.  Bennett  has  various  fraternal  relations 
in  Litchfield,  being  a  member  of  the  Masonic. 
Odd  Fellows,  and  Knights  id'  Pythias  lodges 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp.  After  some 
months  of  rest  and  recreation  he  has  recently 
resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Litch- 
field, commanding  a  patronage  which  indicates 
the  consensus  of  public  opinion  in  regard  to 
his  superior  professional  skill,  lie  has  a  wide 
acquaintance  among  prominent  physicians  and 
the  noted  political  leaders  of  the  state  and  has 
pained  the  friendship  and  warm  regard  of 
manv  of  the  Leading  men  of  Illinois. 


W.  II.  CASSELBERRY. 

W.  II.  Casselberry,  who  is  one  of  the  owners 
of  the  electric  light  plant  at  Nokomis  and  an 
active  energetic  husiness  man.  was  horn  near 
Bellevue,  Illinois,  in  1860,  and  is  a  son  of 
Charles  and  Louisa  Casselberry.  Hi-  father 
was  horn  in  Indiana  in  1815,  spent  his  youth 
there  and  afterward  removed  to  Illinois,  set- 
tling near  Belleville,  where  he  carried  on  pen- 
oral  farming.  In  1866  he  came  to  Mont- 
gomery county,  taking  up  hi-  abode  near  Hills- 
horn,  where  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land,  be- 
eoming  one  of  the  extensive  farmers  of  that 
locality.  His  attention  was  largely  given  to 
the  raising  of  grain.  In  politics  lie  was  a 
Democrat,  but  he  never  sought  office.  Being  a 
man  of  quiet  demeanor  and  reserved  disposi- 
tion he  never  -might  to  figure  in  any  light  be- 
f  re  the  public.  He  died  in  1883,  while  his 
wife  passed  away  in  1872.  They  were  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  of  whom  eight  are 
now  living. 

W.  II.  Casselberry  was  reared  in  Montgomery 
county  and  is  indebted  to  its  public-school  sys- 


276 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


tem  for  the  educational  privileges  he  enjo}'ed. 
He  began  farming  with  his  father  and  con- 
tinued to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  until 
about  December,  1901,  when  he  removed  to 
Nokomis.  He  had  cultivated  three  hundred 
acres  of  land  and  was  largely  engaged  in  the 
raising  of  cattle  for  the  market.  Most  of  the 
grain  which  he  produced  was  fed  to  his  stock. 
Although  he  entered  upon  his  business  career 
with  no  capital  he  is  now  the  owner  of  two 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  valuable  farming 
land — a  fact  which  indicates  his  business  abil- 
ity, careful  management  and  indefatigable  in- 
industrv.  Upon  his  removal  to  Nokomis  he 
engaged  in  the  electric  lighting  business  in  con- 
neetion  with  J.  II.  Crickenberger  and  they  are 
still  partners  in  this  enterprise.  The  plant  was 
incorporated  in  1894  by  George  Bliss  and  E.  E. 
Cornelius  and  they  do  a  business  in  commercial, 
street  and  residence  lighting,  having  a  well 
equipped  plant.  In  fact  theirs  is  one  of  the 
best  of  the  kind  to  be  found  in  Montgomery 
county  and  has  been  continuously  operated  with 
a  break  of  only  fifteen  minutes  in  five  years. 
They  give  excellent  service  to  their  patrons  and 
their  business  is  continually  increasing.  Mr. 
Casselberry  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the 
plant  with  Mr.  Crickenberger  and  they  have 
since  been  associated  in  its  operation.  He  also 
derives  a  good  income  from  his  farm,  which  he 
now  rents.  It  is  one  of  the  best  improved  farm- 
ing properties  in  Montgomery  county,  he  hav- 
ing spent  much  time  and  money  in  its  develop- 
ment, and  upon  the  place  is  a  fine  residence 
which  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  four  thousand 
dollars. 

In  August,  1886,  Mr.  Casselberry  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Bosella  Gray,  a  daughter  of  I. 
N.  Gray,  of  Nokomis,  who  was  reared  in  this 
county.  They  became  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren, of  whom  four  are  living,  namely :  Eos- 
ella. Euth  Ann,  Agnes  Kittie  and  Josephine, 
all  at  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Casselberry  hold 
membership  in  the  Baptist  church  and  he  is 
identified  with  the  Odd  Fellows,  the  Masons 
and  the  Woodmen  of  Nokomis.  while  his  po- 
litical allegiance  is  given  to  the  Democracy.  He 
purchased  a  residence  in  Xokomis  on  his  re- 
moval to  the  town  and  the  home  is  noted  for  its 
generous  hospitality,  which   is   freely  extended 


to  the  many  friends  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cassel- 
berry. 


OLIVEE  LEWEY. 


Prominent  among  the  honored  early  settlers 
of  Montgomery  county  was  numbered  Oliver 
Lewey,  who  was  born  in  Guilford  county,  North 
Carolina,  June  16,  1813.  and  was  reared  upon 
a  farm  in  that  slate.  Although  he  never  served 
an  apprenticeship  to  either  trade  he  became 
proficient  as  a  shoemaker  and  carpenter.  When 
a  young  man  lie  left  North  Carolina  for  Illi- 
nois and  on  reaching  Montgomery  county  he 
entered  from  the  government  the  tract  of  land 
on  which  his  son  Christopher  was  born.  It 
comprised  ninety  acres,  wild  and  unimproved, 
and  with  characteristic  energy  he  began  to  de- 
vi 'lop  the  fields. 

Mr.  Lewey  married  Miss  Jane  Stephenson,  a 
native  of  Tennessee  and  a  daughter  of  William 
Stephenson,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Mont- 
gomery county.  They  became  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  namely:  William,  now  de- 
ceased; Albert,  who  lives  on  the  home  farm; 
Mary,  wife  of  John  Grassell,  of  Butler  Grove 
township :  Christopher  C,  a  fanner  of  Hills- 
boro  township;  Mattie,  wife  of  Euf'us  Paden. 
of  Hillsboro  township;  and  two  who  died  in 
infancy. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewey  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  the  original  claim  which  he  had 
secured  in  Hillsboro  township,  but  about  1860 
removed  to  another  farm,  upon  which  he  spent 
In-  remaining  days.  He  was  successful  in  busi- 
ness affairs,  developing  a  valuable  property  and 
deriving  a  good  income  from  his  crops.  His 
political  support  was  given  the  Eepublican 
party  ami  he  was  a  man  of  many  good  qualities 
which  won  the  respect  of  those  with  whom  he 
was  associated.  His  death  occurred  in  1886, 
while  his  wife  passed  away  in  1S72. 


(IIEISTOPHEE  C.  LEWEY. 

Christopher  C.  Lewey  lias  spent  his  entire 
life  in  Montgomery  county,  identified  with  agri- 
cultural pursuits   throughout  the  years  of  his 


OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


MR.    AND    MRS.    C.    C.    LEWEY 


Mlf.    AND    Ml'iS.    OI.IVKI!    LEWEY 


LIBHARt 
OF  THE 
•WEP.SlTYOnU.lSO 


10 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


•.'si 


manhood,  and  his  industry  has  formed  the  basis 
of  very  desirable  and  gratifying  success.  His 
birth  occurred  December  10,  1855,  on  section 
28,  Eillsboro  township.  His  father  was  Oliver 
Lewey,  whose  sketch  appears  on  another  page 
of  this   volume. 

The  boyhood  days  of  Christopher  C.  Lewey 
passed  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  in 
attendance  on  the  district  schools  and  in  farm 
work,  for  he  early  became  familiar  with  the 
labor  of  field  and  meadow.  He  has  never 
soughi  to  change  his  occupation  but  has  always 
engaged  in  the  tilling  of  the  soil,  and  has  found 
it  a  profitable  source  of  income,  because  he  has 
labored  diligently  and  persistently.  The  farm 
which  lie  now  occupies  has  been  his  home  since 
he  was  five  years  of  age,  with  the  exception 
of  eleven  months  spent  in  Hillsboro,  and  he 
has  imc  hundred  and  seventy  acres  in  his  home 
place  and  eight;  acres  on  section  25.  of  the 
same  township.  He  carries  on  general  farming 
and  stock-raising,  and  his  farm  is  located  on 
the  Greenville  and  Jacksonville  road,  three 
miles  south  and  one  mile  west  of  Hillsboro. 

Mr.  Lewey  was  married  April  4.  1883,  to 
Miss  Mary  Blackburn,  of  Litchfield  township, 
a  daughter  of  Jabez  and  Mary  (Smith)  Black- 
burn. Her  father  was  horn  in  England,  No- 
vember ;.  1823,  and  was  brought  to  America 
by  his  parents  in  1831.  After  two  years  spent 
in  \ew  York  they  removed  to  St.  Louis,  where 
they  also  remained  for  two  years.  In  1853 
the\  came  to  Montgomery  county,  settling  in 
Litchfield,  and  in  1866  took  up  their  abode 
in  Hillsboro  township,  where  Mr.  Blackburn 
followed  farming  for  a  number  of  years.  His 
last  years,  however,  were  spent  in  retirement 
from  labor  in  Hillsboro.  where  he  died  Jan- 
uary 5,  1805.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in  St. 
Clair  county,  Illinois.  May  1,  1830.  is  living 
with  our  subject. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Lewey  is  a  Re- 
publican but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for 
office,  preferring  to  devote  his  attention  to  bis 
business  all'airs.  in  which  he  has  met  with  well 
merited  success.  He  belongs  to  the  Mutual  Pro- 
tective League  and  he  and  bis  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in 
Hillsboro.  In  that  city  and  in  their  home  lo- 
eality   they  have  many    friends,   won   by  those 


sterling   traits   of   character    which    everywhere 
command    respect    and  confidence. 


RICHARD  LEE  WILTON. 

Richard  Lee  Wilton  is  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  distinguished  families  of  .Montgom- 
ery county  and  is  well  known  in  business  cir- 
cles in  Hillsboro.  He  was  born  in  Bond  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  about  four  miles  north  of  Green- 
ville, on  the  19th  of  December.  1858.  His 
father,  Benjamin  Franklin  Wilton,  was  born 
in  Carlisle.  Clinton  county.  Illinois,  in  1830, 
while  the  grandfather,  Harry  Wilton,  was  a  na- 
tiev  of  England  and  was  brought  to  America 
by  his  parents  in  his  infancy,  at  which  time 
the  family  home  was  established  in  Kaskaskia. 
Benjamin  F.  Wilton  acquired  his  education  in 
one  of  the  early  academies  of  Illinois  and  in  his 
boyhood  days  he  accompanied  bis  parents  on 
their  removal  to  Hillsboro.  where  the  father 
owned  what  is  now  known  as  the  Tillson  place. 
The  son  became  proprietor  of  the  first  livery 
stable  in  Montgomery  county  in  Hillsboro  and 
continued  with  good  success  until  1880.  In 
1885  he  wen!  to  Mexico,  where  he  conducted  a 
livery  business  for  a  year,  but  remained  in  that 
eountrv  for  nine  years,  being  interested  in  mill- 
ing all'airs  during  the  greater  pari  of  the  time. 
He  bad  been  identified  with  the  mining  develop- 
ment of  California  during  the  era  following 
i  he  discovery  of  gold  on  the  Pacific  coast,  hav- 
ing journeyed  to  that  far  off  state  in  1850.  He 
prospered  in  his  search  for  the  precious  metal 
and  brought  back  with  him  a  nugget  valued  at 
si\  hundred  and  seventy-four  dollars.  He  bad 
spent  two  years  in  the  mines  and  with  a  com- 
fortable competence  he  returned  to  Illinois  and 
became  a  factor  in  the  business  life  of  Hills- 
boro, where  be  remained  until  1881,  when  he 
retired    to  enjoy  the   fruits  of  his  former  toil. 

In  is:.:;  Benjamin  1'.  Wilton  was  married  to 
Sarah  < '.  Earkey,  a  daughter  of  Solomon 
Harkey,  who  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in 
1801k  He  entered  upon  bis  business  career  as 
;i  tanner  and  in  1833  be  removed  to  Hillsboro, 
Illinois,  where  he  conducted  a  tanning  enter- 
prise  foi  ten   years.     He  then   turned   bis  at- 


282 


l'AST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


tention  to  fanning  and  became  the  owner  of 
six  hundred  and  fifty-three  acres  of  land  in 
Hillsboro  township,  Montgomery  county,  and 
two  hundred  acres  in  Wisconsin.  Ee  was  also 
a  noted  horseman  and  owned  some  of  the  fast- 
est horses  raised  in  this  portion  of  the  state. 
He  married  Sophia  Cress,  a  sister  of  Jacob 
Cress,  who  had  married  Mrs.  Eleanor  T.  (Mc- 
Henry)  Evans.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barkey  became 
the  parents  of  nine  children,  of  whom  Mrs. 
Wilton  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth.  The 
children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benjamin  Wilton 
were  seven  in  number,  five  of  whom  reached 
mature  years,  namely:  William,  who  con- 
ducts a  goat  and  horse  ranch  in  Arizona;  Rich- 
ard L. ;  Benjamin,  who  is  a  railroad  conductor 
in  Mexico ;  Harry,  a  commercial  traveler  re- 
siding in  Hillsboro;  and  Katherine,  the  wife  of 
Lewis  Whitmore,  of  El  Paso.  Texas.  The 
parents  an-  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  Mr.  Wilton  is  a  Democrat  in  his 
political  affiliations.  He  served  for  a  number 
of  years  as  constable  and  has  ever  been  active 
in  support  of  public  measures  that  have  for 
their  object  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the 
community  in  which  almost  his  entire  life  lias 
been  passed. 

Richard  1-.  Wilton  acquired  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Hillsboro,  and  at  the  early  age 
of  twelve  years  began  working  in  lis  father's 
livery  ham.  being  there  employed  until  1882. 
Having  then  attained  his  majority  he  engaged 
in  the  livery  business  on  his  own  account  in 
connection  with  John  Edwards  and  they  built 
the  Harkey  ham  mi  Depot  street.  In  the  fall 
of  1882  Mr.  Wilton  traded  Ins  interest  in  the 
building  to  Jacob  Harkey,  his  uncle,  for  the 
stock-.  Mr.  Harkey  having  previously  purchased 
Mr.  Edwards'  interest.  Mr.  Wilton  then  con- 
ducted business  alone  in  the  Harkey  harm 
until  1801.  when  he  purchased  the  large  brick 
barn,  then  incomplete,  on  the  northwest  corner 
of  the  courthouse  square,  where  he  is  to-day 
engaged  in  business.  He  has  a  fine  stable,  a 
large  line  of  modem  vehicles  of  all  descriptions 
and  a  number  of  good  horses  so  that  he  is  well 
prepared  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  public  in 
tli  s  line.  He  has  secured  a  liberal  patronage 
and  he  has  also  extended  his  efforts  to  other 
business    enterprises,   being   one  of  the   stock- 


holders in  the  Hillsboro  Hotel  and  also  in  the 
Hillsboro  Electric  Railway  Company. 

In  1884  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Wilton  and  .Miss  Ida  Isabel  Yamer,  a  daughter 
of  Zachariah  Yamer,  who  became  a  resident 
of  Hillsboro  in  1882.  Her  father  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation.  Mrs.  Wilton  was  horn  in  Moul- 
trie county.  Illinois,  in  1868,  and  by  her  mar- 
riage has  become  the  mother  of  two  children: 
Foster  Lynn  and  Clara  Marie.  Mr.  Wilton  is 
connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp, 
while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  ladies'  aux- 
iliary. He  votes  with  the  Democracy  and  while 
keeping  well  informed  on  the  questions  and  is- 
sues of  the  day  has  never  sought  public  office, 
preferring  to  give  his  attention  to  his  business 
affairs,  which,  capably  conducted,  have  brought 
to  him  a   very  desirable  measure  of  success. 


FRANK  SPINNER. 

Frank  Spinner,  possessing  many  of  the  sterb. 
ing  characteristics  of  Ids  German  ancestry,  has 
prospered  in  his  business  career  until  he  is 
now  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred acres,  situated  in  Last  fork  township, 
Montgomery  county.  He  was  horn  in  Baden, 
Germany,  June  11,  1842.  and  his  parents,  Val- 
entine and  Teresa  (Walley)  Spinner,  were  na- 
tives of  the  fatherland.  The  former  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  ami  died  in  Germany. 

Frank  Spinner  spent  twenty-five  years  in  his 
native  country,  during  which  time  he  attended 
the  public  schools  and  was  early  taught  the 
force  of  industry  and  economy  in  the  active 
affairs  of  life.  Hearing  favorable  reports  con- 
cerning the  opportunities  of  the  new  world  he 
resolved  to  seek  his  fortune  in  America  and  in 
1867  he  crossed  the  Atlantic.  He  arrived  in 
Montgomery  county  in  1869  and  purchased  the 
farm  upon  which  Amos  Frame  now  resides. 
He  planted  every  tree  ami  made  all  of  the  im- 
provements upon  the  phnc  In  1890.  however, 
he  purchased  the  home  place  of  two  hundred 
acres,  which  he  now  occupies.  The  buildings 
were  in  very  bad  condition  and  tearing  down 
the  structures  which  were  used  in  the  pioneer 
days  he  replaced  them  with  modern  buildings 
and    now   has   a    good    resilience,    a   substantial 


AST    AND    PBESENT    OF    MONTGOMEKY    COUNTY 


283 


barn  and  good  sheds.  He  raises  both  grain 
and  stock  and  in  his  fields  are  seen  good  crops, 
while  in  the  pastures  are  found  high  grade 
cattle  and  horses.  He  had  to  pay  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  Cor  a  team  in  the  early 
days  of  his  residence  here,  while  cum  was 
purchased  at  one  dollar  per  bushel  and  oats  at 
seventy-five  cents  per  bushel.  He  thus  started 
out  in  Life  at  a  time  when  prices  were  very 
high,  hut  he  persevered  in  Ins  undertakings, 
displayed  capable  management  in  his  affairs 
and  as  the  result  of  his  energy  and  perseverance 
made  steady  progress  and  is  now  one  of  the 
substantia]   farmers  of  his  county. 

In  1861  Mr.  Spinner  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Mary  Welle,  a  native  of  Baden,  Ger- 
many, who  came  to  America  at  the  same  time 
Mr.  Spinner  crossed  the  Atlantic.  They  have 
become  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  of  whom 
seven  are  now  living,  namely:  Frank  I!.,  who 
is  married  and  resides  in  this  county.  Henry; 
Eva.  who  is  also  married  :  Lizzie,  Joseph,  Anion 
and  Louis,  all  at  home.  The  parents  and  chil- 
dren are  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church. 
Mr.  Spinner's  study  of  the  questions  and  issues 
of  the  day  has  led  him  to  give  his  political 
support  in  America  to  the  Democracy,  but  he 
has  never  sought  or  desired  office,  preferring  to 
give  his  attention  to  his  business  affairs.  The 
hope  that  led  him  to  America  has  been  more 
than  realized  for  here  he  found  the  business 
opportunities  he  sought,  which,  by  the  way. 
are  always  open  to  any  ambitious  young  man 
and  through  the  force  of  his  character,  his  un- 
faltering determination  and  his  capable  man- 
age  nl    he  has  gained   prosperity,  being  now 

the  possessor  of  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  the 
county. 


JOHN  W.  DRTS'KELL. 

Among  the  intelligent,  enterprising  and  pro- 
gressive farmers  of  Zanesville  township  is  nuni- 
bered  John  W.  Driskell.  who  resides  m  section 
21  and  is  there  engaged  in  the  raising  of  grain 
and  stock,  having  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  which  indicates  his  careful  super- 
vision in  its  neat  and  thrifty  appearance.  He 
was  horn  in  Macoupin  county.  Illinois,  March 


26,  1851,  and  is  the  son  of  .Marshall  Driskell, 
who  is  mentioned  on  another  page  of  this  vol- 
ume. His  boyhood  days  were  spent  on  his 
father's  farm  and  he  mastered  the  branches  of 
English  learning  taught  in  the  public  schools 
when  not  occupied  with  the  duties  of  the  home 
farm.  His  labors  are  largely  given  to  his 
father  ami  he  assisted  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
old  homestead  until  twenty-eight  years  of 
age. 

.Mr.  Driskell  was  married  in  Montgomery 
county  in  1878  to  Miss  Ella  K.  Rogers,  who 
was  horn  and  reared  in  Indiana  ami  is  a  daugh- 
ter id'  John    Rogers,  one  of  the  early   settlers 

of    the     I  lousier    state,    where    he    s]  it'll  I    his    last, 

days.  Mr.  Driskell  purchased  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land,  which  he  at  once  be- 
gan to  cultivate  and  upon  this  place  made  some 
substantia]  improvements  before  he  was  mar- 
ried. He  took  his  bride  to  this  farm  and  as 
his  linancial  resources  increased,  owing  to  his 
earnest  labor  and  careful  management,  he 
bought  more  land,  lie  also  built  a  good  house 
and  barn  and  planted  fruit  trees.  He  placed 
his  fields  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
raised  high  grades  of  stock,  making  a  spe- 
cialty of  feeding  cattle  and  hogs  for  the  mar- 
ket. 

In  1895  Mr.  Driskell  was  called  upon  lo 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the 
hone  farm  on  the  6th  of  January  of  that 
year,  leaving  one  son.  Cecil,  who  is  now  a  stu- 
dent in  St.  Louis.  They  also  lost  two  chil- 
dren. After  the  death  of  his  wife  Mr.  Driskell 
returned  to  Ids  father's  farm  and  rented  a  large 
part  of  his  own  land,  lie  now  farms  his 
father's  place,  Imt  also  gives  his  supervision  to 
his  own  property  and  is  widely  acknowledged 
in  tin's  community  as  an  enterprising  agricul- 
turist, whose  business  methods  are  practical  and 
at  the  same  time  have  ever  been  in  keeping 
with   the  modern   ideas  of  progress. 

Politically  he  is  a  stanch  Democrat,  support- 
ing the  men  and  measures  of  his  party,  yet 
never  seeking  or  desiring  office.  He  served 
however,  for  four  years  as  township  school 
trustee.  lie  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church  and  his  life  has  ever  been  honorable  and 
upright.  Tn  his  business  career  be  has  never 
been    known    to   take   advantage   of  the  neces- 


38  I 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


sities  of  his  fellow  men,  but  has  been  straight- 
forward in  his  dealings  arid  his  integrity  in 
business  transactions  has  been  one  of  the  sa- 
lient features  in  his  success. 


ALBERT    FISHER. 


Albert  Fisher,  who  is  one  of  the  prominent 
farmers  and  stock-raisers  and  feeders  of  Zanes- 
ville  township,  owning  and  cultivating  a  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  acres  on  section 
16,  is  classed  with  the  successful  agriculturists 
of  central  Illinois  and  is  one  of  the  native  sons 
of  the  state.  He  was  born  in  Greene  county. 
February  9,  1850,  and  is  a  son  of  Reuben  and 
Mary  A.  (Dabbs)  Fisher.  The  father  was  like- 
wise born  in  Greene  Gounty,  while  the  grand- 
father, John  Fisher,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
lie    came     from    the    south    to    Illinois    when 

pioneer    c litions    existed    in    Greene    county 

and  therehe  cast  in  bis  lot  with  the  early  resi- 
dents. Reuben  Fisher  was  reared  to  manhood 
upon  the  old  homestead  farm  there  and  assisted 
in  the  arduous  task  of  its  primitive  develop- 
ment, working  at  farm  labor  when  the  ma- 
chinery used  necessitated  much  hand  work, 
there  being  few  of  the  highly  improved  ma- 
chines that  now  render  the  labor  of  the  agri- 
culturist comparatively  easy.  He  was  mar- 
vied  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Dabbs  and  they  began 
their  domestic  life  in  Greene  county,  where  he 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  for  a  number 
of  years  and  where  our  subject  was  born.  Hop- 
ing  that  his  financial  condition  might  be  bene- 
fitted by  a  removal  to  Montgomery  county,  he 
took  up  bis  abode  in  North  Litchfield  township 
in  1852,  but  was  not  long  permitted  to  enjoy 
his  new  home,  his  death  there  occurring  about 
ls.~,  l  or  1855.  His  widow,  surviving  him, 
reared  her  children  and  later  married  again 
and  she  lived  for  some  time  after  the  death 
of  her  second  husband. 

Albert  Fisher,  whose  name  introduces  this 
record,  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Montgomery 
county,  early  becoming  familiar  with  farm 
work.  He  had  fair  common-school  advantages 
and  his  training  in  the  labors  of  the  fields  was 
by  no  mean-  meager,  bu1  brought  to  him  an  ex- 
perience   that    has    proven    of    much    value    to 


him,  as  be  has  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits 
in  later  life.  He  commenced  for  himself  in  a 
small  way.  first  purchasing  forty  acres  of  land 
in  North  Litchfield  township,  where  he  located 
after  his  marriage.  The  purchase  was  made  on 
the  installment  plan,  but  in  due  course  of  time 
he  discharged  the  indebtedness  and  he  contin- 
ued to  cultivate  his  own  and  also  rent  land,  car- 
rying <m  farming  there  with  a  fair  measure  of 
success  for  a  number  of  years.  At  length,  how- 
ever, he  sold  that  property  and  bought  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Zanesville  township. 
where  he  resided  for  four  years.  Then  again 
selling  he  bought  bis  present  farm,  which  is 
situated  on  section  16,  Zanesville  township. 
Here  he  has  carried  on  general  fanning  until 
bis  fields  are  highly  cultivated  and  return 
golden  harvests  for  the  care  and  labor  bestowed 
upon  them.  He  has  also  engaged  in  raising 
good  grades  of  stock-  ami  he  feeds  and  fattens 
stmk  for  the  market.  The  seerel  of  his  suc- 
cess is  found  in  the  one  word  "work,"  for  he 
has  Labored  earnestly  and  persistently  year  after 
year.  When  the  sale  of  his  crops  brought  to 
him  a  financial  return  greater  than  was  neces- 
sary for  the  immediate  needs  of  his  family  he 
would  make  investment  in  land  and  in  addi- 
tion to  the  home  farm  he  now  owns  four  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  in  Marshall  county.  Minne- 
sota, which  is  also  improved. 

In  187]  in  Hillsboro  occurred  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Fisher  and  Miss  Martha  Hughes,  who 
was  born  in  Jersey  county,  Illinois.  They  trav- 
eled life's  journey  together  for  about  twenty- 
two  years  and  in  1893  Mr.  Fisher  was  called 
upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died, 
leaving  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  Elmer  G., 
the  eldest  of  the  family,  was  horn  August  25, 
1872,  and  died  January  15,  1879.  Those  still 
living  are:  liattic  1!..  born  December  17^ 
1874;  Reuben  IT.,  born  dune  1.  1878;  Fred  L., 
born  December  19,  1880;  and  Flora  E.,  born 
July  28,  1887.  All  are  married  and  have  gone 
to  homes  of  their  own  with  exception  of  Flora, 
who  is  still  with  her  father. 

In  November,  L895,  Mr.  Fisher  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss 
Emma  Osborn,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Mary 
E.  (Moore)  Osborn.  Her  birth  occurred  in 
Kansas,  but  she  was  reared  in  this  state.     There 


ALBERT    FISHER 


! 


LIBRARY 

OF  TH£ 

*'?v!VEPSITV  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


287 


are  two  children  by  this  marriage:  Ferris, 
burn  October  13,  1896 ;  and  Fern,  born  Septem- 
ber 13,  1900. 

Politically  Mr.  Fisher  is  a  Republican  and 
his  reading  and  study  of  political  issues  has 
enabled  him  to  give  intelligent  support  to  the 
party  and  to  uphold  Ins  position  by  strong  argu- 
ment. His  first  presidential  vote  was  probably 
cast  for  General  Grant  in  1872,  and  although 
he  has  never  wavered  in  allegiance  to  the  party 
he  has  never  sought  or  desired  office.  He  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  of  Raymond.  Living  in  tiie 
countv  which  has  been  his  home  from  his  youth 
down  to  the  present  time,  he  has  borne  himself 
as  an  active  and  progressive  citizen,  co-operating 
in  many  measures  for  the  public  good,  while  at 
the  same  time  he  has  carried  on  his  business 
affairs  in  a  capable  manner  that  has  resulted  in 
the  acquirement  of  a  handsome  competence. 


HENRY  II.  HITCHINGS. 
Henry  H.  Hitchings  is  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial and  successful  farmers  and  stock-rais- 
ers and  stock-dealers  of  Raymond  township, 
making  his  home  on  section  14,  where  he  has  a 
valuable  tract  of  land  of  three  hundred  and 
sixty-five  acres.  He  also  owns  five  hundred 
acres  more  in  different  tracts,  all  in  Mont- 
gomery county,  and  his  property  is  well  im- 
proved, the  land  being  rich  and  productive. 
His  has  been  an  active  and  useful  business  ca- 
reer and  he  dates  his  residence  in  the  county 
from  1857,  so  that  he  is  numbered  among  the 
honored  pioneer  residents  of  this  portion  of 
the  state. 

Mr.  Hitchings  was  born  in  Syracuse,  New 
York,  December  27.  1837,  and  was  a  son  of 
Hon.  J.  P.  Hitchings,  who  during  the  boy- 
hood days  of  his  son,  Henry  H.,  removed  with 
his  family  from  New  York  to  Michigan,  set- 
tling in  Jackson  county,  where  he  secured  a 
tract  of  raw  land  and  opened  up  a  farm.  There 
he  reared  his  family,  successfully  conducted 
agricultural  interests  and  at  the  same  time 
found  opportunity  to  assist  materially  in  the 
early  development,  and  progress  of  this  portion 
of  the  state. 


His  son,  Henry  II.  ll.tchings,  was  the  sec- 
ond in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  ten  chil- 
dren, seven  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of 
whom  reached  mature  years,  while  one  sister 
and  five  brothers  are  yet  living.  The  father 
with  his  family  removed  to  Illinois  in  1857, 
settling  in  Montgomery  county,  where  he  se- 
cured a  tract,  of  wild  land,  which  he  trans- 
formed into  rich  fields.  He  was  the  first  su- 
pervisor of  his  township  and  was  influential 
in  shaping  the  public  policy  and  promoting 
the  early  pioneer  development  of  this  portion 
of  the  state.  He  served  for  two  years  as  a 
member  of  the  Michigan  legislature.  He  was 
a  well  educated  man  and  served  as  a  teacher 
in  both  Michigan  and  Illinois,  his  labors  prov- 
ing a  marked  benefit  in  promoting  the  intel- 
lectual progress  of  the  state  at  an  early  day. 

Henry  EL  Hitchings  was  reared  to  manhood 
in  Michigan  and  when  a  young  man  came  to 
Illinois,  making  his  way  to  Montgomery  county 
in  1857.     He  began  working  on  a  farm  by  the 
month  and  was  thus  employed  for  three  years, 
during   which   time  he  saved   his  earnings  and 
thus    accumulated    the    capital    which    enabled 
him  to  purchase  a  small  place  of  thirty  acres. 
Afterward  he  bought   forty  acres  additional  of 
swamp    land    and    at    once    began    to    improve 
his  property.     Alter  cultivating  the   tract    Pot 
some   years  he  sold    that    property   and  bought 
raw  land  where  he  now  resides,  covering  a  tract 
of  two  hundred  acres.     This  land  was  entirely 
unimproved,  but  with  characteristic  energy  he 
began  to  break  the  fields  and  plant  crops  and  in 
course  of  time  be  gathered   good  harvests.      As 
his  financial  resources  increased  ho  bought  more 
land   from  time  to  time  and  has  become  one  of 
the  most  extensive  property  owners  of  the  coun- 
ty,  now  owning  nearly  one  thousand   acres  in 
three  different  tracts,  all  of  which  are  well  im- 
proved.    He  has  been   engaged    in   the  raising 
and    feeding  of  stock   for  many  years  and  an- 
nually   feeds   and   ships  about   five   carloads  of 
fat   cattle.      In   1895  he  established  a  store  at 
Hand,  which  is  now  conducted  by  his  daugh- 
ter.  Clara    E.    Hitchings.   who  is   a   partner   in 
this  enterprise.      Mr.   Hitchings  displays  excel- 
lent  business  ability,  is  quick  to  recognize  op- 
portunities and  through   his  business  foresight 


288 


PAST    AND    PEESEJSTT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


and    energy    he   has    won   very    gratifying   and 
enviable  success. 

In  186]  Mr.  Bitchings  was  married  in 
Montgomery  county  to  Miss  Martha  E.  Welker, 
who  was  born  m  Illinois  and  spent  her  girlhood 
days  in  Montgomery  county  and  her  death  oc- 
curred about  1865.  There  were  two  children 
by  this  union:  George  11.,  who  is  now  a 
farmer  in  Nebraska;  and  Clara,  who  is  her 
father's  partner  in  the  store  previously  men- 
tioned. Mr.  Hitchings  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  occurring  in  the  fall  of  1871, 
when  Margaret  J.  King  became  his  wife.  She 
was  born  and  reared  m  Indiana  and  by  her 
marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  seven  chil- 
dren: John  M.,  who  is  married;  Eliza  J.,  the 
wife  of  William  C.  Redham,  a  fanner  of  Ray- 
mond township;  John  Marshall,  who  is  mar- 
ried and  is  an  agriculturist  of  this  county;  Ella 
Jan.'.  the  wile  of  Willi-  Pope,  who  follows 
farming  near  Harvel;  William,  who  conducts 
a  barber  shop  in  Harvel;  and  Catherine  and 
Carleton,  at  home. 

Mr.  Eitchings  was  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  Fanners'  Mutual  Insurance  Company  in 
1892,  formed  as  an  insurance  protection  for 
residents  of  Montgomery  and  Bond  counties. 
He  was  elected  and  has  served  as  one  of  its 
directors  from  the  organization  and  is  also 
treasurer.  Politically  he  is  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat, supporting  the  party  since  casting  his 
first  presidential  vote  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas 
in  1860.  He  was  elected  and  served  as  su- 
pervisor for  one  term,  but  has  never  been  ac- 
tive in  political  circles  as  an  office-seeker,  pre- 
ferring to  give  his  time  and  attention  to  his 
business  interests.  He  has  proved  himself  a 
successful  fanner  and  capable  business  man 
and  is  well  known  in  Flillsboro.  Litchfield  aud 
Montgomery  county  as  a  gentleman  of  in- 
tegrity,  whose  word  is  considered  as  good  as 
any  bond  thai  was  ever  solemnized  by  signa- 
ture or  seal.  He  stands  as  a  man  among  men, 
having  I'd  an  active,  useful  and  honorable  life 
ami  through  unremitting  diligence  and  care- 
ful management  he  has  become  one  of  the 
wealthy  agriculturists  of  his  community.  A 
Master  Mason,  he  belongs  to  the  lodge  at  Ray- 
mond and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church, 
which  receive-  Ids  earnest  endorsement  and  lib- 


eral support.     Mrs.   Hitchings  is  a  member  of 
the   Methodist  church. 


G.  F.  GAINS. 


G.  F.  Gains,  well  known  in  Montgomery 
county,  is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  lum- 
ber  and  also  in  general  fanning  in  Fast  Fork 
township.  He  i.s  a  native  son  of  Illinois,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Bond  county,  May 
18,  1873,  his  parents  being  George  and  Louisa 
Almira  (Hamilton)  Gains.  His  father  was 
born  in  Andersonville,  Kentucky,  but  was 
reared  in  Montgomery  county.  Illinois,  becom- 
ing one  of  the  early  residents  of  this  part  of 
the  state,  being  brought  here  by  his  parents. 
He  followed  fanning  for  many  years  and  grad- 
ually added  to  his  income  through  his  strong 
purpose,  indomitable  energy  and  lm-iness  abil- 
ity. In  politics  he  was  a  Republican,  but  al- 
ways refused  office.  He  died  in  1S84,  but  his 
widow  still  survives  him  and  is  now  residing  in 
Donnellson.  They  were  the  parents  of  three 
children,  two  of  whom  are  now  living.  G.  1'... 
ot  this  review:  and  l.illie.  wife  of  John  Wright, 
of  East   Fork  township. 

Although  born  in  Bond  county.  G.  E.  Gains 
was  reared  in  East  Fork  township  and  he  pur- 
sued his  education  in  its  district  schools.  When 
not  engaged  with  the  duties  of  the  schoolroom 
and  the  pleasures  of  the  playground  his  time 
was  largely  occupied  witli  the  work  of  the 
fields,  for  he  received  practical  training  in 
farm  labor  and  had  close  and  intimate  knowl- 
edge of  agriculture  and  its  various  depart- 
ments when  he  -tarted  out  in  life  for  himself 
at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  He  now  manages 
his  mother's  farm  of  one  hundred  and  thirty 
acres  in  Fast  Fork  township.  He  has  recently 
completed  a  new  barn.  He  raises  grain  and 
stock  and  he  also  has  a  portable  sawmill,  to  the 
operation  of  which  he  gives  considerable  time 
and  attention.  His  life  record  has  been  char- 
acterized by  indefatigable  energy  and  lie  has 
ne\iT  jumped  to  hasty  conclusions,  hut  has 
(riven  due  consideration  to  all  business  mat- 
ters  that  have  come  up  for  settlement  and  has 
made  therefore  few  mistakes  in  his  career  as 
an    agriculturist    and    lumberman. 


ME.  AND  MRS.  GEORGE  CAINS 


G.  E.  GAINS 


MRS.  G.  E.  GAINS 


MR.    AND    MRS.    JAMES    SNOW 


UBRMK 

OF  THE 
nv.V"SlTY  OF  ILLISOU 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


29] 


On  the  20th  of  September,  1893,  Mr.  Cams 
was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Snow,  who  was  born 
in  this  county.  December  23,  1876,  her  parents 
being  James  and  Catherine  (Kimbro)  Snow, 
both  Datives  of  Bond  county.  Illinois.  They 
came  to  Montgomery  county  in  1902  and  now 
reside  in  Coffeen.  In  their  family  were  ten 
children,  six  of  whom  are  still  living.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gains  have  been  born  five  chil- 
dren: Ileal  rice  C,  born  March  14.  1895; 
Ruby  A.,  bom  October  29,  1896;  Harry  lv. 
who  was  born  August  30,  1898,  ami  died  July 
18,  1900;  May,  horn  March  12,  1901;  and 
Ruth,  horn  September  ;.  1903. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gains  belong  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  at  Donnellson  and  are  inter- 
ested  in  its  work  and  progress,  bearing  a  help- 
ful part  in  many  of  the  church  activities.  As 
every  true  American  citizen  should  do.  Mr. 
Gains  keeps  well  informed  on  the  political 
questions  and  i»urs  of  the  day  and  as  his 
ideas  are  in  harmony  with  principles  of  the 
Republican  part)  lie  gives  to  that  organization 
a  stalwart  support.  Although  yet  a  young 
man.  he  has  gained  a  success  that  many  an 
older  one  might  well  envy  and  he  has  made  in 
this  county,  which  has  so  long  been  his  home, 
an  enviable  reputation  for  straightforward 
dealing. 


MARVIN  THUMP.. 


Marvin  Thumb  now  occupies  a  line  brick 
residence  situated  on  a  farm  on  section  19, 
Witt  township,  ami  the  home  with  its  surround- 
ings is  indicative  of  the  enterprising  and  pro- 
gressive spirit  of  the  owner,  who  is  a  native 
of  the  Empire  state.  His  birth  occurred  in 
what  was  then  Montgomery  county,  New  York, 
hut  is  now  Fulton  county.  New  York,  March 
II.  1830.  His  parents.  Levi  ami  Mary  (Flan- 
der)  Thumb,  were  also  natives  of  New  York, 
hut  were  of  German  descent.  The  father  was 
a  farmer  liv  occupation  and  in  the  spring  of 
is:,:,  I,,,  removed  from  New  York  to  Mont- 
gomery county,  Illinois,  devoting  his  energies 
tn  agricultural  pursuits  in  Witt  township. 
About  ten  years  prior  to  his  death  he  retired 
from  business  life  and  removed  to  [rving,  where 
he  passed  away  in    1889  at   the  age  of  eighty- 


one  years.  His  wife  passed  away  about  is.",.", 
at  the  age  of  forty-five  years. 

Marvin  Thumb  aftei  attending  the  common 
schools  became  a  student  in  Watertown  Col- 
lege of  New  York,  and  later  engaged  in  farm- 
ing willi  his  father,  lie  came  to  Montgomery 
county.  Illinois,  a  few  weeks  after  his  father's 
arrival  and  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
latter's  land  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1869  he 
erected  the  house  which  he  now  occupies,  a  large 
and  commodious  brick  residence,  which  is  taste- 
fully furnished  and  makes  a  very  comfortable 
and   attractive  home   for   his   family.     He  now 

owns  hundred  and  fifty-four  acres  of  land, 

which  is  well  improved,  being  naturally  arable 
and  productive  and  responding  quickly  to  the 
care  and  cultivation  bestowed  upon  it  by  tin' 
owner. 

On  the  Huh  of  March,  is;,:;,  Mr.  Thumb  was 
joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss  Sarah  Cross,  a 
daughter  of  .lames  and  Deborah  (Slocum) 
Cross,  also  natives  of  New  York.  Her  father 
died  in  1860,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years,  and 
her  mother  passed  away  in  1865,  at  the  age 
of  filtv-nino  years.  Mr.  ami  Mrs.  Thumb  be- 
came the  parents  of  I'm'  children:  .Fames,  who 
was  born  November  ".':>.  1853,  and  died  in 
IS?:!;  Mary,  who  was  horn  May  14,  1sr>.">,  and 
is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Johnson,  who  reside.- 
west  of  Irving;  Helen,  who  was  horn  December 
•'id.  1859,  and  is  the  wife  id'  Irving  Gregory 
of  Oklahoma:  Libby,  who  was  born  June  1(1. 
lSi;v.  and  is  the  wife  of  William  Rausdell,  of 
Witt  township;  and  Ralph,  who  was  horn  De- 
cember 23,  1871,  and  is  living  upon  the  home 
farm,  which  he  is  operating.  He  was  married 
January  4.  1898,  to  Emma  Lipe,  and  they 
have  two  children.   Mabel   and    Mary. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thumb  attend  the  Lutheran 
church  ami  he  became  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity  at  Chaumont,  New  York,  in 
1851,    hut    has    in    recent    years    taken    a    dimit. 

Before    tl rganization    of    the    township    he 

was  appointed  supervisor  by  the  county  judge. 
He  has  always  given  his  political  allegiance  to 
the  Democracy  and  has  had  firm  faith  in  the 
principles  of  that  party.  At  the  time  of  Ihe 
Civil  war  he  responded  to  the  country's  call 
for  troops  in  September,  1864,  enlisting  in 
Company  D.  Forty-seventh    Illinois    Infantry. 


292 


FAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


He  participated  in  the  capture  of  Mobile  and 
several  other  engagements  and  was  discharged 
at  Mobile,  December  5,  1865.  lie  is  now  a 
member  of  Knight  Post,  No.  266,  G.  A.  R. 
Having  long  made  his  home  in  this  county  he 
has  a  wide  acquaintance  and  the  sterling  traits 
of  his  character  are  so  many  and  so  commenda- 
ble that  his  circle  of  friends  has  continually 
increased. 


WILLIAM    L.  SEYMOUE. 

William  L.  Seymour  is  one  of  the  prominent 
business  men  id'  Montgomery  county,  actively 
and  successfully  engaged  in  business  in  Ray- 
naud, where  li<>  lias  been  located  for  sixteen 
years.  He  was  born  near  Hillsboro.  November 
lil.  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  William  D.  Seymour, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Lawrence  county, 
South  Carolina,  in  1823.  His  paternal  grand- 
father. Wesley  Seymour,  was  born  in  1798  and 
is  of  English  ancestry,  the  family  having  been 
established  in  Alabama  when  the  first  represen- 
tatives of  the  name  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the 
new  world.  Wesley  Seymour  removed  from 
the  south  to  Illinois,  becoming  one  of  the  earl- 
iest, settlers  of  Montgomery  county,  easting  in 
his  lot  with  tiie  pioneer  residents  about  1825. 
He  opened  up  a  farm  in  the  vicinity  of  Ilills- 
boro  and  there  resided  for  about  fifty  years, 
during  which  time  he  took  an  active  and  help- 
ful part  in  promoting  the  substantial  improve- 
ment and  upbuilding  of  the  county.  In  1875 
he  removed  to  Kansas  and  spent  his  last  years 
al  Columbus,  where  he  died  in  1891  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-two  years. 

William  I>.  Seymour  was  reared  to  man- 
hood in  Montgomer}  county  upon  the  old  fam- 
ily homestead  and  aided  in  the  arduous  task 
of  developing  the  fields.  Ilis  education  was 
acquired  in  the  Hillsboro  Academy  and  with 
broad  knowledge  to  aid  him  in  the  active  af- 
fairs of  life  lie  entered  upon  his  business  career, 
wherein  he  w-on  success  by  unremitting  dili- 
gence ami  unfaltering  perseverance,  lie  was 
married  in  this  county  to  Elizabeth  Christian, 
a  native  of  Kentucky,  who  came  to  Illinois  in 
early  womanhood.  Her  father,  Thomas  Chris- 
dan,  was  one  of  the   pio r  residents  in  this 


community.  Mr.  Seymour  carried  on  fanning 
in  Montgomery  county  and  here  reared  his  fam- 
ily. He  was  respected  among  the  prominent 
and  substantial  citizens,  for  he  ever  manifested 
a  deep  interest  in  general  progress,  co-operat- 
ing  in  many  measures  for  public  benefit,  and 
in  his  business  life  was  always  straightforward 
and  honorable.  He  served  as  school  commis- 
sioner of  the  county  .ami  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion found  in  him  a  warm  friend.  He  died 
November  12.  1886,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three 
years.  In  his  family  were  eight  children  who 
reached  adult  age,  while  three  sons  and  four 
daughters  are  yet  living. 

William  L.  Seymour  was  reared  upon  the  old 
borne  farm  in  lite  usual  manner  of  lads  of 
the  period,  having  perhaps  better  advantages 
than  some  and  less  than  others.  After  attend- 
ing the  country  schools  he  became  a  student  in 
the  Hillsboro  high  school.  He  remained  with 
his  father  until  the  latter's  death  and  wdien 
lii.iretecn  years  of  age  he  began  teaching,  which 
.profession  he  followed  for  three  years.  In 
1888  he  came  to  Raymond  with  his  brother 
Dr.  .'.  R.  Seymour  and  purchased  a  drugstore, 
which  they  conducted  together  until  February, 
1893,  when  W.  L.  Seymour  purchased  his 
brother's  interest  and  continued  the  business 
until  L894,  when  lie  sold  out.  Later,  how- 
ever,  he  again  purchased  a  drug  store  and  has 
since  continued  in  this  line  of  trade,  building 
up  a  good  establishment  and  enjoying  a  liberal 
share  of  the  public  patronage. 

In  community  affairs  Mr.  Seymour  has  ex- 
erted considerable  influence  and  is  recognized 
as  an  important  factor  in  public  progress  here. 
He  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  Ben- 
jamin Harrison  and  has  always  been  deeply  in- 
terested in  the  success  ami  growth  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  Ho  served  on  the  Republican 
central  committee  for  a  number  of  years  and 
during  two  years  of  that  lime  was  its  chair- 
man. He  was  elected  tax  collector  for  1891 
and  1892  and  in  1894  was  chosen  by  popular 
suffrage  for  the  position  of  county  clerk,  which 
position  he  capably  filled  for  four  years.  Dur- 
ing that  period  be  resided  in  Hillsboro.  He 
(hen  returned  to  Raymond  and,  purchasing  a 
drug  store,  resumed  business  as  one  of  the 
enterprising  merchants  of  the  towrn.      He  has 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 


W.    L.    SEYMOUB 


ME.    AND    MRS.   WILLIAM   D.    SEYMOUE 


LIBRAE 

OF  THE 

FWVEPSITY  OF  HUXCE 


PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF  MONTGOMERY  COUNT'S 


29? 


since  served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board 
here  and  was  its  president  for  two  years.  Ee 
is  now  a  member  of  the  village  board  and  in 
1902  he  was  appointed  postmaster,  which  posi- 
tion he  still  holds.  No  public  trust  reposed  in 
him  has  evei  been  betrayed  in  the  slightest  de- 
gree, his  loyalty  in  citizenship  being  one  of 
the  salient  features  in  his  career. 

On  the  29th  of  January,  1890,  Mr.  Seymour 
was  married  in  Raymond  to  Miss  Cora  A. 
Parrott,  a  daughter  of  D.  J.  Parrott,  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Montgomery  county,  re- 
moving from  Kentucky.  Mrs.  Seymour  was 
born,  reared  and  educated  in  Raymond  and  by 
her  marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  four 
living  sons:  Robert  IT.,  W.  Burress,  Kenneth 
L.  and  Harold  R.  They  also  lost  two  children 
in  infancy,  Berniee  and  Hubert. 

Mr.  Seymour  is  a  member  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Orlcr  of  Odd  Fellows,  has  filled  all  of 
the  chairs  in  Raymond  lodge  and  is  a  past 
grand.  lie  is  also  connected  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  is  a  charter 
member  and  is  now  master  of  the  exchecquor. 
His  entire  life  has  been  passed  in  Montgomery 
county  and  be  deserves  mention  not  only  as 
a  representative  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
honored  pioneer  families,  but  also  because  of 
the  active  ami  helpful  pan  which  he  lias  taken 
in  community  affairs  along  business  and 
financial  lines.  He  is  thoroughly  identified 
with  the  interests  of  the  people  and  the  ma- 
terial, social  and  intellectual  progress  have 
been  promoted  through  his  co-operation. 


EARRY  WILTON. 


As  the  progress  or  prosperity  of  a  nation  is 
the  result  of  the  aggregate  endeavor  of  its  in- 
dividual citizens,  so  the  history  of  a  nation 
is  the  record  of  the  aggregate  achievements  of 
its  people.  Biography  thus  becomes  the  very 
foundation  upon  which  must  rest  all  general 
history  of  mankind.  The  importance  of  mak- 
ing permanent  record  of  the  life  work-  of  men 
who  are  worthy  such  distinction  can  not  be 
overestimated.  No  record  of  Montgomery 
county  would  be  complete  without  mention  of 
Earry  Wilton,  who  was  for  manv  years  identi- 


fied with  agricultural  interests  but  was  more 
widely  known  as  a  Democratic  leader,  bis  labors 
and  counsel  largely  shaping  the  policy  of  the 
party  in  Illinois.  He  was  the  friend  and  as- 
sociate id'  many  of  the  st  distinguished  po- 
litical leaders  of  the  state  and  he  left  the  im- 
press of  his  individuality  upon  public  progress. 
A  native  of  Cambridgeshire,  England,  he  was 
born  on  the  4th  of  July,  1794,  at  Stapleford, 
about  five  miles  from  the  famous  Cambridge 
University.  His  father,  Henry  Wilton,  was  a 
farmer  owning  a  tract  of  hind  there  which  he 
sold  when  his  son  Harry  was  but  three  years 
of  age.  He  then  emigrated  with  his  family 
to  the  new  world,  settling  in  Delaware  coun- 
ty. New  York,  where  he  purchased  a  farm,  suc- 
cessfully continuing  its  cultivation  for  some 
time.  Later  he  sold  there  and  started  for  Illi- 
nois with  the  intention  of  settling  in  Kaskaskia, 
but  journeyed  no  further  than  Shawneetown. 
It  was  in  May.  1811,  that  the  family  started 
from  Sew  York,  but  an  accident  delayed  their 
arrival  until  fall  of  that  year,  when  the  mother 
died. 

Harry  Wilton  received  but  limited  educa- 
tional privileges.  He  attended  school,  how- 
ever, for  three  months  in  Kaskaskia.  where  he 
was  the  guest  of  Samuel  Pope,  then  secretary  to 
the  territory  of  Illinois.  In  his  youth  be  was 
engaged  in  cutting  wood  for  thirty-seven  cents 
per  cord,  and  when  nineteen  years  of  age  he 
earned  the  mail  mi  horseback  between  St.  Gene- 
vieve, Missouri,  and  Morganfield,  Kentucky, 
being  thus  engaged  for  two  ami  a  half  years. 
He  then  conducted  the  store  owned  by  Hon. 
Leonard  White,  who  was  then  agent  for  the 
United  States  Salt  Work-  al  Equality,  Galatin 
county.  In  1817  he  removed  to  Carlisle,  pur- 
chased an  old  French  right  and  subsequently 
entered  two  sections  of  land,  upon  which  he  set- 
tled, carrying  on  farming  operations  for  eight 
years.  Hi-  deep  interest  in  public  affairs  and 
his  fitness  for  leadership  caused  him  to  be 
called  from  the  retirement  of  tin1  farm  to  pub- 
lic life  anil  in  1818  be  was  elected  first 
sheriff  of  Washington  county.  In  1825  he  was 
appointed  deputy  circuit  clerk  and  in  1R27  was 
appointed  circuit  clerk",  which  position  he  filled 
for  several  years.  At  the  same  time  he  was 
postmaster  of  Carlisle,  was  justice  of  the  peace 


VMS 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMEEY    COUNTY 


and  postmaster  of  the  Clinton  county  militia. 
He  tilled  the  office  of  recorder  of  deeds,  was 
United  Status  deputy  marshal  and  judge  of  the 
county  court,  serving  upon  the  bench  in  all  for 
four  years.  He  then  resigned  for  two  reasons, 
one  that  the  salary  was  not  sufficient  to  support 
Ins  family,  the  lees  amounting  only  to  about 
two  hundred  dollars  a  year,  while  secondly  he 
did  not  consider  himself  competent  to  discharge 
the  duties  of  the  office  in  setting  judgment 
upon  his  fellow  men.  He  was  entirely  without 
self-conceit  and  while  always  willing  to  do  his 
duty  he  never  wished  to  hold  an  office  if  he  felt 
that  others  were  better  qualified  to  discharge 
the  duties  thereof.  In  1833,  entirely  without  his 
solicitation,  his  friends  seemed  for  him  from 
President  Andrew  Jackson  the  appointment  to 
the  position  of  United  States  marshal  of  the 
state  of  Illinois  and  his  splendid  record  in  that 
office  won  him  re-appolntment  under  the  same 
administration  and  also  from  Martin  Van  Bu- 
ren  and  Franklin  Pierce.  Jle  resigned  about 
the  middle  of  the  administration  of  President 
Pierce  after  an  incumbency  that  covered  four- 
teen years.  He  was  prompted  to  this  step  by 
his  repugnance  to  the  fugitive  slave  law,  which 
at  times  he  was  called  upon  to  enforce.  One 
act  of  his  service  while  tilling  the  position  of 
United  States  marshal  won  him  national  fame. 
He  was  instructed  by  the  secretary  of  war.  Jef- 
ferson Davis,  to  call  out  the  United  Stales 
troops  to  remove  the  squatters  and  trespassers 
from  Hock  Island,  which  was  a  government 
reservation.  The  trespassers  were  employes  of 
the  state  of  Illinois  engaged  in  constructing  a 
bridge  across  the  Mississippi  river  at  that  point. 
Mr.  Wilton  refused  to  obey  orders  vi  et  armis, 
believing  it  to  be  not  only  unconstitutional, 
hut  a  harsh  and  irritating  measure.  Caleb 
Cushing,  who  was  then  attorney  general,  gave 
the  opinion  that  hi'  had  the  legal  right  to  use 
force,  [nstead  of  acting  upon  this  opinion  Mr. 
Wilton  persuaded  Hie  secretary  of  war  to  bring 
suit  on  ejectment  and  received  instructions  for 
this  course.  The  case  was  finally  taken  to 
Washington,  Reverdy  Johnson  representing  the 
Rock  Island  Railroad  Company,  who  were  vir- 
tuallv  the  defendants,  while  Caleb  Cushing  con- 
ducted the  suit  for  the  government.  The  case 
went   for  the  defendants  ami   was  then   looked 


upon  as  a  triumph  of  state  rights.  In  the 
meantime  the  squatters  had  left  Eock  Island. 
.Mr.  Wilton's  common  sense  and  moderation 
in  this  instance  saved  the  government  thou- 
sands of  dollars  and  many  lives,  and  his  fame 
and  wisdom  spread  through  the  land. 

It  was  during  this  period  m  his  life  that 
Mr.  Wilton  became  a  very  prominent  and  in- 
llueiit.al  factor  in  Illinois  politics.  Simul- 
taneously with  the  visit  of  Fresident  Van  Bu- 
ren  to  Springfield  in  1842  occurred  the  death 
ot  the  Democratic  num. nee  for  governor — 
Adam  W.  Snyder — and  a  meeting  to  choose 
his  successor  was  held.  Mr.  Wilton  was  the 
unanimous  choice  for  chairman  of  the  meet- 
ing and  on  motion  of  Murray  MeConnell  he  was 
empowered  to  secure  a  committee  to  nominate 
a  new  candidate.  Having  appointed  the  com- 
mittee his  own  name  was  by  unanimous  vote 
added  to  it  and  finally  the  choice  of  the  candi- 
date was  left  entirely  to  him.  He  named 
Thomas  Ford,  who  was  elected.  Mr.  Wilton 
also  virtually  nominated  Governor  French  and 
it  was  through  his  influence  that  Stephen  A. 
Douglas  was  appointed  to  the  first  public  office 
which  he  held — that  of  district  attorney  for  the 
judicial  district  which  included  Morgan,  San- 
gamon and  other  counties.  Mr.  Wilton  was 
also  the  first  to  suggest  the  name  of  the  Little 
Giant  of  Illinois  for  United  States  senator  and 
was  mainly  instrumental  in  securing  his  elec- 
tion. He  afterward  received  letters  from  the 
distinguished  statesman  thankfully  acknowledg- 
ing his  aid  and  expressing  the  deepest  obliga- 
tion lor  his  active  friendship.  Mr.  Wilton  was 
on  terms  of  intimacy  with  the  leading  statesmen 
of  his  time,  covering  the  period  from  the  ad- 
ministration of  Andrew  Jackson  to  that  of 
James  Buchanan.  In  the  latter  be  served  as 
United  States  pension  examiner  for  the  state 
of  Illinois,  but  while  he  held  many  positions 
h's  effort  was  probably  most  strongly  felt 
through  his  influence  in  molding  public  policy 
and  shaping  public  opinion. 

Mr.  Wilton  was  married  on  the  "24th  of  Au- 
gust, IMS.  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Allen,  a  daughter 
of  Benjamin  Allen,  who  was  a  noted  wood 
ranger  during  the  war  of  1812.  They  became 
the  parents  of  twelve  children,  of  whom  Benja- 
m'n  and  Thomas  are  residents  of  Hillsbord  and 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


299 


the  former  is  the  father  oi  R.  L.  Wilton,  a  well 
known  and  leading  business  man  of  Hillsboro, 
who  is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

Harry  Wilton  deserved  and  received  the  re- 
spect and  confidence  of  the  men  of  all  political 
parties.  His  honesty  was  proverbial  and  he 
was  generous  to  a  fault.  Notwithstanding  the 
many  responsible  offices  winch  he  held  he  did 
not  save  a  dollar  and  he  retired  to  private  life 
a  poor  man.  Finally  he  returned  to  the  farm 
and  in  his  agricultural  pursuits  was  more  suc- 
cessful, at  one  time  being  worth  about  fifty 
thousand  dollars.  lie  endorsed  papers  for  his 
friends,  however,  and  thirty  thousand  dollars 
of  his  fortune  went  in  payments  of  security 
debts  and  in  return  he  never  received  a  cent. 
In  religious  belief  he  was  a  Methodist  and  his 
Christian  Faith  was  exemplified  in  Ins  daily  life. 
He  never  gambled  nor  used  intoxicants  nor  to- 
bacco.  He  lived  a  blameless  life,  character- 
ized by  lofty  patriotism  and  by  devotion  to  high 
ideals,  and  he  regarded  his  self-respect  and  the 
confidence  of  his  friends  as  infinitely  more  to 
be  desired  than  wealth  or  national   reputation. 


DANIEL  HOST. 


Une  of  the  honored  pioneers  and  venerable 
citizens  of  Montgomery  county  is  Daniel  Bost, 
who  is  now  living  retired  in  Nokomis.  He  was 
born  in  Rowan  county.  North  Carolina,  De- 
cember  31,  1815.  His  parents,  John  and 
Rachel  Bost,  also  natives  of  the  Old  North 
state,  have  passed  ayaw.  His  education  was 
acquired  in  the  schools  of  North  Carolina  and 
h  '  came  to  Montgomery  county  by  team  in 
1837,  when  about  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
Here  he  engaged  in  working  by  the  month. 
There  were  no  farmers  at  that  time  on  the 
prairie  land  which  was  considered  unlit  for 
cultivation,  but  a  few  farms  had  been  estab- 
lished in  the  midst  of  the  forest  tracts.  About 
1847  Mr.  Bost  purchased  his  first  land  from 
the  government — a  tract  of  forty  acres — and 
later  he  added  an  additional  tract  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  from  the  government. 
His  third  purchase  made  him  the  owner  of 
forty  acres  more  and  again  he  bought  eighty 
acres.     Eor    many    rears    be    successfully    car- 


ried on  agricultural  pursuits,  keeping  apace 
with  the  progress  made  in  the  methods  of  farm- 
ing and  m  the  improved  machinery.  As  time 
passed  he  prospered  in  his  undertakings,  ac- 
cumulating a  comfortable  competence.  Event- 
ually, however,  lie  sold  his  farm  land  and 
bought  two  lot:-  and  a  house,  where  he  now  lives, 
in  Nokomis.  He  removed  to  this  place  in  De- 
cemher,  1899,  and  has  since  lived  a  retired  life, 
enjoying  a   well   merited   rest. 

On  th.e  5th  of  March,  1840,  .Mr.  Bost  was 
married  to  Miss  Ellen  Lipp,  and  unto  them 
were  horn  six  children,  id'  whom  two  died  in 
infancy.  The  living  are  Peter  Francis,  who  is 
engaged  in  farming  in  Texas;  Rachel,  the  wife 
of  Thomas  Lipp,  of  Texas;  and  Joshua,  a  car- 
penter of  Alton.  Illinois.  One  daughter,  Eliza, 
(lied  at  the  age  ol  forty-two  years.  Tin-  mother 
passed  away  February  25,  1865,  when  forty- 
nme  years  of  age.  On  the  26th  of  .May,  1865, 
Mr.  Host  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Mrs.  Amanda  Cooper.  The  chil- 
dren of  tin.-  marriage  are  Charles  A.  who  is 
represented  elsewhere  in  this  work;  Artellisa, 
the  wife  of  Noah  Lell'e,  of  koimtreo  town- 
ship; Ella,  tin'  wife  of  Joseph  Cruze,  of  Roun- 
tree  township;  Thomas,  of  (he  same  township; 
George,  who  is  a  mail  carrier  of  Nokomis; 
Gertrude,  the  wife  of  Claude  Davidson,  of 
Hillsboro;  ami  Fred,  who  is  a  mail  carrier  in 
the  rural   \'v lelivery  from  Nokomis. 

Mr.  Bost  i>  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  with  which  he  has  been  identified  for 
sixty-five  years,  living  an  upright  life  in  con- 
sistent harmony  with  his  professions.  In  poli- 
ties he  is  a  Republican  and  has  voted  sixteen 
times  for  president. 


THOMAS  K.  WESTCOTT. 

Thomas  K.  Westeott,  whose  fanning  and 
stockraising  interests  in  Butler  Grove  township 
are  valuable  and  profitable,  was  born  in  North 
Scituate,  Rhode  Island,  on  the  50th  of  Sep- 
tember. 1Stl?.  his  parents  being  Charles  M.  and 
Elizabeth  (Ware)  Westeott.  the  latter  a  daugh- 
ter of  Obediab  Ware.  Charles  M.  Westeott 
came  to  Montgomery  county  when  a  young 
man.   and.   having   previously  learned   the  car- 


301) 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


penteFs  trade,  was  well  fitted  to  enter  upon  a 
business  carrer  here.  He  was  married  in  this 
county,  but  afterward  returned  to  the  east, 
where  occurred  the  birth  of  Thomas  K.  West- 
cott.  Later,  however,  the  father  returned  to 
Montgomery  county  and  became  a  contractor 
and  builder  of  Butler.  In  1869  he  removed 
to  a  farm  in  Butler  Grove  township  and  in 
1870  took  up  his  abode  upon  the  farm  on  which 
his  son  Thomas  now  resides.  There  he  spent 
his  remaining  days  and  his  work,  long  con- 
tinued, practically  transformed  his  land  into 
productive  fields,  constituting  one  of  the  best 
farming  properties  of  this  portion  of  the  state. 
He  died  there  in  1S89  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
six  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  to  which  his  wife  also  be- 
longed. In  their  family  were  four  children : 
Thomas  K. ;  Eliza,  who  died  in  1883;  Lillie. 
the  deceased  wife  of  P.  J.  Stout  ;  and  Grace, 
the  wife  of  Robert  Grantham,  of  Butler  Grove 
township. 

Thomas  K.  Westeott  was  reared  upon  the  old 
farm,  being  eight  years  of  age  when  his  father 
removed  to  the  property  which  he  now  owns 
and  occupies.  His  early  education  was  sup- 
plemented by  study  in  the  Friends  boarding 
school  of  Providence.  Rhode  Island,  where  he 
spent  four  years,  and  after  his  education  was 
completed  he  returned  to  the  old  homestead. 
assisting  his  father  until  the  latters  death 
and  then  taking  charge  of  the  farm.  He  has 
worked  earnestly  and  persistently,  concentrat- 
ing Ins  efforts  tn  agricultural  pursuits  and  thus 
pointing  his  energies  in  one  direction  he  has 
won  success  through  careful  management  and 
diligence.  His  home  farm  comprises  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  on  section  14.  Butler 
Grove  township,  and  he  also  has  another  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  sections 
2  and  3  of  the  same  township.  Tie  carries  on 
.  neral  farming,  stock-raising  and  feeding  and 
has  met  with  very  creditable  and  desirable  suc- 
cess. 

In  1801  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mi.  West- 
eott and  Miss  Amelia  Dale,  of  Hillsln.ro.  and 
they  have  five  children:  Nathan  TF.  Faith. 
Charlie  M.,  Mary  J.,  and  Lucy.  Mr.  West- 
eott is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  is  serving  as  its  treasurer.     He  is 


not  a  party  man  in  politics,  voting  independ- 
ently as  lie  thinks  best.  He  is,  however,  a  man 
true  to  his  honest  convictions,  loyal  in  defense 
of  what  he  believes  to  be  right  and  reliable  in 
his  business  transactions. 


LOUIS   SEDENTOP. 

Louis  Sedentop.  who  is  now  living  a  retired 
life  in  Farmersville,  where  he  owns  a  well  im- 
proved tract  of  land  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  adjoining  the  corporation  limits  of 
the  village,  is  the  oldest  settler  in  Bois  Dare 
township,  having  resided  within  its  borders 
since  1853.  Great  have  been  the  changes  that 
have  occurred  since  that  time,  for  primitive 
conditions  existed  here  then.  He  laid  out  the 
town  in  the  spring  of  1887  and  has  watched 
with  interest  the  growth  of  the  village,  the  de- 
velopment of  the  farming  and  commercial  in- 
terests, and  in  as  far  as  possible  he  lias  borne 
his  share  in  the  work  of  development  and  public 
progress. 

A  native  of  Germany,  he  was  born  in  Bruns- 
wick on  the  4th  of  May,  1835,  and  remained  in 
the  fatherland  until  seventeen  years  of  age, 
during  which  time  he  received  good  educational 
privileges  in  the  public  schools  there.  He  is, 
however,  almost  entirely  self-educated  in  Eng- 
lish since  coming  to  the  United  States,  the  year 
1852  witnessing  the  emigration  of  Mr.  Seden- 
top to  the  new  world.  He  located  first  in  St. 
Louis,  hut  soon  afterward  made  his  way  to 
Montgomery  county  and  began  work  on  a  farm 
by  the  month  in  Zanesville  township,  being 
thus  employed   for  seven  year-;. 

In  1859  Mr.  Sedentop  was  married  in 
Springfield.  Illinois,  to  Miss  Honora  Leonard, 
who  was  horn  in  Ireland,  but  came  to  the  new 
world  when  a  child  ami  was  reared  in  Illinois 
IV the  age  of  sixteen  years.  After  his  mar- 
riage Mi'.  Sedentop  rented  land  near  Zanes- 
ville. which  he  cultivated  for  three  years  and 
then  with  the  capital  he  had  acquired  through 
his  earnest  labor  and  economy  he  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land,  which  he  also  farmed  for 
three  vears.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
lie  sold  his  property  and  bought  near  where  he 
now  resides,  investing  in  a  tract  of  eighty  acres. 


Ml?.    AND    MES.    LOUIS    SEDENTOP 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

"M'VEP.SITY  OF  HUSKS 


PAST    AND    PRESILXT    <>!•'    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


303 


In  the  fall  of  1869,  however,  he  again  sold  oul 
and  then  bought  his  present  farm,  comprising 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  on  which  he 
located  the  following  spring.  This  had  many 
years  before  been  placed  under  the  plow,  hut 
had  become  much  run  down.  Mr.  Sedentop  be- 
gan its  further  cultivation  and  improvement, 
erecting  the  buildings  and  continuing  the  task 
of  tilling  the  fields  until  he  now  lias  one  of 
the  neatest,  best  arranged  and  well  improved 
farms  in  this  part  of  the  county.  He  has  added 
to  and  remodeled  the  house  until  it  is  now  a 
comfortable  and  attractive  residence  and  he  has 
also  built  a  large  barn  and  other  good  outbuild- 
ings. He  has  likewise  planted  an  orchard  and 
shade  trees,  has  fenced  the  place  and  has  made 
many  other  substantial  improvements  until  his 
farm  is  splendidly  equipped.  In  addition  to 
this  he  owns  an  adjoining  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  and  another  tract  of 
a  quarter  section  elsewhere  in  the  county. 
All  are  valuable  and  his  property  holdings 
make  him  one  of  the  substantial  residents' 
of  the  community.  He  laid  out  a  town  site 
of  sixty  acres  about  1886,  erected  business 
houses  and  residences,  gave  a  little  park  to  the 
town  and  through  bis  energy,  enterprise  and 
liberality  has  made  the  village  of  Farmersville 
and  it  to-day  stands  as  a  monument  to  bis  en- 
terprise and  progressive  spirit,  lie  is  indeed 
the  lather  of  the  town  and  is  justly  accounted 
one  of  its  most  active  and  public-spirited  citi- 
zens, co-operating  in  all  measures  for  its  public 

g 1.     His  home  is  just   inside  the  corporation 

limits  and  bis  interests  center  in  the  village  as 
well  as  in  the  county  at  large.  An  accident 
which  he  sustained  in  the  winter  of  1903-4  has 
prevented  his  active  participation  in  public 
affairs  to  the  extent  to  which  he  was  formerly 
engaged. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sedentop  have  been  horn 
eight  children,  who  are  yet  living,  two  sons 
and  six  daughters,  and  with  the  exception  of  a 
young  lady  daughter  now  at  home  all  are  mar- 
ried. The  parents  were  reared  in  the  Catholic 
faith  and  are  members  of  the  church  of  that 
denomination  at  Farmersville.  He  has  con- 
tributed mosl  generously  to  the  support  of  all 
churches  and  donated  tl  e  land  on  which  all  the 
churches  of  Farmersville  stand.     He  has  never 


sought  or  desired  office,  but  consented  to  serve 
on  the  village  board  because  of  the  urgent 
solicitation  of  his  friends.  He  is  a  stanch  advo- 
cate of  the  principles  of  Democracy  and  since 
casting  his  lirst  presidential  ballot  for  Stephen 
A.  Douglas  in  1860  he  has  supported  each  presi- 
dential nominee  of  the  party.  Coming  to  Amer- 
ica empty-handed,  he  has  labored  earnestly  and 
persistently  and  to-day  he  stands  among  those 
who  are  the  architects  of  their  own  fortunes 
and  have  builded  wisely  and  well.  For  fifty- 
one  years  he  has  lived  in  Montgomery  county 
and  when  judged  by  what  he  has  accomplished 
his  right  to  a  first  place  among  the  representa- 
tive citizens  of  Farmersville  and  Montgomery 
county  can  not  be  questioned. 


CAPTAIN  JOHN    F.  GLENN. 

Captain  John  F.  Glenn,  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  war,  figured  prominently  in  business  cir- 
chs  in  Montgomery  county  as  the  owner  of  an 
extensive  and  valuable  ranch  and  as  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  Montgomery  County  Loan  &  Trust 
Bank.  He  is  living  in  Hillsboro  and  is  a  native 
of  Ireland,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  County 
Tyrone  on  the  20th  of  September.  1836.  The 
following  year  his  parents.  .lames  R.  and  Cathe- 
rine J.  (Robinson)  Glenn,  came  to  America, 
settling  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  where  they 
lived  for  four  years.  In  1840  they  established 
their  home  in  Alton,  where  the  father  engaged 
in  merchandising  for  one  year,  but,  not  long 
afterward  coming  to  Illinois,  he  settled  upon  a 
farm  near  Brighton.  His  last  days,  however, 
were  spent  in  Hillsboro,  where  he  died  in  1882, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  in  1887,  when  eightv-two 
years  of  age.  In  their  family  were  six  chil- 
dren: Catherine  .1..  the  wife  id'  Robert  Stew- 
art :  James  R.  ;  John  F.  ;  William  J.,  deceased; 
Emma,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Canine;  and  Thomas  S.. 
who  died  in  1864. 

John  F.  Glenn  attended  the  public  scbools 
until  1853,  when  he  began  earning  his  own  liv- 
ing by  working  as  a  farm  band  by  the  month. 
Through  the  winter  he  attended  school  until 
the  winter  of  1R.">b\  when  he  began  working  in 
the    woods    near    Duluth.    Minnesota.      He    was 


;;ul 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    Col  \  n 


employed  in  the  lumber  regions  of  that  district 
for  three  years  and  then  returned  to  Mont- 
gomery county.  Desirous  of  attaining  a  better 
education  he  entered  Shurtliff  College,  where  he 
continued  his  studies  until  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  war.  Studying  the  situation  of  the  coun- 
try and  feeling  that  his  duty  was  to  the 
Union,  he  responded  to  the  call  of  the  govern- 
ment on  the  9th  of  August,  1861,  and  became  a 
private  of  Company  E,  Twenty-seventh  Illinois 
Infantry.  He  went  to  the  front  as  second 
Eergeant  and  participated  in  many  important 
engagements,  including  the  battles  of  Island 
No.  10,  Farmington,  Stone  River,  Chickamauga, 
Mission  Ridge,  Dalton,  Resaca,  Mud  Creek, 
Stonington,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Peach  Tree 
Creek  and  the  siege  of  Atlanta.  His  valor  and 
meritorious  conduct  on  the  field  of  battle  had 
won  him  promotion  to  the  rank  of  captain  and 
at  the  close  of  his  three  years'  term  of  service 
he  was  honorably  discharged  on  the  20th  of 
September,  1864. 

After  the  war  Captain  Glenn  came  to  Hills- 
boro  and  was  engaged  in  general  merchandising 
for  a  year-.  He  afterward  joined  his  two  broth- 
ers in  the  building  and  operation  of  the  Hills- 
boro  flouring  mill,  and  later  he  erected  a  mill 
at  Morrisonville  and  also  one  at  Carrollton, 
Missouri.  He  built  a  mill  at  East  St.  Louis 
and  conducted  each  of  these  for  a  few  years, 
after  which  he  sold  all  with  the  exception  of 
the  Hillsboro  mill,  which  he  conducted  for  thir- 
ty years,  it  being  one  of  the  leading  productive 
industries  of  the  city.  In  this  business  he  was 
associated  with  his  brothers  William  and  James 
Glenn.  Owing  to  the  excellent  quality  of  the 
flour,  the  product  of  the  mill  found  a  ready  sale 
on  the  market  and  the  business  continually 
grew  until  having  readied  profitable  propor- 
tions it  returned  to  the  owners  a  very  desirable 
annual  income.  As  his  financial  resources  in- 
creased Mr.  Glenn  also  made  judicious  invest- 
ment in  real  estate  and  is  now  the  owner  of 
fourteen  hundred  acres  of  land  in  one  body, 
constituting  a  fine  orchard  about  two  miles 
north  of  Hillsboro.  When  the  Montgomery 
County  Loan  &  Trust  Company  was  organized 
he  and  his  brothers  took  about  one-third  of  the 
stock  of  the  institution  and  for  three  years 
Captain  Glenn  has  veen  the  vice  president. 


On  the  Gth  of  June,  1865,  Captain  Glenn  was 
married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Allen  and  they  have 
five  children:  Allen  P.,  who  is  a  traveling 
salesman;  Addie  (A.  the  wife  of  Charles  E. 
McGowan,  of  Monmouth,  Illinois;  Fannie  E., 
at,  home:  Bessie,  the  wife  of  Frank  0.  John- 
son, of  Monmouth,  Illinois;  and  William  L., 
who  is  associated  with  his  father  in  the  business 
of  breeding  Aberdeen  and  polled  Angus  cattle. 

The  business  interests  of  Captain  Glenn  have 
been  such  as  have  contributed  to  the  general 
prosperity  of  the  country  as  well  as  to  his 
individual  success  and  he  is,  therefore,  one  of 
the  valued  representative  men  of  this  portion 
of  the  state.  He  has  also  taken  an  active  and 
helpful  inten  st  in  community  affairs,  serving 
as  an  alderman  of  Hillsboro  and  also  as  mayor 
of  the  city  for  two  years.  He  was  likewise 
supervisor  for  eight  years  and  was  prominent 
in  local  political  circles  as  a  leader  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  state 
convention  in  1904  and  chairman  of  the  Yates 
delegation.  He  belongs  to  F.  D.  Huddle  Post, 
G.  A.  R.,  of  Hillsboro,  of  which  he  was  formerly 
commander.  His  unswerving  purpose,  his  un- 
questioned fidelity,  his  unfaltering  interest  and 
his  unchanging  will  have  commanded  the  high- 
est respect  of  all.  He  has  been  a  leader  in  the 
cause  of  labor,  of  freedom  and  of  progress  and 
his  hearty  co-operation  has  ever  been  given  to 
that  which  tends  to  advance  the  best  interests 
of  his  adopted  county. 


FEED  A.   RACHOW. 

Fred  A.  Rachow,  proprietor  of  a  livery  barn 
and  feed  and  sale  stable  in  Litchfield,  was  born 
in  Bond  county.  Illinois,  near  the  county  seat, 
in  March,  1870,  his  parents  being  Frederick 
and  Mary  (Stafford)  Rachow.  The  father  died 
February  '^.  1876,  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight 
years,  leaving  six  children,  of  whom  Fred  A. 
is  the  youngest.  The  mother  still  survives  and 
now  makes  her  home  near  Greenville,  Bond 
count  v. 

Fred  A.  Rachow  was  reared  to  agricultural 
pursuits  and  has  followed  farming  during  the 
greater  part  of  his  life,  continuing  in  thai  occu- 
pation  until   the   beginning  of   1003,   when  he 


FRED    A.    RACHOW 


OF  I  HE 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


307 


came  to  Litchfield,  arriving  hen'  on  the  20th 
of  January.  He  established  his  present  [ivery 
barn  and  has  since  conducted  the  business.  He 
keeps  a  good  line  of  carriages,  buggies  and 
horses,  having  about  fourteen  head  of  horses, 
which  he  rents  mil.  lie  also  feeds  and  sells 
horses  ami  this  branch  of  his  business  lias 
proved  to  him  a  lair  source  of  income,  though 
his  great  specialty  is  in  his  fine  line  of  drivng 
and  saddle  horses.  Horseback  riding  lias  come 
to  he  quite  a  Ead  in  Litchfield  and  to  this  par- 
ticular trade  he  successfully  eaters. 

In  1898  Mr.  Rachow  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Bertha  M.  Bickel  anil  unto  them  were 
horn  two  children:  Ursula  and  Opal,  aged  re- 
spectively six  and  four  years.  In  In-  political 
views  Mr.  Rachow  is  a  Republican,  ami  though 
interested  in  the  success  and  growth  of  his  party 
has  had  neither  time  nor  inclination  to  seek 
public  office.  He  ami  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Methodisi  Episcopal  church,  although  be 
was  reared  in  the  Lutheran  faith,  his  parents 
being  identified  with  that  denomination.  "Fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  the  Court  of 
Honor  ami  the  OrdeT  of  Eagles.  He  has  also 
recently  joined  the  North  American  Accident 
Insurance  Company. 


CHARLES  W.  JENKINS. 

Charles  W.  Jenkins,  deceased,  formerly  fol- 
lowed farming  in  Montgomery  county.  lie  was 
born  in  Darlington.  South  Carolina.  May  29, 
1827,  and  was  left  an  orphan  when  live  years 
of  age,  after  which  he  lived  with  relatives.  In 
1837  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Thomas  Woods,  sent  her 
son  to  South  Carolina  to  bring  Mr.  Jenkins, 
his  brother  and  two  sisters  to  Illinois.  He  was 
the  youngest  of  the  four  children  and  the  jour- 
ney was  made  in  a  wagon.  Mr.  Jenkins  was 
then  reared  by  his  aunt  and  uncle  and  remained 
upon  the  Woods  farm  until  1844,  during  which 
time  he  acquired  his  education  by  attending  the 
country  schools.  In  1846  he  went  to  Spring- 
field and  foi'  >i\  vears  was  employed  in  the 
postoffice  there,  after  which  he  accepted  the 
position  of  mail  clerk  on  the  Chicago  &  Alton 
Railroad,  entering  upon  the  duties  of  that  of- 
fice about  1853.    Later  he  returned  to  the  post- 


office  at  Springfield,  where  he  remained  until 
1857.  In  that  year  he  came  to  Butler  township 
and  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits by  renting  a  farm  which  belonged  to  his 
father-in-law. 

On  the  27th  of  April,  1854,  Mr.  Jenkins  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Camilla  Burnap. 
who  was  born  on  this  farm  in  1832,  a  daugh- 
ter of  George  and  Martha  (Seward)  Burnap, 
the  former  a  native  of  New  York  and  the  latter 
of  New  Jersey.  They  were  married  in  Ohio 
and  in  1830  came  to  Illinois,  purchasinig  the 
farm  upon  which  Mrs.  Jenkins  now  lives,  of 
her  mother's  brother,  who  had  entered  the  land 
from  the  government.  Upon  this  farm  was  the 
first  bearing  orchard  in  the  county.  Mr.  Bur- 
nap died  upon  the  old  homestead  here  in  1874 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years  and 
his  wife,  who  was  born  in  1800,  passed  away  in 
1865.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jenkins  were  born 
seyjen  children:  Mary,  the  deceased  wife  of 
\V.  II.  Hamilton;  Camilla,  at  home:  Prances 
the  wife  of  J.  I).  Chisholm  ;  Roland  P..  who  is 
superintending  the  home  place';  Emma,  the 
deceased  wife  of  E.  George  Franklin,  a  teacher 
of  Minnesota;  Frederick  A.,  who  is  a  teacher 
in  the  military  schools  of  Minnesota;  and 
Maria,  the  wife  of  J.  J.  Ludeman,  of  Nebraska. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Jenkins  actively  and  suc- 
cessfully  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  and 
became  the  owner  of  a  valuable  tract  of  land  of 
four  hundred  acres.  lie  carried  mi  general 
farming  and  stock-raising  ami  the  sale  of  his 
crops  and  of  his  stock  brought  him  a  good 
financial  return  each  Mar.  Indolence  and 
idleness  were  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature  and 
whatever  lie  undertook  he  carried  forward  to 
completion.  His  interest  in  the  public  wel- 
fare was  deep  and  sincere  and  took  tangible 
form  in  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  public  progress. 
He  was  elected  circuit  clerk"  in  1868  for  a  term 
of  four  years,  served  as  township  supervisor  of 
Butler  Grove  township  and  held  other  positions, 
to  which  he  was  elected  upon  the  Democratic 
ticket.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order 
for  many  vears  and  his  life  exemplified  its 
i cachings.  He  died  August  22,  1882,  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him.  for  throughoul  the  long 
vears  of  his  residence  in  Montgomery  county  he 
had  so  lived  as  to  merit  the  warm  regard,  good 


303 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


will  and  trust  of  those  with  whom  he  has  been 
associated. 


HENRY    NOBBE. 


Henry  Nobbe,  who  has  been  i  ngaged  in  the 
grain  and  flour  business  at  Farmersville  for  a 
number  of  years  in  connection  with  his  brother 
Charles  H.  Nobbe,  has  developed  a  commercial 
enterprise  of  considerable  extent  and  impor- 
tance, the  volume  of  their  trade  having  reached 
a  large  figure.  lie  is  also  deeply  interested  in 
community  affairs  to  the  extent  that  lie  gives 
his  hearty  support  and  co-operation  to  all 
measures  which  he  deems  of  practical  value  in 
promoting  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the  town 
and  county.  Mr.  Nobbe  was  born  in  South 
Litchfield  township.  April  9,  1865.  and  is  of 
German  lineage,  his  father,  Charles  Nobbe,  hav- 
ing been  a  native  of  Germany,  whence  he  came 
to  the  new  world  and  cast  his  lot  among  the 
early  settlers  of  Montgomery  county.  He  took 
up  the  occupation  of  farming  as  a  life  work  and 
for  a  number  of  years  successfully  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits.  In  1881.  however,  he 
retired  from  farm  life  and  removed  to  Litch- 
lielil.  where  in  connection  with  his  son  Henry  he 
owned  an  elevator  and  engaged  in  the  grain 
business.  He  came  to  Farmersville  in  1887 
and  here  erected  the  elevator  which  is  now 
operated  by  his  sons.  He  also  built  the  first 
residence  in  Farmersville  and  lias  helped  to 
make  the  town  what  it  is  to-day.  He  owns  sev- 
eral business  houses  and  residences  here  and 
possesses  excellent  financial  ability,  keen  fore- 
sight and  unfaltering  enterprise.  He  also  owns 
farm  land  to  the  amount  of  two  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  and  is  one  of  the  substantial  resi- 
dents of  this  part  of  the  state.  His  life  is 
indicative  of  the  fact  that  success  is  not  a  mat- 
ter of  genius,  but  is  rather  the  outcome  of  ex- 
perience and  sound  judgment  and  has  as  its 
basic  element  untiring  effort. 

Henry  Nobbe  in  his  boyhood  days  livid  upon 
the  home  farm  and  early  became  familiar  with 
the  work  involved  in  caring  for  the  fields  and 
raising  the  stock.  He  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  and  in  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business 
College  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  earlv  in  his 


business  career  he  became  identified  with  the 
hardware  and  lumber  trades,  conducting  a  store 
and  yard  in  Farmersville  for  two  years.  He 
sold  out  at  the  end  cf  that  time  and  took  charge 
of  the  elevator  on  the  north  side  of  the  road, 
which  he  controlled  one  year.  He  had  previous- 
ly been  engaged  in  the  grain  business  with  his 
father  at  Litchfield  as  mentioned  above.  In 
partnership  with  his  father  and  brother  he 
subsequently  bought  the  south  elevator  at  Farm- 
ersville and  together  they  carried  on  the  busi- 
ness for  two  years.  The  sons  then  had  control 
of  the  elevators,  which  the  father  deeded  to 
them  later.  They  now  handle  large  quantities 
of  grain,  including  corn,  oats  and  wheat,  and 
are  also  doing  a  retail  business  in  flour,  which 
they  handle  on  an  extensive  scale.  They  have 
ever  been  watchful  of  opportunities  and  in- 
dications pointing  to  success,  have  carefully 
made  their  purchases,  and  because  of  their  large 
sales  they  acquired  a  comfortable  competence, 
resulting  from  careful  business  management. 
In  February,  1903,  Henry  Nobbe  extended  the 
field  of  his  business  activity  by  entering  into 
a  partnership  in  the  ownership  and  conduct  of 
a  general  store.  Later  his  father,  Charles 
Nobbe.  Sr.,  purchased  his  partner's  interest 
and  became  a  member  of  the  firm  with  his  son 
Henry.  This  was  continued  for  a  time  and  then 
Henry  Xobbe  bought  his  father's  interest  and 
now  controls  the  busiin  ss  alone.  He  carries 
a  large  and  carefully  selected  stock  of  general 
merchandise  and  has  built  up  a  good  trade  be- 
cause of  his  reasonable  prices  and  earnest  desire 
to  please  his  patrons. 

On  the  5th  of  July,  1891,  Mr.  Nobbe  was 
married  to  Miss  Anna  Stelter,  a  native  of 
Montgomery  county,  and  they  now  have  one 
child.  Dora  Nobbe.  Politically  Mr.  Nobbe  is 
a  Republican  and  his  first  presidential  ballot 
was  cast  for  Benjamin  Harrison,  while  each 
candidate  at  the  head  of  the  national  ticket 
has  since  received  his  support,  save  that  he 
voted  once  for  Grover  Cleveland.  He  has  never 
voted  for  a  president  but  the  one  who  has  been 
elected.  He  takes  an  active  part  in  local  poli- 
ties, but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  office, 
preferring  to  give  his  undivided  attention  to 
his  business  interests.  He  lias,  however,  never 
neglected  any  duty  of  citizenship  and  has  given 


ME.    AND    MBS.    CHARLES    XOBBE,    SB. 


LIBRARY 

OF  TH€ 
/EP.SSTY  OF  ILL'MC!" 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


311 


loyal  support  to  many  progressive  public  meas-  reared  in  the  Lutheran  faith  and  are  now  mem- 
ares.  The  success  of  his  life  is  due  to  qo  in-  bers  of  the  church  of  that  denomination  in 
herited  fortune  or  to  any  happy  succession  of  Farmersville.  An  earnest,  persevering  young 
advantageous  circumstances,  but  to  Ids  own  man  who  has  the  courage  of  his  convictions  at 
sturdy  will,  steady  application,  tireless  industry  all  times  he  is  carving  out  an  honorable  name 
and  sterling  integrity.  for   himself   and    also   an   enviable    position    in 

the  business  world  of  this  community. 


CHARLES    II.    XOBBE. 

Charles  H.  Nobbe,  well  known  in  trade  cir- 
cles as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Nobbe  Broth- 
ers, dealers  in  grain  and  flour,  was  born  in 
Litchfield,  July  27,  1871.  He  attended  the 
public  schools,  acquiring  a  fair  knowledge  of 
the  English  branches  that  fit  one  to  meet  the 
duties  of  a  business  career.  When  a  young 
man  he  assisted  his  lather  in  the  store  ami  un- 
der his  direction  received  good  lmsimss  train- 
ing, gaining  practical  knowledge  of  the  methods 
in  vogue  in  commercial  circles,  lie  has  been 
identified  with  various  commercial  and  indus- 
trial concerns  that  have  contributed  to  the 
business  development  of  Ids  town,  lie  was  a 
partner  in  the  Farmersville  Brick  iV  Tile  Fac- 
tory, an  important  industry  here,  and  his  sound 
judgment  and  enterprise  were  valued  factors  in 
the  successful  control  id'  the  plant  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  At  length,  however,  he  sold  out 
and  he  is  now  associated  with  his  brother, 
Henry  Nobbe,  in  the  flour  and  grain  trade. 
They  own  a  good  elevator,  make  extensive  ship- 
ments of  corn,  oats  and  wheat  and  also  han- 
dle a  large  amount  id'  flour  annually,  lie  like- 
wise owns  several  business  houses  and  r<  si- 
dences  in  Farmersville  and  is  thoroughly  identi- 
fied with  the  development  and  upbuilding  of 
the  place. 

<>n  the  11th  of  December,  1898,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  Charles  II.  Nobbe  ami 
Miss  Minnie  Brockmeyer,  a  daughter  of  Au- 
gust Brockmeyer,  a  farmer  of  Pitman  township. 
She  was  born  and  reared  in  Illinois.  There  is 
one  daughter  by  tins  union.  Vera  Nobbe.  Like 
his  brother,  Charles  H.  Nobbe  is  a  true  blue 
Republican,  taking  an  active  part  in  local  poli- 
tics and  deeply  interested  in  the  national  suc- 
cess of  the  party.  He  served  for  two  years  on 
the  village  hoard  and  has  been  city  treasurer 
for    three   or   four   years.      The    brothers    were 


.MICHAEL  L.  ROBERTSON. 

.Michael  L.  Robertson,  residing  in  Hillsboro, 
is  identified  with  stock-raising  interests  in 
Montgomery  county,  where  he  formerly  owned 
and  occupied  an  extensive  farm,  lie  was  born 
in  Carroll  county.  Tennessee,  near  Memphis, 
on  the  1  Ith  of  September,  L851,  and  in  the  fall 
of  1863,  when  a  youth  of  hut  twelve  years,  ac- 
companied his  lather'.-  family  on  their  removal 
to  Montgomery  county.  For  three  years  the 
father.  Stanford  Robertson,  rented  land  in  East 
Fork  township  and  tin  n  removed  to  Butler 
Crove  township,  settling  mi  section  13,  wdtere 
In-  son,  George  <*..  now  lives.  Stanford  Rob- 
ertson served  as  colonel  of  the  state  militia  in 
the  early  days  and  while  living  in  the  south 
served  as  count}  judge,  lie  was  likewise  promi- 
nent in  community  affairs  in  Montgomery 
county  and  gave  hearty  co-operation  to  many 
movements  which  have  for  their  object  the  wel- 
fare of  this  portion  of  the  state.  Hi:  died  in 
1893  al  the  age  of  eighty-three  years  and  his 
wife  also  passed  away  on  the  old  homestead  in 
L882  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  They 
were  the  parents  of  nim  children,  three  sons 
and  six  daughters. 

Michael  L.  Robertson  acquired  a  comtnon- 
school  education  and  remained  upon  the  home 
farm  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  being 
trained  there  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy. 
Farm  work  in  every  department  became  fa- 
miliar to  him  and  the  practical  experience 
which  In-  there  gained  proved  if  much  value  to 
him  when  he  started  out  for  himself  at  a  later 
date.  On  the  :ilsf  of  October,  is;-.',  he  married 
Julia  A.  Harris  and  they  took  up  their  abode 
upon  her  father's  farm,  she  being  the  only 
daughter  of  Thomas  E.  Harris,  a  prominent 
and  influential  citizen,  who  was  at  one  time 
county  superintendent   of  the  schools  of   "Mont- 


312 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMEKY    COUNTY 


gomery  county.  Mr.  Robertson  lived  upon  that 
farm  until  December,  1889,  when  lie  removed 
to    Hillsboro,  and    he    was    engaged    in    stock- 


raising.      He    became    the 


owner    of      three 


hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  which,  like 
most  of  the  other  Montgomery  county  farms, 
was  very  valuable  and  productive.  When  he 
removed  to  llillsboro  a  year  later  he  engaged 
in  the  implement  business,  which  he  conducted 
for  two  years  and  then  sold  his  store  to  PI.  C. 
Latham.  On  the  20th  of  June,  1904,  he  pur- 
chased a  grain  and  feed  establishment  in  llills- 
boro, which  he  now  carries  in  connection  with 
his  son  William  E.,  in  addition  to  his  stock- 
raising  interests. 

In  1902  Mr.  Robertson  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the 
29th  of  June  of  that  year.  They  had  become 
the  parenfs  of  seven  children:  William  E., 
who  is  in  business  with  his  father;  Mary  E.. 
the  wife  of  W.  S.  Perkins,  of  the  same  town- 
ship;  George  0.,  who  is  living  in  Butler  Grove 
township;  Hattie  L.;  Zelia  E. ;  Cora  E. ;  and 
Fred  W. 

Mr.  Robertson,  whose  ability  and  loyalty  in 
citizenship  have  been  recognized  by  his  fellow- 
townsmen,  has  been  called  to  several  public 
positions.  In  1903  he  was  elected  alderman  of 
Hillshoro  and  while  living  in  Butler  Grove 
township  he  served  as  school  director  for  eigh- 
teen  years.  He  was  also  highway  commissioner 
for  nine  years,  was  supervisor  for  four  years 
and  was  filling  that  position  at  the  time  of  his 
removal  from  his  farm  to  the  city.  He  has 
given  his  political  allegiance  to  the  Republi- 
can party  since  attaining  his  majority.  Fra- 
ternally lie  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Wood- 
men. In  former  years  Mi'.  Robertson  so  con- 
ducted his  business  affairs  that  lie  won  a  gratify- 
ing competence  that  now  enables  him  largely  to 
live  a  retired  life. 


ROBERT  A  McPHERON. 
Robert  A.  McPheron,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
business  of  raising  flowers  and  vegetable  plants 
at  Litchfield,  was  born  in  Carrollton.  Illinois, 
in  1863.  Hs  father,  James  A.  McPheron,  a 
native  of  Tennessee,  is  now  living  in  Carroll- 
ton  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-seven  wars. 


At  an  eaih  daj  he  accompanied  his  father  on 
Ins  removal  from  Tennessee  to  Greene  county, 
Illinois,  and  he.  too.  became  a  florist  and  gar- 
dener and  has  always  followed  that  business 
as  a  life  work,  being  still  connected  with  the 
trade  in  Carrollton.  He  married  Amanda  C. 
Cato,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Euphemia 
Cain.  The  former  was  a  farmer  and  settled 
near  Carrollton,  entering  land  from  the  gov- 
ernment there  in  pioneer  times,  his  place  being 
loeated  about  eight  miles  east  of  Carrollton. 
His  sons  were  soldiers  of  the  southern  army 
and  one  died  a  prisoner  of  war  at  Alton,  Illi- 
nois. Mrs.  MePherson  was  born  near  Nashville, 
Tennessee,  and  lias  now  reached  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mc- 
Pheron hold  membership  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  he  gives  his  political  sup- 
port to  the  Democracy.  In  their  family  were 
six  children:  Edwin  N.,  who  is  a  jeweler' of 
Greenfield.  Illinois;  Ella,  the  wife  of  John 
Scruby,  ;r  harniss-maker  at  Roodhouse,  Illi- 
nois; Anna,  the  deceased  wife  of  L.  W.  Loomis, 
a  jeweler,  who  lias  also  passed  away;  Laura,  the 
wife  of  John  Clough,  a  farmer  and  stockman 
of  Carrollton;  Robert  A.;  ami  James  G,  a 
florist  of  Carrollton. 

Robert  A.  McPheron  acquired  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  Carrollton  and  after- 
ward learned  tin'  florist  business  with  his  father. 
He  put  aside  his  text  books  when  seventeen 
years  of  age  ami  later  built  a  greenhouse  on 
his  father's  place.  There  he  conducted  busi- 
ngs on  his  own  account  for  about  five  years, 
on  the  expiration  of  which  period  he  went  to 
St.  Loin-  ami  was  associated  with  L.  Arm- 
strong, a  leading  florist  of  that  city.  Subse- 
quently he  came  to  Litchfield  and  purchased  the 
place  that  he  now  owns  in  1889.  He  has  since 
been  engaged  in  a  business  here  as  a  florist  and 
is  the  only, representative  of  this  line  of  trade 
in  or  near  the  city.  He  has  a  large  plant  and 
dees  an  extensive  business,  shipping  flowers 
and  vegetable  plants  to  many  different  cities 
throughout  the  country.  His  place  of  business 
is  at  lloi  Union  avenue  and  a  constantly  grow- 
ing trade  has  made  him  one  of  the  successful 
business  men  of  the  city. 

In  1885  Mr.  McPheron  was  married  to  Miss 
Maggie   E.    Camp.      She   was   born   in    Greene 


HENRY  NOBBE  AND  FAMILY 


CHARLES    H.    NOBBE    AND    FAMILY 


OF  THE 

|,,V!\/rDQ|JV  OF  IL'JNO" 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OE    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


317 


county,  Illinois,  and  died  in  1890  at  the  age 
of  twenty-three  years.  For  his  second  wife  Mr. 
McPheron  chose  Miss  Julia  B.  Wilton,  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  Wilton,  a  fanner.  Mrs.  McPheron 
was  born  west  of  Litchfield  and  the  marriage 
was  celebrated  in  1892.  There  arc  two  chil- 
dren by  this  union:  J.  Wilton,  born  in  1893; 
and  Ruth,  born  in  1903.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mc- 
Pheron hold  membership  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  he  belongs  to  the  Mutual 
Protective  League.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  his 
political  views,  but  has  never  had  time  or  in- 
clination to  seek  public  office,  preferring  to  de- 
vote his  attention  and  energy  to  his  business 
affairs. 


JAMES  H.  RIPLEY. 

Numbered  among  the  substantial  fanners  of 
Raymond  township,  James  11.  Ripley  owns  and 
cultivates  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land 
on  section  27.  He  has  now  passed  the  seventy- 
ninth  milestone  on  Life's  journey,  but  is  yet 
actively  interested  in  business  affairs,  super- 
vising his  farm,  which  has  become  a  valuable 
property  owing  to  the  excellent  improvements 
which  he  lias  placed  upon  it. 

Pew  men  of  his  years  can  claim  Illinois  as 
the  state  of  their  nativity,  but  Mr.  Ripley  was 
born  in  St.  Clair  county  on  the  loth  of  Sep- 
tember, L825,  his  parents  being  William  and 
Elizabeth  (Murray)  Ripley.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  James  Ripley,  was  a  native  of 
Ireland  and  became  the  founder  of  the  family 
in  America,  settling  in  Virginia.  His  sun, 
William  Ripley,  was  born  in  Boutetourt  county, 
that  state,  and  was  married  in  the  Old  Domin- 
ion to  .Miss  Elizabeth  Murray,  also  a  native  of 
Virginia.  They  brgan  their  domestic  life  upon 
a  farm  which  they  occupied  for  a  number  of 
years  and  then  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  in 
Jackson  county  about  1820.  Later  they  took 
up  their  abode  in  St.  Clair  county,  where  Mr. 
Ripley  secured  a  tract  of  wild  land,  which  he 
transformed  into  a  good  farm  located  just  south 
of  In  lleville.  There  he  reared  his  family  and 
continued  to  make  his  home  until  his  life's  la- 
bors were  ended  in  death.  He  had  six  daugh- 
ters and  three  sons,  all   of  whom   reached   ma- 


ture years,  while  a  son  and  daughter  in  addi- 
tion to  J.  II.  Ripley  are  new  living,  the  former 
being  our  subject's  twin  brother. 

The  old  family  homestead  in  St.  Clair  county 
was  the  birthplace  of  James  II.  Ripley,  who 
also  spent  his  boyhood  days  there,  aiding  in 
the  cultivation  of  the  fields  throughout  the 
greater  part  of  the  year.  His  educational  privi- 
leges were  quite  limited  as  far  as  attendance  at 
school  was  concerned,  but  through  experience 
he  mastered  many  valuable  lessons  and  bicame 
a  well  informed  man.  He  was  married  on  the 
27th  of  May,  1858,  in  the  county  of  his  na- 
tivity to  Miss  Susan  Merrill,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  St.  Clair  county.  Illinois.  She  is 
also  a  twin  and  her  twin  sister  is  still  living. 
After  his  marriage  Mr.  Ripley  engaged  in 
farming  in  St.  Clair  county  for  seven  years 
and  he  owned  a  good  farm  of  eighty  acres,  to 
which  he  afterward  added  as  his  financial  re- 
sources increased  until  the  boundaries  of  his 
farm  included  one  hundred  acres.  He  sold 
that  property  in  1881  and  took  up  his  abode  in 
Montgomery  county,  purchasing  four  hundred 
acres  of  land,  constituting  one  of  the  largest 
improved  places  in  Raymond  township.  Here 
he  resumed  agricultural  pursuits  and  continued 
the  further  improvement  and  development  of 
the  place.  He  has  since  erected  a  large  two 
story  residence,  a  substantial  barn  and  other 
outbuildings  and  has  added  all  modern  acces- 
sories.   There  is  a  g 1  orchard  upon  the  place. 

a  grove  of  forest  trees  and  many  ornamental 
trees  which  add  to  the  attractive  appearance 
and  value  of  the  home.  There  have  been  great 
changes  in  farming  methods  since  he  entered 
upon  his  active  business  career.  In  his  early 
manhood  all  the  labor  was  done  by  hand,  there 
being  none  of  the  improved  machinery  to  re- 
lieve the  farmer  of  his  arduous  toil.  He  worked 
with  tin1  scythe  and  the  hand  plow,  but  as  the 
years  advanced  and  the  ingenuity  of  man 
brought  forth  many  labor-saving  devices  Mr. 
Ripley  utilized  these  improved  conditions  in 
his  farming  operations  and  as  the  result  of  his 
progressive  methods  and  unfaltering  diligence 
he  accumulated  a  handsome  competence. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ripley  were  born  two 
children:  Charles  II.,  a  lawyer  of  Chicago; 
and    Susan,  the   wife  of   Samuel    Sorrells,  who 


viniiM'i"  /-» '»   *  '  • 


•*V. •''•'•  «\"   ...'•"•  •W.V/*  •  • 


v»    • J I  , 


318 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


is  farming  the  Ripley  place  and  by  whom  she 
has  one  child.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ripley  are  ear- 
nest and  consistent  members  of  the  Baptist 
church  and  he  is  a  Republican  in  his  political 
belief,  giving  strong  support  to  the  party  and 
its  candidates.  His  has  been  an  exemplary  and 
honorable  career  and  through  a  quarter  of  a 
century  he  hits  lived  in  Montgomery  county. 
His  life  record  proves  the  value  and  force  of 
economy  and  industry  in  the  active  affairs  of 
business  and  without  pecuniary  or  family  as- 
sistance to  aid  him  at  the  outset  of  his  career 
he  gradually  worked  his  way  upward  to  the 
plane  of  affluence,  gaining  a  handsome  com- 
petence by  his  own  labor.  He  is  now  largely 
leaving  the  hard  labor  and  care  of  the  farm  to 
younger  hands,  while  he  is  enjoying  a  rest  which 
he  has  richly  merited  and  truly  deserves. 


J.  J.  LIFE. 


One  of  the  rich  agricultural  districts  of  Illi- 
nois is  the  territory  embraced  within  the  boun- 
daries of  Montgomery  county  and  on  one  of  the 
well  improved  farms  of  that  district  J.  J.  Lipe 
was  born.     The  old  home  place  on  section  34, 
Rountree  township,  is  still  the  place  of  his  resi- 
dence.    His  natal  day  was  September  19,  1870, 
and   he  is  a   representative  of  an  old  southern 
family.     His  father.  John   G.    Lipe.  was  born 
on  the  13th  of  October.     1827.     in     Cabarrus 
county,    North    Carolina,   and    with    his    father 
came  to  Illinois  in  1831,  the  family  home  being 
establish!  d    in    Hillsboro.       The     grandfather 
turned  his  attention  to  farming  and  the  father 
began  in  the  same  pursuit  when  he  had  attained 
years  of  maturity.     He  continued  farming  in 
this  county   until    L850,  when  he  took  his  de- 
parture for  California  and  for  nine  months  he 
worked    in   the  mines   upon   the   Pacific   coast. 
In  the  spring  of  1851,  however,  he  returned  to 
Montgomery  enmity  and  in  1852  he  was  married 
to  Miss  Annie   Louisa  Lingle.  also  a  native  of 
North  Carolina.     Her  birth  occurred  June  16. 
1829,  and  on  the  3d  of  June.  1885,  she  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.     Mir.  Lipe 
survived   his  wife  for  about  four  years,  dying 
on  the  16th  of  July.  1889,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
two  years. 


J.  J.  Lipe  pursued  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Montgomery  county  and  at  the 
age  of  nineteen  years  he  began  1  arming  upon 
the  old  home  place.  After  his  father's  death 
he  assumed  the  management  of  the  homestead, 
which  he  now  owns,  having  here  two  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  of  valuable  land,  which  is  well 
improved  and  is  highly  cultivated. 

tin  the  12th  of  February,  1890,  .Mr.  Lipe  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Minnie  A.  Yeske, 
a  daughter  of  C.  H.  and  M.  L.  (Clabonda) 
Yeske.  Her  father,  who  was  horn  December 
27,  1833.  died  December  lti.  1890,  and  the 
mother,  who  was  born  January  11.  1830,  is 
now  living  near  Irving  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
four  years.  The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lipe 
has  been  blessed  with  four  children:  Edna 
Frances,  who  was  born  July  24,  1892  :  Esther 
May,  born  May  15,  1897 ;  Elizabeth  Laura, 
February  10.  1901 ;  and  Godfrey  Martin,  born 
February  20,  1903. 

Mr.  Lipe  votes  with  the  Republican  party 
and  has  served  as  trustee  of  his  township,  while 
at  the  present  writing  he  is  filling  the  position 
of  school  director.  While  always  interested  in 
everything  pertaining  to  general  progress  and 
improvement  and  never  remiss  in  performing 
the  duties  of  citizenship  he  yet  gives  his  at- 
tention chiefly  to  his  business  affairs  and  the 
practical  training  which  he  received  in  early 
boyhood  has  enabled  him  to  carry  forward  his 
farming  interests  with  excellent  success,  so 
that  he  is  now  a  prosperous  agriculturist  of  his 
native  township. 


W.  W.  ADAMS. 

\V.  W.  Adams  is  the  owner  of  a  good  farming 
property  covering  one  hundred  acres  on  section 
32.  Harvel  township,  and  is  accounted  one  of 
the  enterprising  business  men.  having  success- 
fully conducted  various  business  enterprii-es 
during  the  past  sixteen  years,  having  the  force 
of  character  that  enables  him  to  carry  forward 
to  successful  completion  whatever  he  under- 
takes. One  of  Illinois'  native  sons,  his  birth  oc- 
curred in  Macoupin  county  on  the  28th  of  Sep- 
tember. 1836.  His  father.  Giles  M.  Adams, 
was  born  in  Kentuokv,  where  he  spent  his  early 


«*TT* 


W.    W.   ADAMS' 


v.  w '  V.M "  " f.'.m ' .',' ' >s.\  '.'.'■  v.v  '.'.',' ,  v.m  ■ ■.■  /, >.'.i;v,v'.1.-.';,;, ,,/*  *>\», 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 
PSlTY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


321 


youth,  acquired  his  education  and  was  after- 
ward married.  He  arrived  in  Illinois  in  1829, 
only  eleven  years  after  the  admission  of  the 
state  into  the  Union.  The  central  and  north- 
ern portions  were  then  largely  wild  and  un- 
improved. He  settled  in  Madison  county, 
where  he  remained  but  one  year.  He  then  went 
to  Macoupin  county,  where  he  has  spent  many 
years,  but  during  the  evening  of  his  life  he 
crossed  the  border  line  into  Montgomery  coun- 
ty and  resided  with  his  sons  during  his  later 
years.  His  wife  survived  him  for  a  few  years, 
but  has  also  passed  away.  He  was  familiar 
with  the  pioneer  history  of  this  section  of  the 
state,  having  arrived  when  much  of  the  prairie 
was  still  in  its  primitive  condition  and  when 
the  forests  were  uncut.  He  performed  the 
arduous  task  of  developing  a  new  farm  and 
continued  his  labors,  which  resulted  not  only 
in  benefit  to  himself,  but  also  proved  of  value 
in  tin1  reclamation  of  a  wild  district  for  the 
purposes  of  civilization. 

W.  W.  Adams  was  one  of  four  children  who 
reached  mature  years,  and  one  brother  and  sis: 
ter  are  yet  living.  His  early  youth  was  passed 
in  Macoupin  county  upon  the  old  home  farm, 
and  lie  hail  common  school  advantages,  attend- 
ing school  through  the  winter  months,  although 
he  is  large!;  self-educated.  He  came  to  Mont- 
gomery county  in  1860  and  purchased  land 
in  Harvel  township,  which  was  wild  and  un- 
cultivated, but  lie  at  once  broke  this  and  opened 
up  a  farm  of  four  hundred  acres.  Carrying  on 
tlie  work  of  cultivation  and  improvement  year 
after  year,  he  became  the  owner  <>(  a  well  de- 
veloped property  and  harvested  good  crops, 
which  annually  brought  to  Inn  a  desirable  in- 
come when  placed  upon  the  market.  At  length 
be  sold  out  anil  purchased  his  present  residence, 
having  eighty  acres  in  the  home  place  and 
twenty  acres  in  another  tract.  He  farmed  for 
a  number  of  years,  and  about  1888  he  turned 
bis  attention  to  the  grain  business  in  Harvel. 
He  has  since  rebuilt  the  elevator  and  still  car- 
ries on  his  operations  in  that  line.  He  has 
now  been  a  grain  merchant  of  the  town  for  six- 
teen years  ami  is  well  known  as  a  progressive 
business  man  whose  commercial  interests  prove 
of  value  to  the  locality  by  furnishing  a  good 
market  to  the  farmers  for  their  products. 


Politically  .Mr.  Adams  is  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat, and  his  first  ballot  was  cast  for  .lames 
liuchanan.  while  since  thai  tune  he  lias  sup- 
ported each  presidential  nominee  of  tin'  party. 
He  has  served  for  four  consecutive  terms  as 
supervisor  and  was  a  member  id'  many  of  the 
important  committees  of  the  board.  More  than 
four  decades  have  passed  since  he  arrived  in 
Montgomery  county.  He  has  killed  deer  and 
wolves  in  this  county,  living  here  at  a  time 
when  its  unsettled  condition  made  it  possible 
for  the  hunter  to  enjoy  his  sport  with  the  gun. 
He  broke  thi'  virgin  soil  and  helped  to  make 
the  county  what  it  is  to-day — one  id'  the  richest 
agricultural   districts  of  this  great  stale. 


C.  A.  LEWEY. 

C.  A.  Lewey.  interested  in  business  affairs  in 
Coffeen  as  proprietor  of  a  meat  market,  was 
born  in  Hillsboro  m  L876.  His  father,  Albert 
Lewey,  is  also  a  native  of  that  city,  born  in 
1851.  He  now  follows  fanning  in  Hillsboro 
township,  win  re  he  owns  ninety  acres  of  land. 
Unto  him  and  his  wife.  Sarah  Lewey,  have  been 
born  seven  children,  six  of  whom  wrvf  bom  in 
Montgomery  county.  Allien  Lewey  is  num- 
bered among  the  early  settlers  of  this  pan  of 
the  state  and  has  been  an  interested  witness  of 
the  progress  that  has  been  made  in  promoting 
agricultural  ami  commercial  development  of 
his  locality.  Ilis  political  support  is  given  to 
i  he  I  lemocracy. 

At  the  usual  age  ('.  A.  Lewey  entered  school 
ami  for  a  tnm-  n;i?  a  student  in  Hillsboro  town- 
ship, lb  afterward  devoted  his  attention  to 
farm  work  upon  bis  father's  land  and  later 
turned  his  attention  to  engineering,  operating 
a  sawmill  until  be  was  twenty-five  years  of  age. 
He  then  went  to  Hillsboro.  where  he  remained 
for  three  months  and  in  1901  he  came  to  Cof- 
feen. Here  he  worked  for  a  year  in  a  butcher 
shop  owned  by  Frank  Canaday  and  on  the  ex- 
piration of  thai  period  he  purchased  the  busi- 
ness which  he  has  since  been  conducting.  It 
is  the  only  meat  market  in  the  town  and  he 
has  a  good  patronage,  which  he  deserves  by 
reason  of  his  honorable  business  methods  and 
by  his  earnest  desire  to  please  his  patrons. 


. .'  *B?!T^^Tf!'^*TTrfTTTf7'7!V  "'J.1.'^' *"/,*.'.  "  "/JL'A" '  V*' \   I  • 


...,., 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


On  the  12th  of  June,  1901,  Mr.  Lewey  was 
niarried  to  Miss  May  Hamilton,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  Plamilton,  of  Hillsboro  township.  He 
votes  with  the  Democracy  and  socially  is  con- 
nected with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge,  No. 
367,  n[  Coffeen.  He  is  a  representative  of  one 
ol  the  old  families  of  Montgomery  county  and 
us  one  of  the  enterprising  young  business  men 
of  Coffeen  he  is  well  known  and  certainly  de- 
serves representation  in  this  volume. 


JABEZ  BLACKBURN. 

For  over  fifty  years  this  gentleman  made 
his  home  in  Montgomery  county  and  was  num- 
bered ai ig  its  honored  and  highly  respected 

citizens.  He  was  a  native  of  England,  where 
he  spent  the  first  eight  years  of  his  life,  and 
then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  emi- 
gration  to  America.  The  greater  part  of  his 
youth  was  passed  in  the  vicinity  of  Alton. 
Illinois,  and,  after  arriving  at  years  of  ma- 
t-urity,  he  was  there  married  to  Mrs.  Mary  A. 
Hook,  whose  maiden  name  was  Smith. 

In  1851  Mr.  Blackburn  came  to  Montgom- 
ery county,  settling  in  South  Litchfield  town- 
ship. This  was  more  than  a  half  century  ago, 
when  the  work  of  improvement  and  progress 
that  have  marked  the  rapid  advance  and  up- 
building of  the  county  had  scarcely  been  be- 
gun and  for  many  years  he  witnessed  the 
changes  which  occurred  here  and  bore  his 
share  in  the  work  of  upbuilding.  He  con- 
tinued  to  engage  in  farming  in  South  Litch- 
field township  until  1866,  when  he  came  to 
Hillsboro  township  and  settled  upon  a  farm 
which  is  now  the  property  of  his  son  James  R. 
There  he  lived  for  seventeen  years  or  until 
1883,  when  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Litchfield. 
but  a  year  and  a  half  later  he  removed  to  Hills- 
lioi'i).  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  his 
death  there  occurring  on  the  5th  of  January, 
1895,  when  he  was  seventy-one  years  of  age. 
His  widow  still  survives  him  and  now  makes 
her  home  with  her  children.  As  pioneer  people 
they  were  well  known  and  Mr.  Blackburn  was 
regarded  as  a  reliable  business  man,  energetic, 
enterprising  and  trustworthy. 


JAMES  R.  BLACKBURN. 

James  R.  Blackburn,  who  carries  on  general 
farming  with  good  success  in  Hillsboro  town- 
ship, was  born  in  South  Litchfield  township, 
Montgomery  county,  on  the  15th  of  October, 
1856,  and  is  a  son  of  Jabez  Blackburn.  He 
was  a  lad  of  ten  years  when  he  took  up  his 
abode  upon  the  farm  which  is  now  his  home, 
lie  was  educated  in  the  district  schools,  which 
he  attended  when  not  engaged  with  the  duties 
of  the  farm.  In  iss:i  he  took  active  charge 
of  the  farm,  his  father  moving  away  at  that 
time,  and  in  this  he  was  associated  with  his 
brother  J.  Frank  Blackburn  for  about  a  year, 
when  James  R.  Blackburn  became  sole  man- 
ager  of  the  place.  He  is  to-day  the  owner  of 
one  hundred  and  seventy-nine  acres  of  valu- 
able land  of  which  one  hundred  and  nineteen 
aires  is  located  on  his  homestead  about  three 
mile-  west  and  a  half  mile  south  of  Hillsboro. 
There  he  carries  mi  general  farming  and  he 
has  placed  his  fields  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation, while  in  his  pastures  are  seen  good 
grades  of  stock.  He  raises  the  cereals  best 
adapted  to  soil  and   climate,  and  as  he  follows 

i lem  farming  methods  he  secures  good  crops. 

which  annually  return  to  him  a  desirable  in- 
come. 

On  the  9th  of  March,  1887,  Mr.  Blackburn 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Hart- 
groves  and  they  have  two  sons.  Frederick  and 
Karl,  both  of  whom  are  at  home.  The  parents 
are  consistent  and  faithful  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in  which  Mr. 
Blackburn  is  serving  as  trustee  and  steward. 
He  contributes  generously  to  the  support  of 
the  church  and  does  all  in  his  power  to  pro- 
mote the  growth  and  extend  the  influence  of 
his  denomination.  His  study  of  the  political 
issues  and  questions  of  the  day  has  led  him  to 
give  earnest  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party, 
for  he  believes  that  its  principles  contain  the 
best  elements  of  good  government.  Having 
spent  his  entire  life  in  Montgomery  county  he 
is  well  known  here  and  he  possesses  many  ex- 
cellent traits  of  character,  which  have  won  him 
a  large  circle  of  friends.  He  is  kindly  in 
manner,  social  in  disposition,  charitable  in 
thought  and  shows  ready  and  courteous  defer- 
ence for  the  opinions  of  others. 


OF  THE 
DIVERSITY  OF  ILL!J!0!S 


i^wujikmpiiii' 


A*  »  *• 


1 W.i ' ' ' '  W>l  * ' "  W.i  "  "  W.l  * ' V  W.l  " 


ME.    AND    MRS.    JABEZ    BLACKBURN 


MR.    AND    MRS.    JAMES    R.    BLACKBURN 


■>        -  mmm  «»»■  m  mm  m  m.m 


■i  ■  'JAM 1 1 1 1  JAM"  U  WA ' '  ''V^I.I.I.IW1.1.1'^!.1 


LiBK 
OF  FH€ 
DIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


327 


J.  II.  CIUCKKXKEKGKR. 

J.  11.  Crickenberger,  one  of  Montgomery 
county's  self-made  men,  is  part  owner  of  the 
electric  light  plant  of  Nokomis  and  in  connec- 
tion therewith  has  developed  a  business  that  has 
now  reached  profitable  and  gratifying  propor- 
tions. He  was  born  in  Augusta  county,  Vir- 
ginia, in  1652,  and  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Sarah 
Crickenberger.  The  father  was  born  in  Rock- 
ingham county.  Virginia,  was  there  reared  to 
the  occupation  of  farming  and  followed  that 
pursuit  throughout  his  entire  life  in  the  county 
of  his  nativity.  His  wife,  who  was  also  born 
in  Virginia,  passed  away  in  1862.  There  were 
six  children  in  the  family,  of  whom  five  are 
now  living,  but  J.  H.  Crickenberger  is  the  only 
one  in  Illinois. 

Under  the  parental   roof  Mr.   Crickenberger 
of  this  review  spent  the  days  of  his  childhood 
and  in  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood   bo  ac- 
quired  his   education.       In    early    manhood    he 
was  connected  with  the  operation  of  a   thresh- 
ing machine  and  was  afterward  engaged  in  tin.' 
sawmill  business  fur  about   six  years,      lie  then 
went  to  Texas,  where  be  spent  six  weeks  and  m 
October,   is? ?.  he  came  to   Illinois,  settling  in 
Nokomis  township.   Montgomery   county    upon 
a  farm  which   he  rented    for  live  or  six   wars. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  In    purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  and  he  also  continued   to 
rent  land    for  sixteen   years.      As   a    farmer   he 
was    progressive,    following    advanced    ideas    of 
agriculture  and   his  labors  resulted    in  the  ac- 
quirement of  fair  success.     In  February,  L894, 
he  came  to   Nokomis  and  has  since  been   con- 
nected with  the  operation  of  the  electric  light 
plant.     He  was  engineer   for  about  six   months, 
at.  the  end  of  which  time  in  connection  with  B. 
F.   McGrue   he    purchased    the    business   which 
they   conducted   together   for   about    two   years. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  Mr.  Crickenberger  be- 
came sole  proprietor  and   continued    the   busi- 
ness alone  for  four  year.-,  at   the  end  of  which 
time  he  sold  a  half  interest  to  W.   IT.   Cassel- 
berrv.     This  business  association  has  since  been 
maintained  and  the  business  is  growing  sti  adily, 
they  now  having  the  best  plant  in  this  part  of 
the  country  for  excellent    service.      The    ma- 
chinery has  been  in  continuous   operation   for 
five  years  with   the   exception   of  a   brief   inter- 


val of  fifteen  minutes,  and  few  companies  can 
show  as  creditable  a  record.  In  addition  to  his 
business  here  .Mr.  Crickenberger  now  owns  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  wild  land  in  Min- 
nesota and  be  is  general  agent  for  the  Pioneer 
hand   &   Loan  Company  of  that  state. 

In  1882  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Crick- 
enberger and  Miss  Laura  Wells,  a  daughter  of 
John  Wells  of  this  county.  He  and  his  wife 
hold  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  he  also  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity  and  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge  at  Nokomis, 
while  m  his  political  affiliation  he  is  a  Prohibi- 
tionist. He  has  taken  quite  an  active  interest 
in  the  affairs  of  his  party  in  this  county  and 
all  matters  pertaining  to  the  general  welfare 
are  of  concern  to  him.  for  he  is  a  public-spirited 
citizen,  desiring  the  best  and  most  substantial 
development  of  the  county.  His  own  history  is 
in  many  respects  worthy  of  emulation.  He  in- 
luritedfroin  his  father  live  hundred  and  forty 
dollars  and  with  this  exception  all  that  he  pos- 
sesses has  been  won  through  his  own  labor,  so 
that  he  is  a  self-made  man.  His  life  proves  the 
business  possibilities  thai  Montgomery  count} 
affords  to  its  residents  and  while  he  has  profited 
by  its  advantages  lie  has  also  contributed  in  no 
small  degree  to  the  upbuilding  and  progress  of 
Ins  community  by  bis  generous  support  of  and 
co-operation  m  every  movement,  calculated  to 
benefit  the  town  and  county. 


WILLIAM   VAWTEE. 

William  Vawter,  who  has  won  an  enviable 
position  in  business  circles  in  Hillsboro.  was 
born  in  Monroe  county.  Kentucky,  November 
27,  is  12,  a  son  id'  Thomas  S.  ami  Nancy  (Chap- 
man) Vawter,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Virginia,  the  latter  having  been  born  near  Hali- 
fax, that  state.  The  father,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  L815,  removed  with  his  family  from 
Kentucky  to  Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  in 
1851,  making  the  journey  by  ox  team  and  bring- 
ing with  him  his  household  goods.  He  located 
four  miles  southwest  of  Hillsboro  upon  a  farm 
.,„,]  there  earned  on  agricultural  pursuits.  This 
portion  of  the  state  was  still  wild  and  unim- 
proved and  de(  r  and  other  wild  game  was  plen- 
tiful.    In  fact,  he  had  to  gather  com  early  in 


Trm*m  m  i  ■ '  jiii ' » '  'jam  "  ■  »  JA'.i * ' ' }  W&*V}KW\VJhW\\l*hlWJ 


35!  8 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


order  to  keep  the  deer  from  devouring  it.  In 
Ins  political  views  he  was  an  old  line  Whig  and 
was  bitterly  opposed  to  slavery.  lie  ranked 
high  in  the  estimation  of  friends  and  neighbors 
and  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1854,  when 
he  was  thirty-six  years  of  age,  was  di  eply  re- 
gretted by  those  who  knew  him.  His  wife  passed 
away  in  181  I.  when  about  fifty  years  of  age. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  William  and  Polly 
(Mathis)  Chapman,  who  came  here  about  1830. 
Her  lather  was  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary war  and  received  two  laud  warrants 
in  compensation  for  his  services.  With  one  of 
these  he  made  claim  to  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
South  Litchfield  township,  Montgomery  coun- 
ty, and  the  other  he  sold  to  his  son-in-law. 
Throughout  his  business  career  he  devoted  his 
energies  to  agricultural  pursuits.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Vawter  were  born  two  children,  the 
daughter  being  Martha,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Matthew    Alman  and  died  in  1861. 

William  Vawter  spent  the  first  eight  years  of 
his  life  m  the  state  of  his  nativity  ami  then 
accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to 
Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  where  he  acquired 
a  common-school  education.  His  privileges  in 
that  direction  were  somewhat  limited,  however, 
owing  to  his  father's  early  death.  His  mother 
removed  with  her  children  to  HillsDoro  in  1857 
and  Mr.  Vawter,  then  a  youth  of  fifteen,  se- 
cured employment  in  the  Watson  mill  in  1862, 
where  he  remained  for  seven  years.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  he  purchased  a  team  and 
worked  lor  the  agent  of  the  American  Express 
Company,  delivering  goods.  He  was  thus  em- 
ployed for  thirteen  years.  After  hauling  ex- 
press for  two  years  he  purchased  in  1872  the 
omnibus  business  of  T.  S.  Whitesides  and  has 
been  running  the  business  for  the  past  thirty- 
two  years  with  practically  no  opposition.  He 
has  carried  the  United  States  mail  all  that  time 
and  has  been  asked  but  once  by  the  government 
for  a  statement.  No  fault  has  ever  bei  n  found 
with  him  because  of  his  services  and  he  is  prob- 
ably the  oldest  mail  carrier  of  Illinois  to-day 
when  viewed  from  point  of  continuous  service. 
Through  careful  management  and  the  husband- 
ing of  his  resources  Mr.  Vawter  has  gained  con- 
siderable property  and  now  owns  a  valuable 
business  building  and  other  realty  in  llillsboro. 


He  was  also  a  charter  member  of  the  Oil  City 
Building  &  Loan  Association  of  Litchfield  and 
servid  as  one  of  its  directors  for  twelve  years. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Hillsboro  Building  & 
Loan  Association  and  has  been  both  its  presi- 
dent and  vice-president,  while  for  the  past  nine 
years  he  has  been  one  of  its  directors.  He  is 
likewise  a  stockholder  in  the  Hillsboro  Hotel 
Company  and  is  now  president  of  its  board  of 
directors.  Thus  he  is  identified  with  many 
business  enterprises  of  the  city  and  county  and 
his  wise  counsel  is  an  important  element  in  the 
successful  conduct  of  various  institutions. 

On  the  10th  of  January,  18G4,  Mr.  Vawter 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nancy  Jane 
Burke,  a  daughter  of  Rili  y  and  Margaret  (Mc- 
Phail )  Burke.  The  father,  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, was  numbered  among  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  .Montgomery  county,  removing  to  this  por- 
tion of  Illinois  from  Tennessee  at  a  very  early 
day.  Mrs.  Vawter  was  born  near  Walsh ville, 
Illinois,  in  1840.  There  were  six  children  born 
of  this  marriage,  three  of  whom  are  now  living: 
Ida,  the  wife  of  Eugene  Smith,  who  is  a  mail 
carrier  upon  a  rural  route  from  Hillsboro; 
Emma,  the  wife  of  Charles  Baxter,  a  coal  dealer 
and  farmer  of  Hillsboro ;  and  John  W.,  who  has 
charge  of  the  bus  line.  As  each  one  of  the  chil- 
dren have  married  Mr.  Vawter  has  deeded  to 
them  a  house  and  lot  and  all  are  now  living  in 
homes  adjoining  his  own. 

In  political  and  public  affairs  Mr.  Vawter  has 
been  somewhat  prominent,  having  been  three 
times  elected  to  the  board  of  aldermen  from 
the  first  ward  of  Hillsboro,  so  that  he  has  served 
for  six  years.  He  was  also  supervisor  of  Hills- 
boro township  for  on.^  term  and  to  these  posi- 
tions was  elected  upon  the  Bepublican  ticket, 
lie  lias  long  been  a  supporter  of  the  party  and 
its  principles,  believing  that  its  platform  con- 
tains tin'  best  elements  of  good  government. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  lodge 
and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  connected  with  the 
Order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  They  hold  mem- 
bership in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and 
receive  frii  ndly  recognition  and  regard  in  many 
of  the  besf  homes  in  Hillsboro.  On  the  list  of 
the  prominent  business  men  of  this  city  ap- 
pears the  name  of  Mr.  Vawter  because  he  has 
been    closely    identified    with    its   interests,   has 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNT"* 


3ay 


assisted  in  its  growth  and  while  helping  to  up- 
build the  city  tie  has  also  made  lor  himself  an 
enviable  reputation  by  his  activity  ami  stead)' 
perseverance.  His  life  history  illustrates  in  a 
marked  degree  what  may  he  accomplished  by 
well  directed  effort  and  strict  business  princi- 
pies. 


JOHN  FATH. 


John  Fath,  living  in  East  Fork  township,  is 
identified  with  agricultural  pursuits  and  has 
also  been  a  representative  of  educational  in- 
terests in  Montgomery  county.  He  was  born 
in  Perry  county,  Missouri,  in  1841,  a  son  of 
Leonard  and  Margaret  Fath.  As  the  name  in- 
dicates the  family  is  of  German  origin  and  the 
father  was  born  on  the  river  Ehine,  spending 
his  boyhood  days  in  the  vicinity  of  that  far- 
famed  water  course.  Attracted  by  the  business 
opportunities  of  the  new  world,  however,  he 
came  to  America-  on  attaining  his  majority, 
making  his  way  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  He 
soon  afterward  located  in  Perry  county,  Mis- 
souri, where  ho  resided  until  18G4.  when  he 
came  to  Montgomery  county.  Prior  to  this  time 
he  had  engaged  in  blacksmithing,  but  upon  his 
removal  to  East  Fork  township,  Montgomery 
county,  Illinois,  he  turned  his  attention  to 
agricultural  pursuits,  purchasing  a  section  of 
land,  upon  a  part  of  which  his  son  John  now 
resides.  He  labored  earnestly  and  energetically 
as  a  farmer  and  for  some  years  had  the  capable 
assistance  of  his  son. 

John  Fath  arrived  in  Montgomery  county  in 
March,  1865,  at  which  time  he  began  farming 
with  his  father.  He  had  taught  school  in  Mis- 
souri when  nineteen  years  of  age  and  ho  fol- 
lowed that  profession  through  twenty-two  con- 
secutive winter  terms  and  also  taught  to  some 
extent  in  the   summer   months.      He   has   thus 

1 n   closely  and   helpfully  eonnected  with   the 

educational  interests  of  East  Fork  township. 
Montgomery  county,  and  he  made  an  excellent 
reputation  as  a  teacher,  for  he  has  the  ability 
to  impart  readily,  clearly  and  concisely  to  oth- 
ers the  knowledge  that  he  has  acquired.  He 
always  studied  to  introduce  advanced  educa- 
tional methods  and  at   the  same  time  made  his 


school  ol  a  practical  character.  Tnrough  much 
of  the  summer  his  attention  was  given  to  farm 
labor  in  connection  with  his  father  and  the  un- 
faltering energy  and  enterprise  of  the  younger 
proved  a  valued  supplement  to  the  experience 
of  the  father.  After  the  father's  death  the 
home  farm  was  divided  and  Mr.  Fath  of  this 
review  is  now  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  of  which  eighty  acres  is  a  part  of 
that  place.  He  raises  both  slock  and  grain  and 
he  has  line  farm  animals,  while  on  his  place 
are  seen  good  crops  of  the  various  cereals  best 
adapted  to  the  soil  and  climate. 

In  I860  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Fath 
and  Miss  Martha  Mary  Nugent,  a  daughter  of 
John  II.  and  Ruth  .Nugent.  They  had  ten 
children,  of  whom  eight  are  living:  Mcdora, 
who  is  married  and  resides  in  Hillsboro;  Luke 
A.,  who  is  married  and  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead ;  Charles  E.,  who  is  married  and  makes 
his  home  in  Eillsboro;  Laura  A.,  who  is  mar- 
ried and  resides  in  the  count]  seat;  Florence 
Maude;  Ethel  Irene;  Guy  L. ;  and  Eugene  L. 
The  parents  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  and  their  influence  is  ever  found  on  the 
side  of  progress,  improvement  and  right.  Mr. 
Fath  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the 
Democracy,  of  which  his  father  was  also  a  sup- 
porter, and  lie  has  been  called  to  public  office, 
serving  his  fellow  citizens  as  circuit  clerk.  The 
public  trust  reposed  in  him  has  never  been  be- 
trayed in  the  slightest  degree  and  in  all  life's 
relations  he  has  been  found  as  an  honorable, 
upright  gentleman  worthy  of  the  regard  and 
good  will  of  hi-    fellow    men. 


N.  B.  ALLEN. 
N.  B.  Allen  is  a  wide-awake  and  progressive 
business  man  dealing  in  hardware,  imple- 
ments, furniture  and  undertaking  goods  in 
Fillmore  and  while  there  have  been  no  ex- 
citing  chapters  in  his  life  history  it  yet  con- 
tains elements  of  interest  because  he  is  a  rep- 
resentative American  citizen,  energetic  and  en- 
terprising in  business  and  interested  in  the 
public  welfare  to  the  extent  of  giving  hearty 
co-operation  to  many  measures  for  the  general 
good.     He  was  born  in  Minnesota.  January  10, 


AJM%miAAA 


r»»  *.'.  ^ 


TW^'WTT" ' J.'.'J"  '  '/JW '  *  '/•\i.1^ * 


330 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNT! 


1866,  his  parents  being  L.  C.  and  Alice  1). 
(Bliss)  Allen.  He  was  but  two  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  his  parents'  removal  to  Mont- 
gomery county,  the  home  being  established  in 
Fillmore.  He  attended  school  in  Fillmore 
township  and  for  a  year  was  a  student  in  the 
academy  at  Hillsboro.  He  also  spent  two  and 
a  half  years  in  the  college  at  Carthage,  Illinois, 
conducted  under  the  auspices  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  and  was  thus  well  qualified  by  edu- 
cational training  to  meet  the  responsible  duties 
of  a  business  career. 

On  putting  aside  his  text  books  he  came  to 
Fillmore  and  entered  the  general  store  which 
had  been  opened  by  his  father  in  1883.  He  has 
since  bien  identified  with  the  business  and  now 
carries  a  large  and  well  selected  stock  of  hard- 
ware, farm  implements  and  furniture,  making 
his  purchases  with  a  view  of  meeting  the 
varied  tastes  represented  by  the  town  and  coun- 
try trade.  He  also  conducts  an  undertaking 
business.  In  his  career  as  a  merchant  he  has 
met  with  a  gratifying  measure  of  success  which 
is  accorded  him  in  recognition  of  his  straight- 
forward, honorable  methods  and  his  earnest  pur- 
pose to  ably  conduct  a  good  store.  This  is  the 
second  largest  business  house  in  Fillmore.  In 
addition  to  owning  and  conducting  a  store  Mr. 
Allen  is  identified  with  agricultural  interests, 
having  three  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Mdnt- 
giuiK  rv  and  Fayette  counties.  He  employs  a 
man  by  the  year  to  conduct  his  farm  and  he 
keeps  upon  his  place  good  grades  of  cattle  and 
hogs  and  feeds  considerable  stock  to  sell,  which 
adds  materially  to  his  annual  income.  lie  is 
also  one  of  the  owners  of  the  Fillmore  Bank. 

In  1889  Mr.  Alhu  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Anna  Downs,  a  daughter  of  R.  F. 
Downs.  She  is  an  estimable  lady,  holding 
membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  in  social  circles  occupies  an  enviable  po- 
sition. Mr.  Allen  votes  with  the  Democracy 
and  lias  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  as 
town  clerk,  filling  these  positions  in  a  credit- 
able manner,  his  official  service  being  character- 
ized by  promptness  and  fidelity.  Anything 
calculated  to  benefit  the  town  elicits  his  atten- 
tion and  support  and  he  has  borne  a  helpful 
part  in  community  interests.  His  life  record 
will  bear  the  closest,  investigation  and  scrutinv 


and  during  his  long  residence  in  Montgomery 
county  he  has  gained  the  warm  friendship  of 
many  with  whom  social  and  business  relations 
has  brought   him  in  contact. 


W.  A.   BLACK. 


Not  many  men  who  are  active  and  successful 
in  the  business  world  have  assistance  at  the 
beginning  of  their  careers.  The  greater  ma- 
jority of  those  who  depend  upon  their  own  re- 
sources improve  their  opportunities  and  advance 
to  success  by  reason  of  their  energy  and  inherent 
force  of  character.  Such  a  one  is  Mr.  Black, 
wdio  follows  farming  in  East  Fork  township. 
He  was  born  about  three  miles  east  of  his 
present  residence  in  1834,  his  parents  being  J. 
B.  and  Mary  G.  (McCaslin)  Black.  His 
father  was  born  in  Humphrey  county.  Ten- 
ne-sce.  was  there  reared  and  in  that  locality 
followed  the  occupation  of  farming  for  some 
time.  In  1830,  however,  he  arrived  in  Illinois, 
settling  in  Bond  county,  where  he  remained 
until  1833.  when  he  took  up  his  abode  in  East 
Fork  township,  Montgomery  county.  Here  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
which  was  entirely  unimproved,  but  with  char- 
acteristic energy  he  began  the  development  of 
a  farm  and  made  his  home  thereon  until  the 
spring  of  1856.  Then  he  removed  to  Donnell- 
son,  where  he  remained  until  1865,  when  he 
took  up  his  abode  in  Litchfield,  where  he  spent 
his  remaining  days,  passing  away  in  1876.  The 
county  thus  lost  one  of  its  pioneer  residents, 
for  he  located  in  this  section  of  the  slate  when 
the  work  of  progress  ami  improvement  had 
been  scarcely  begun.  Much  of  the  land  was 
still  unclaimed  and  uncultivated,  and  where  are 
now  seen  nourishing  towns  and  villages  then 
grew  the  wild  prairie  grasses.  In  the  family 
were  four  children,  of  whom  three  are  living. 

YV.  A.  Black  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  working  in  the 
fields  and  meadows  through  the  summer 
months,  while  in  the  remainder  of  the  year 
he  attended  school  in  Bond  county  and  latei 
for  a  short  time  in  East  Fork  township,  this 
county.  Since  attaining  his  majority  he  has 
been  dependent   upon  his  own  resources  for  an 


J.    B.    BLACK 


MES.    SAEAH    J.    (BLACK)     II  IT< '1IINS0N 
W.    A.    BLACK  T.    G.    BLACK 


v»  j  .»;, . .  tw>, . .  ,nV.v.  ...v'.'.v..  v^v.vw.  ^y//w^:»>?w^>v 


LIB!. 
OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MOXTOOM  FRY    COUNTY 


333 


that  he  has  possessed  and  enjoyed,  and  his  life 
has  been  characterized  by  diligence  and  perse- 
verance. After  his  marriage  he  started  for  him- 
self by  purchasing  the  old  family  homestead 
in  1856.  He  lived  thereon  for  one  year  and 
then,  selling  that  place,  removed  to  Hillsboro 
and  afterward  to  Irving',  Illinois.  In  the  latter 
place  he  was  engaged  in  merchandising,  but 
subsequently  he  returned  to  Hillsboro,  where 
he  conducted  a  livery  stable.  At  a  later  date 
he  purchased  his  present  home,  first  becoming 
the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land,  the  greater  part  of  which  lies  within  the 
borders  of  Montgomery  county,  and  upon  this 
he  is  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising.  He  has  seen  the  entire  prairie  settled. 
There  were  few  houses  when  lie  arrived  in  Illi- 
nois, the  country  being  wild  and  unimproved. 
He  has  also  seen  all  the  railroads  built  and  the 
modern  improvements  introduced,  including 
the  telegraph  and  telephone.  Equally  remark- 
able changes  have  been  noted  in  farm  methods 
and  especially  in  the  kinds  of  machinery  used 
in  the  development  of  the  fields.  Mr.  Black 
has  kept  apace  with  modern  progress  and  is  to- 
day one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  his 
community. 

In  September.  1s.V>,  occurred  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Black  and  Miss  S.  E.  Whitledge,  and 
unto  them  were  horn  six  children,  of  whom 
three  are  living:  Florence  Etta,  the  wife  of 
Benton  Bendure,  who  resides  in  Oklahoma; 
and  Margaret  and  J.  A..  a1  home.  In  1868 
Mr.  Black  was  again  married,  hi-  second  union 
being  with  Eveline  Foster,  who  was  born  in 
Greenville,  Illinois,  and  was  reared  in  Bond 
county.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Edwin  Foster,  both  of  whom  came  from  Ver- 
mont to  Illinois  as  early  settlers  of  Bond 
comity,  establishing  their  home  there  in  183S. 
The  ancestry  of  her  mother's  people  can  be 
traced  back  through  eight  hundred  years.  Mrs. 
Foster  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  C. 
Norton,  and  is  a  representative  of  the  Norton 
family  of  which  Mine.  Nordica,  the  famous 
singer,  was  related.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Black  had 
six  children,  of  whom  three  are  living:  D.  H. 
B.,  Lura  A.  and  Albert  F.  The  parents  are 
worthy  Christian  people,  belonging  to  the  Cum- 
berland   Presbyterian    church    at    Donnellson, 


and  Mr.  Black  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political 
views.  He  has  ever  been  fearless  in  advocating 
his  own  opinions,  yet  never  bitterly  aggressive 
and  his  influence  has  ever  been  given  on  the 
side  of  right,  progress,  n  form  and  improve- 
ment. 


OTIS  CLINTON  COLBY,  D.  M.  U. 

Dr.  Otis  Clinton  Colby,  who  is  successfully 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  dentistry  in  Hills- 
boro, his  large  patronage  being  indicative  of 
his  high  standing  in  public  regard,  was  born 
upon  a  farm  near  Zanesville,  Illinois,  on  the 
8th  of  November,  1874,  his  parents  being  Joel 
and  Emma  Colby.  The  mother  was  a  daughter 
of  Jefferson  Darvis  and  a  native  of  Walshville, 
Illinois.  The  father  spent  his  early  life  as  a 
teacher  and  afterward  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  thus  providing  for  his  family  for 
many  years.  He  followed  educational  work 
in  Greene  county  and  in  Zanesville,  being  thus 
associated"  with  the  intellectual  development  of 
the  state  for  ten  years.  He  also  lived  in 
Montgomery  count}-  for  about  twenty-nine  years, 
teaching  about  five  years  of  that  time,  and  then 
gave  his  entire  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. For  about  twelve  years  prior  to  his 
death,  however,  he  livi  d  a  retired  life  in  Litch- 
field and  he  passed  away  in  Sullivan,  Florida, 
on  the  17th  of  December,  1893.  His  widow 
still  resides  in  Litchfield  at  the  age  of  forty- 
seven  years.  In  the  family  are  four  sons  and 
two  daughters,  who  are  yet  living,  and  the 
family  home  is  at  No.  802  Union  avenue.  Those 
who  still  survive  are  William  Walter,  Oliver 
Roy,  Edgar  Elmer.  Bertha  Alma,  Letha  Lea 
and  Otis  C. 

Dr.  Colby  acquired  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Zanesville,  Illinois,  and  in  the  high 
school  of  Litchfield.  After  the  comphtion  of 
his  literary  course  he  took  up  the  study  of 
telegraphy,   in   which     he   was     graduated    in 

Janesville, Wisi sin,on  the  22nd  of  November, 

1892.  He  then  occupied  the  position  of  tele- 
graph operator  on  the  Wabash  Railroad  for 
about  two  years,  but,  determining  to  devote  his 
attention  to  professional  labors  he  entered  the 
office   of  Dr.   BaTefoot,   of  Litchfield,   who   di- 


r%vN^^7?^.%s\%%V/.>.vV'/.v/..,x'/r//..%sv'.%'//.,\\V.//..  ,V.' .V)V.\V.V/77.V\V.' 


33  l 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


rected  his  studies  and  instructed  him  in  tin- 
practical  work  of  the  office  for  one  year.  Later 
he  entered  the  Wesleyan  Dental  College  at 
Kansas  City,  .Missouri,  where  he  remained  for 
a  year  and  subsequently  matriculated  in  the 
Missouri  Dental  College  of  Washington  Uni- 
versity at  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  graduated 
on  the  28th  of  April.  L898.  On  the  4th  of 
May  following,  he  opened  his  office  in  Hills- 
hoio.  whore  he  has  since  resided,  and  although 
one  of  the  younger  members  of  the  profession, 
he  has  gained  a  large  patronage  which  is  indica- 
tive of  his  skill  and  ability,  showing  that  his 
work  has  been  satisfactory  to  his  many  patrons. 
He  keeps  in  touch  with  the  advanced  ideas  of 
the  profession  with  its  latest  improvements  and 
has  put  his  knowledge  to  the  practical  test 
in  his  practice  in  a  way  that  has  made  his  labor 
profitable. 


LOT  IS  WOLTERS. 


Louis  Wolters  is  a  retired  farmer  now  living 
in  1 1  illslioro.  lie  still  has  extensive  landed 
possessions  in  Montgomery  county,  and  his 
property  is  the  visible  evidence  of  his  life  of 
enterprise  and  thrift,  for  he  came  to  America 
empty-handed  and  through  the  utilization  of 
opportunity  and  by  unfaltering  perseverance  he 
won  the  competence  thai  now-  enables  him  to 
resi  from  further  labors.  He  was  horn  in 
Germany  in  1827,  a  son  id'  Frederick  and  Eliza 
(Van  Rogge)  Wolters,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives  of   the    fatherland.      Mr.   Wolters   was   a 

farmer    h\    occupati mil    was    prominent    in 

his  community,  holding  office  under  the  Ger- 
man government.  He  served  as  mayor  id'  his 
home  town,  also  as  collector  of  taxes,  and  was 
a  soldier,  serving  under  Napoleon  at  the  battle 
of  Waterloo.  Unto  him  and  his  wife  were 
born  seven  children,  of  whom  three  reached 
years  of  maturity,  hut  Henry  is  now  deceased. 
The  others  are  Frederick,  who  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  in  Havana,  Illinois;  and  Louis,  of 
this   re\  ii  w  . 

In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town 
Louis  Wolters  mastered  the  common  branches 
of  learning,  but  his  educational  privileges  were 
somewhat  limited  ami   his  knowledge  has  been 


largely  self-a-ipnre.l  through  reading,  experi- 
ence and  observation.  He  remained  in  his  na- 
tive country  until  twenty-six  years  of  age,  and 
in  1852  was  married  in  Eamburg  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Heitman.  The  following  year  they 
sailed  for  the  new  world.  They  located  in 
Cincinnati.  Ohio,  where  Mr.  Wolters  worked 
at  his  trade  of  cabinet-making  in  a  factory, 
spending  five  years  in  that  city.  On  the  expi- 
ration <d'  that  period  he  removed  to  Carlinville, 
Illinois,  where  he  remained  for  seven  years, 
conducting  a  general  mercantile  establishment. 
He  next  took  up  his  abode  upon  a  farm  in 
East  fork  township.  Montgomery  county, 
where  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until 
1887  and  then  came  In  Hillsboro.  Retiring 
from  active  business  life  he  is  now  occupying 
a  pleasant  home  and  is  enjoying  a  well-earned 
rest  from  active  business  pursuits.  As  his 
financial  resources  increased  he  made  judicious 
investments  in  real  estate,  becoming  the  owner 
of  valuable  farming  property.  He  now  owns 
five. hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land  in  East 
fork  and  Rountree  townships,  and  from  his 
farms  he  derives  a  good  income. 

In  1895  Mr.  Wolters  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wile,  who  died  in  Ilills- 
horo  on  the  29th  of  March  of  that  year,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-four.  She  was  born  at  Lutein, 
Oldenburg,  Germany,  and  by  her  marriage  she 
became  the  mother  of  four  children:  Hugo, 
wdio  is  living  upon  his  father's  farm  in  Last 
Fork  township:  Robert,  who  occupies  and  op- 
erates his  father's  farm  in  Rountree  town- 
ship; Thomas,  a  wagon-maker  and  dealer  in 
agricultural  implements  at  Nokomis,  Illinois; 
and  Edward,  who  is  also  in  hnsiness  in  No- 
komis. 

Mr.  Wolters  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church  ami  socially  is  connected  with  the  Ma- 
sonic  fraternity.  He  votes  with  the  Republi- 
can party  and  during  his  residence  in  Hills- 
horn  has  taken  an  active  and  helpful  part  in 
community  interests.  He  served  for  six  years 
as  a  member  of  the  city  council  and  exercised 
his  official  prerogatives  in  support  of  every 
measure  which  he  believed  would  contribute  to 
the  genera]  good.  His  business  career  was  char- 
acterized by  unflagging  diligence  and  perse- 
verance,   resulting  in   a   creditable  measure  of 


LIBRARY 

OF  TH€ 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


M.W* ..v\Wi/ . •  v^.'.V. •. vvV.'/A. .vw,'//1in\v.,v .. .  v\v ^ZO>v«V/V.\\V. 


LOUIS    WOLTEES 


MRS.    LOUIS'    WOLTERS 


v^''^V.\v»''''VA»xw"V,v.^'*v'^ 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


339 


prosperity.  Educational,  church  and  social  in- 
terests owe  their  promotion  in  a  degree  to  Ins 
aid.  Seventeen  years  lias  Hillsboro  been  Ins 
home — years  Largely  devoted  to  the  public 
good. 


ZACHARIAH  ENSOE. 
Zachariah  Ensor,  who  is  now  practically  liv- 
ing retired  in  Coffeen,  but  in  former  years  was 
identified  with  agricultural  interests  in  Mont- 
gomery county,  was  born  in  Maryland,  March 
4.  1843,  his  parents  being  Charles  and  Cath- 
erine Ensor.  His  father,  also  a  native  of  Mary- 
land, followed  the  occupation  of  farming  and 
in  1859  removed  from  the  Atlantic  coast  to  the 
interior  of  the  country,  spending  several  years 
in  Montgomery  county,  but  later  he  went  to 
Fayette  county,  where  his  remaining  days  were 
passed. 

Zachariah   Ensor  came   to   Illinois    with    Ids 
parents  in  1S59  when  a  youth  of  sixteen.     He 
had  in  the  meantime  acquired  his  edueationin 
the  public  schools  of   Wayne  county,    Indiana, 
and   when  he  entered  upon  his  business  career 
it  was  as  a  farm  hand  m  the  employ  of  Joshua 
Wilson,     with     whom     he     remained    for   seven 
years,  working  by   the  month.      Hi.-   long   con- 
tinuance in  the  one  service  certainly   indicates 
his    fidelity    and    capability.      He    entered    Mr. 
Wilson's  employ    in  dune.    1861,  ami   there   re- 
mained  until   1869   with   the  exception  of  the 
period    of   his   services    in    the   Civil    war.      lie 
responded  to  Ins  country's  call  as   a   defender 
of   the   Union,   enlisting   in    the    Seventh    Mis- 
souri Cavalry,  which   was  later  consolidated   to 
the  First  Missouri    Cavalry.      He    participated 
in  some  of  the  engagement-  of  the  Eed  Eiver 
expedition  and  was  afterward   with    the   Army 
of  the  Cumberland   under  General  Fred   Ste<  le 
in  the  Seventh  Army  Corps.     He  was  mustered 
out  iii  September,  1865,  and  returned  home  with 
a  creditable  military  record.     For  eight    week- 
he  was  in  the  hospital  on  account  of  an  injury 
in  his  ankle,  but  on  his  recovery  he  again  joined 
his  regiment. 

Upon  his  return  from  the  war  Mr.  Ensor 
again  entered  the  employ  of  Mr.  Wilson,  with 
whom  be  remained   until    1SG9.      He  was  then 


married  to  Mr-  1!.  1-  Shaffer  ami  they  became 
the  parents  of  four  children:  Laura  Crites, 
Hattie  Campbell,  Ollie  Welge  and  Lyma.  In 
L900  Mr.  Ensor  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Luella  W.  Griffin. 

After    his     marriage     Mr.    Fnsor   continued 
farming  lor  others  until  he  was  able  to  secure 
a    farm    «£   his   own.      He   engaged   in   raising 
grain  and  stock,  making  a  specialty  of  horses 
and   he   placed  all  of   the   improvements   upon 
his  land,  converting  it  into  a  valuable  and  pro- 
ductive tract.     In   September,   1888,   he   came 
to  Coffeen,  being  one  of  the  early  citizens  of 
the   town    and    purchased    the   home   which    he 
now  occupies.     He  is  practically  living  retired 
except   he   engages   to   some   extent   in   garden- 
ing.    Whatever  success  he  has  achieved  is  the 
direct  result  and  reward  of  his  labors,   for  he 
started   out    in   life   empty-handed.      Gradually 
he  worked  his  way  upward,  overcoming  all  dif- 
ficulties and  obstacles  in  his  path  and  he  is  now 
,}K,     possessor     of    a   comfortable   competence, 
which  enables  him  to  live  in  practical  retire- 
ment from  further  business  life.     He  has  al- 
wavs  taken  an  active  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
the    town    and    his    co-operation    in    its    public 
affairs  has  been  an  element  in  its  upbuilding. 
He  has  served  on  the  hoard  of  health  for  four 
years,  has  also  been  president  id'  the  board  and 
as  a  private  citizen  has  contributed  to  the  gen- 
eral  improvement.     He  votes  with  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  Modem  Woodmen,  while  his  religious  faith 
is  indicated  by  his  membership  in  the  Cumber- 
land   Presbyterian  church. 


J.  J.  HOST. 
J.  J.  Host  is  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm  of  three 
mmdred  and  sixty  acres  located  in  Fillmore 
township,  but  is  now  practically  living  retired, 
having  lor  ten  wars  made  his  home  in  Fillmore, 
where  he  is  enjoying  a  well  merited  rest.  He  was 
lorn  in  Cabarrus  county,  North  Carolina,  in 
L836,  Ins  parents  being  Jacob  and  Margaret 
(Cress)  l'.ost.  The  father,  also  a  native  of  the 
old  North  state,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation 
and  on  removing  westward  to  Illinois  settled  a 
mile  and  a  half  south  of  where  Fillmore  is  now 


340 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


located.  He  purchased  his  larul  of  .John  J. 
Alexander,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the 
county  and  upon  his  farm  spent  Ins  remaining 
days,  being  one  of  the  well  known  ami  valued 
agriculturists  of  his  community. 

J.  J.  Bost  was  only  nmo  months  of  age  at 
the  time  of  his  parents"  removal  to  Illinois 
and  here  he  was  reared  and  educated,  attending 
the  public  schools.  The  little  temple  of  learn- 
ing was  a  log  structure,  crudely  furnished  and 
the  methods  of  instruction  were  also  somewhat 
primitive.  When  twenty-two  \ears  of  age  Mr. 
Bost  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account. 
His  farm  is  splendidly  improved,  being 
equipped  with  many  modern  accessories.  The 
house  w^as  built  by  his  father,  while  J.  J.  Bost 
built  the  barn.  In  addition  to  general  farm- 
ing Mr.  Bost  engaged  in  the  raising  of  cattle 
on  an  extensive  scale  and  he  now  has  a  herd 
of  fine  Angus  cattle.  He  has  owned  many 
head  of  registered  stock  and  in  all  of  his  deal- 
ings he  has  met  with  success  which  should 
ever  crown  persistent  and  honorable  effort.  He 
continued  farming  on  the  old  homestead  there 
for  many  years,  his  business  having  b<  en  in- 
terrupted by  a  period  of  only  four  years,  which 
years  were  passed  in  Ramsey.  About  ten 
years  ago  he  left  the  farm  and  took  up  his 
abode  in  Fillmore,  where  he  now  resides,  hut 
he  still  retains  the  ownership  of  Ins  valua- 
ble tract  of  land  of  three  hundred  ami  sixty 
acres. 

In  October,  1857,  Mr.  Bost  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Rebecca  Sanders,  a  daughter 
of  John  Sanders,  of  this  county.  Eer  father 
was  an  early  settler  of  the  county.  He  was 
born  in  North  Carolina  and  when  three  years 
of  age  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Kentucky. 
where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  He  came 
to  Illinois  about  seventy-five  years  ago,  set- 
tling  in  Fillmore  township.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  February.  1852,  and  thus  passed  away 
one  of  the  honored  pioneer  settlers,  wdiose  ef- 
forts were  of  value  in  the  development  of  the 
countv  along  progressive  lines.  In  Ins  family 
were- seven  children,  of  whom  two  are  now  liv- 
ing, including  Mrs.  Bost.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bost 
became  the  parents  of  six  children,  of  whom 
four  are  now  living:  Mrs.  Ada  Richmond, 
Airs.    Kate    Miller.   .7.   Q.   and    Cada    Williams. 


Mrs.  Bost  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church  and  is  a  most  estimable  lady,  having 
proved  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate  to 
her  husband  in  the  journey  of  life.  Mr.  Bost 
exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the 
men  and  measures  of  the  Democracy  and  he  has 
served  as  school  director  for  twelve  year-. 
Long  years  have  passed  since  he  became  a  res- 
ident of  this  county  and  great  changes  have 
occumd  owing  to  the  efforts  of  the  settlers 
who  have  been  a  class  of  worthy  pioneers.  He 
has  taken  a  deep  interest  in  everything  that 
has  been  accomplished  for  the  welfare  of  the 
community  and  his  mind  bears  the  impress  of 
the  early  historic  annals  of  the  county.  He 
can  relate  many  interesting  incidents  concern- 
ing pioni  er  times  here  and  remembers  with 
pleasure  many  events  which  occurred  within 
that  period,  vet  no  man  has  taken  a  greater 
part  in  what  has  been  accomplished  as  the  years 
have  passed  and  as  progress  has  wrought  its 
effect  in  obliterating  pioneer  conditions  and 
bringing  about  the  more  modern  civilization 
of  the  present  day. 


WILLIAM    M.    RHODES. 

William  M.  Rhodes,  the  owner  of  two  valu- 
able farms  in  Montgomery  county,  is  an  en- 
terprising agriculturist,  living  on  section  IT. 
Raymond  township,  where  he  has  sixty-nine 
acres  of  land  that  are  situated  about  a  mile 
from  the  village  of  Raymond.  He  also  has 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  the  old  Rhodes 
homestead,  which  is  likewise  a  well  improved 
property.  His  business  career  has  been  char- 
acterized by  admirable  qualities,  for  in  his 
dealings  with  his  fellow  men  he  is  ever 
straightforward  and  honorable,  and  in  the  con- 
trol of  his  business  interests  he  is  most  ener- 
gel  ie  and  enterprising. 

Mr.  Rhodes  was  born  in  Kentucky,  April  1, 
1844,  and  is  of  Irish  lineage.  His  paternal 
grandfather.  George  Rhodes,  was  also  born  in 
Kentucky,  where  the  family  was  established  at 
a  very  early  day.  He  was  there  reared  and 
married,  and  among  his  children  was  Hillerv 
Rhodes,  also  a  native  of  Kentucky.  The  last 
named  spent  his  youth  in  the  usual  manner  of 


ME.    AND    MRS.    W.    M.    KlIoDES 


LIBftAM 

OF  TH€ 

>JH1VPB81TY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTI 


343 


fanner  lads  of  thai  period  and  when  lie  had 
attained  to  man's  estate  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Louisa  Mattingly,  a  native  of  Kentucky. 
They  heeanie  the  parents  of  ten  children,  all 
of  whom  were  born  in  that  state.  Mrs.  Rhodes 
died  there  about  lsil-l  and  Mr.  Rhodes  after- 
ward came  to  Illinois,  joining  his  son.  William 
M.  Rhodes,  who  had  located  here  in  1862.  The 
father  spent  his  remaining  days  in  this  state 
anil  was  again  married  here,  after  which  he 
became  a  resident  of  Macoupin  county,  where 
he  remained   until  called   to  his  linal   rest. 

William  M.  Rhodes  was  a  resident  of  Ken- 
tucky until  twenty  years  of  age.  His  advan- 
tages and  opportunities  in  youth  were  very 
meager.  He  attended  school  to  only  a  limited 
extent  and  his  time  was  largely  devoted  to 
farm  work,  which  gave  him  little  chance  for 
self-culture  at  home.  However,  experience  has 
taught  him  many  valuable  lessons  and  reading 
and  observation  have  also  added  to  his  knowl- 
edge, so  that  he  is  now  a  well  developed  man 
and  he  has  kept  well  informed  on  many  of  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  Leaving  Ken- 
tucky in  1862,  he  located  in  Macoupin  county. 
Illinois,  when  a  young  man  id'  twenty  years, 
and  there  began  working  as  a  farm  hand  by 
the  month.  Having  been  employed  in  that 
capacity  for  several  years,  he  afterward  rented 
land,  which  he  cultivated  for  some  time1.  He 
worked  earnestly,  saved  his  earnings,  and  when 
his  financial  resources  had  sufficiently  accumu- 
lated he  purchased  a  tract  of  timber  land. 
Clearing  ten  acres  of  this,  lie  built  a  house 
thereon  and  later  he  cleared  and  cultivated 
sixty  acres  more,  continuing  the  work'  of  im- 
provement there  until  he  hail  a  very  desirable 
property.  Afterward,  however,  he  sold  that 
farm  and  bought  another  tract  of  eighty  acres, 
on  which  he  lived  for  eight  years.  lie  has 
bought  and  sold  several  farms,  making  sub- 
stantial improvements  on  all.  and  in  1885 
he  came  to  Montgomery  county,  where  he  in- 
vested in  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Tfavmond 
township.  About  a  year  later  he  bought  an 
adjoining  tract  of  eighty  acres  and  began  to 
farm  bis  land.  He  afterward  added  another 
eighty-acre  tract  and  now  has  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres,  on  which  lie  has  erected  a  good 
residence  and  substantial   outbuildings   for  the 


shelter  of  main  and  stock.  He  has  also  plant- 
ed an  orchard,  has  secured  the  latest  improved 
machinery  to  facilitate  farm  work,  and  has 
carried  on  his  Labors  along  progressive  lines, 
which  have  resulted  in  making  him  one  of  the 
prosperous  agriculturists  of  his  community. 
Around  his  farm  are  nearly  three  miles  of  good 
hedge  fence,  and  fences  also  divide  the  place 
into  lields  of  convenient  size.  Two  sets  of 
farm  buildings,  the  two  orchards,  the  well 
tilled  fields  and  the  high  grades  of  stock  raised 
thereon  all  constitute  this  one  of  the  best  farms 
of  the  community.  In  addition  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  cereals  best  adapted  to  soil  and  climate, 
Mr.  Rhodes  engaged  in  the  raising  and  feed- 
ing of  stock  and  found  that  a  profitable  source 
of  income.  lie  continued  his  labors  there  un- 
til 1903,  when  he  left  his  two  -ons  upon  that 
place  and  purchased  a  tract  of  land  of  sixty- 
nine  acres  nearer  the  town.  lie  then  took  up 
his  abode  thereon  and  has  made  this  a  well 
improved  property. 

On  the  3d  of  December,  1868,  Mr.  Rhodes 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ambrosia 
Smith,  a  native  of  Scott  county.  Illinois. 
where  she  was  reared  and  educated.  She  died 
upon  the  old  homestead.  March  23,  1903, 
deeply  regretted  by  many  friends  who  had 
learned  to  love  her  for  her  many  excellent 
traits  of  character.  There  were  nine  children 
horn  of  this  marriage,  six  sons  and  three 
daughters,  namely:  Fletcher,  a  resident  farmer 
of  Montgomery  county;  William,  who  is  mar- 
ried and  lives  upon  the  old  homestead;  Archie, 
who  is  married  and  resides  upon  the  old  home 
farm:  Frank,  who  is  married  and  is  a  resident 
farmer  of  Raymond  township;  Henry,  who  is 
living  with  his  father  upon  the  old  home 
place;  Shelby,  who  is  married  and  is  farming 
his  father's  land:  Flora,  the  wife  of  Charles 
Vincent,  of  Rountree  township,  by  whom  she 
has  four  children,  Laura.  Edward.  Arthur  and 
Floyd:  Mary,  the  wife  of  Robert  Moore,  of 
Raymond  township:  and  Sadie,  who  is  acting 
as  her  father's  housekeeper. 

Mr.  Rhodes  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church  and  his  life  has  been  an  exemplification 
of  his  Christian  faith  and  belief.  Fraternally 
he  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  and 


34  \ 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


politically  he  is  ;i  Democrat,  giving  continu- 
ous support  to  the  party  since  casting  his  first 
presidential  ballot  for  General  George  IS.  Mc- 
Clellan.  His  life  has  been  characterized  by 
truth  and  steady  progression.  When  he  en- 
tered upon  his  business  career  he  bad  no  capi- 
tal, but  lie  plaeed  his  dependence  upon  the 
substantial  qualities  of  energy,  strong  deter- 
mination and  capable  management.  To-day 
he  is  the  possessor  of  two  valuable  farms,  and 
certainly  as  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes 
he  lias  builded  wisely  and  well. 


WILLIAM  M.   ATTEBERY. 

William  M.  Attebery,  deceased,  was  for  many 
years  a  well  known  resident  of  Montgomery 
county  and  helped  to  drive  the  first  stake  in 
laying  out  the  city  of  Litchfield.  A  native  of 
Illinois,  he  was  horn  in  Macoupin  county,  Au- 
gust 22,  1835,  was  reared  upon  a  farm  and 
when  a  young  man  removed  to  the  vicinity  of 
Litchfield.  He  started  out  in  life  a  poor  boy, ' 
with  no  financial  resources,  but  a  strong  and 
determined  spirit  stood  him  instead  of  capital, 
and  as  the  Years  advanced  he  prospered  in  his 
undertakings. 

Seeking  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  the 
journey  of  life,  Mr.  Attebery  was  married.  Jan- 
uary l.  L857,  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Beeler.  a  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob  Beeler.  who  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Montgomery  county  and  assisted  in 
its  pioneer  development.  The  daughter  was 
born  in  Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  and  came  to 
this  county  when  eighteen  years  of  age.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Attebery  were  born  ten  children, 
namely :  Luella  E.,  who  is  residing  in  Hills- 
boro;  William  J.,  a  farmer  of  Hillsboro  town- 
ship; David  P..  a  resident  of  Grisham  town- 
ship; Sarah  M..  the  wife  of  George  Rainey,  of 
Hillsboro  township;  Lavina,  wife  of  John 
Loucks,  of  the  same  township;  Charles  B.,  who 
is  living  mar  Dexter,  Missouri;  Eva  B..  wife 
of  Edwin  Thompson,  a  school  teacher  of  Illi- 
nois; Mamie,  who  died  in  1868  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years;  and  two  that  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

Soon  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Attebery  took 
his  young  wife  to  Hillsboro  township  and  pur- 
ehased    one   hundred   acres   of  land   now   owned 


by  the  Ault  I'state.  Alter  a  few  years  -there 
passed  he  sold  that  property  and  removed  to 
the  farm  which  is  now  the  property  of  his  son, 
William  J.,  taking  up  his  abode  thereon  in 
1865.  When  three  years  had  passed  he  settled 
on  the  Zimmerman  farm,  where  George  Rainey 
is  now  living,  and  improved  that  property, 
making  it  his  place  of  residence  for  twenty- 
eight  years,  during  which  time  he  placed  the 
land  under  a  very  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
also  added  good  buildings  to  the  farm.  At 
length  he  retired  from  active  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  removed  to  Litchfield,  where  his 
death  occurred  November  13,  1895.  His  wife, 
surviving  him  a  few  years,  died  January  19, 
1901. 

Mr.  Attebery  was  a  devoted  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  with  which  he 
united  in  1869.  In  matters  of  citizenship  he 
was  public  spirited  and  loyal,  and  at  the  time 
of  the  Civil  war  he  espoused  the  Union  cause, 
enlisting,  in  1862,  as  a.  private.  He  served  for 
one  year  and  was  then  honorably  discharged 
on  account  of  disability.  Viewed  from  a  busi- 
uess  standpoint  also,  his  life  is  worthy  of 
emulation,  for  through  honorable  methods  and 
persistency  of  purpose  he  gained  prosperity  and 
at  the  time  of  his  death  was  the  owner  of  about 
one  thousand  acres  id'  land. 


WILLIAM   J.    ATTEBERY. 

Among  the  representative  and  progressive 
farmers  of  Hillsboro  township  is  numbered 
William  J.  Attebery.  a  representative  of  one 
of  the  old  pioneer  families  of  the  state.  He 
was  born  in  the  township  which  is  still  his 
home,  his  natal  day  being  March  IS,  1861.  His 
father  was  William  M.  Attebery.  represented 
elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Well  known  in  Montgomery  county,  where 
he  has  spent  his  entire  life.  William  J.  Atte- 
bery deserves  mention  in  this  volume  as  one 
of  the  leading  agriculturists  and  a  reliable 
business  man.  He  was  reared  to  farm  life, 
and  the  occupation  which  claimed  his  time  and 
energies  in  youth  has  also  demanded  his  at- 
tention since  he  attained  man's  estate.  The 
public    schools    afforded     him    his     educational 


OF  THE 


'  'M'VEPSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


ME.    AND    MBS.    W.    J.    ATTEBEEY 


MB.    AND    MBS.    W.    M.    ATTEBEBY 


LltSl. 

OP  !H£ 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


['AST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


349 


privileges,  and  in  the  period  of  vacation  he 
continued  to  assist  his  lather  in  the  operation 
of  the  old  home  place,  remaining  under  the 
parental  roof  until  his  marriage. 

On  the  17th  of  March,  1^87,  Mr.  Attebery 
was  married  to  Miss  Lula  Bailey,  and  they  have 
live  children:  Clara.  Charles,  Homer,  Hazel 
and  Edgar.  Mr.  Attebery  removed  with  his 
bride  to  a  farm  which  he  purchased  of  his 
father,  comprising  one  hundred  and  eight  acres 
of  land,  and  upon  that  he  lived  until  1901, 
when  he  took  up  his  abode  on  the  place  he  now 
occupies,  comprising  three  hundred  and  fifty- 
four  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land,  lie  also 
owns  another  farm  of  "lie  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  so  that  his  landed  possessions  aggregate 
four  hundred  and  seventy-four  acres,  consti- 
tuting a  very  desirable  and  valuable  property, 
lie  engaged  in  general  farming  and  utilizes 
modem  methods.  Hi.-  place  is  equipped  with 
the  latest  improved  machinery,  ami  everything 
about  the  place  indicates  the  careful  supervision 
of  a  progressive  o\i  tier. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Attebery  is  a 
Democrat,  and  while  he  keeps  well  in- 
formed on  the  questions  and  ir-suo>  of  the 
day  has  never  sought  office,  preferring  to 
"i,e  undivided  attention  to  his  business  in- 
terests, lie  belongs  to  the  Modem  Wood- 
men camp  at  Billsboro,  and  his  place  is 
pleasantly  located  about   four  miles  south   ami 

e||e    mile    West    of    tile  ell  V. 


OTTO  I1AAKE. 
Otto    llaake.    uumbered    among   the   substan- 
tial  and   intelligent    fanners  of  Fillmore  town- 
ship, is  tl wner  of  a  rich  and  productive  tract 

of  land  on  which  is  a  line  residence  and  mod- 
ern equipments,  lie  was  horn  in  Macoupin 
county.  Illinois,  in  1860,  his  parents  being 
Henry  and  Hannah  (Welge)  llaake.  who  are 
ntioned  elsewhere  in  this  volume  in  connec- 
tion with  tin.'  history  of  Solomon  Haake.  He 
was  only  four  years  old  when  brought  by  his 
parent-  in  Montgomery  county  ami  here  he 
pursued  his  education  in  a  log  schoolhouse, 
gaining  a  knowledge  of  the  branches  of  Eng- 
lish   learning   usually      taught      in    the    public 


schools.      His  training  at    farm    labor   was  not 

meager,  for  at  an  early  age  he  assisted  in  the 
development  of  the  fields  and  the  care  of  the 
stock.  After  attaining  his  majority  he  resided 
for  five  years  upon  the  farm  which  is  now  oc- 
cupied by  his  brother,  Solomon  llaake,  and 
on  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  removed 
to  the  place  which  he  now  occupies  and 
operates  on  section  15,  Fillmore  township.  His 
father  resided  with  him  until  his  death.  Otto 
Haake  now  has  a  splendid  farm  upon  which 
is  a  line  residence  which  was  built  by  the  father 
just  prior  to  his  demise.  The  farm  comprises 
two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  id'  land  and  much 
of  it  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  re- 
turning to  the  owner  goldi  n  harvests  as  a  reward 
for  the  care  and  lahor  he  bestows  upon  his 
place.  He  also  gives  some  attention  to  the 
raising  of  cattle  and  hogs  and  this  adds  to  his 
income.  He  has  made  an  excellent  n  putation 
as  an  enterprising  agriculturist  and  his  farm- 
ing methods  are  in  many  respects  most  com- 
mendable. 

"  In  1NH1  .Mi-.  Haake  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  riivke  Yi  ske,  who  was  horn  in  Germany 
and  crossed  the  Atlantic  ocean  with  her  parents 
when  four  years  of  age.  the  family  home  being 
established  near  Sillsboro,  Illinois.  Two  chil- 
dren have  been  born  of  this  union,  of  whom 
Merrill  is  now  living.  Mr.  Haake  votes  with 
the  Democracy,  having  supported  the  party 
-nice  attaining  his  majority  and  like  every 
true  American  citizen  should  do  he  keeps  well 
informed  on  the  questions  of  the  day  and  is  thus 
able  to  uphold  his  political  position  by  intelli- 
gent argument.  The  years  pass  quickly  and 
happily  lor  him  and  his  life  is  a  busy  and  hon- 
orable one.  Through  consecutive  lahor.  sup- 
plemented liv  sound  business  judgment  he  has 
gained  prosperity  in  his  undertakings  and  is 
well  known  as  one  of  flic  leading  farmers  of 
Fillmore  township. 


SAMUEL  SHOEMAKER. 

In  taking  up  the  pi  rsonal  history  of  Samuel 

SI maker  we  present  to  our   readers  the  life 

record  of  one  who  is  widely  known  in  Nokomis 
township,   where  he  owns  and   operafes   a   val- 


35U 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    cnl'NTY 


uable  farm  im  section  26.  His  birth  occurred 
m  Jefferson  county,  Ohio,  in  184;!,  his  parents 
being  Adam  and  Elizabeth  Shoemaker.  The 
father  was  born  in  Bedford  county.  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  was  reared  until  ten  or  twelve 
years  of  age,  when  lie  went  with  his  parents 
to  Ohio,  the  family  becoming  early  settlers 
m  that  locality.  Adam  Shoemaker  followed 
the  occupation  of  farming  and  was  numbered 
among  the  prominent  men  of  his  community, 
esteemed  not  only  for  his  success  but  for  his 
absolute  honesty,  his  name  becoming  a  syno- 
nym for  integrity  in  both  word  and  deed.  Al- 
most his  entire  life  was  passed  in  Ohio,  save 
for  the  brief  period  of  ten  years  in  his  early 
Liny  hood. 

Samuel  Shoemaker  was  reared  in  tin  Buck- 
eye state  and  attended  school  there.  He  began 
earning  his  living  as  a  school  teacher  "1  Ohio. 
Later  he  came  to  111  nois,  settling  upon  tin 
prairie  in  Montgomery  county,  east  of  Noko- 
mis,  in  the  spring  of  1867.  That  summer  be 
purchased  one  hundred  ami  sixty  acres  of  land 
and  at  once  began  its  improvement.  As  a 
farmer  he  has  been  very  successful  and  be 
continued  to  cultivate  his  fields  until  1879, 
when  be  removed  to  Nokomis.  although  he 
still  retained  the  ownership  of  bis  farm.  He 
bail  twenty-six  acres  of  land  in  the  town  and 
lie  resided  there  for  ten  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  hi'  traded  his  town  property  for 
forty  acres  of  land,  upon  which  he  now  lives, 
tins  coming  into  his  possession  in  1889.  He 
has  made  splendid  improvements  upon  the 
home  place,  has  planted  orchards  and  now 
has  a  valuable  fruit  farm.  He  is  also  con- 
ducting a  dairy  ami  finds  this  a  profitable 
source  of  income.  He  likewise  owns  a  quarter 
section  of  land  in  Ford  county.  Kansas,  ami 
be  is  actively  interested  in  mining. 

In  January,  1869,  Mr.  Shoemaker  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Swaney,  a  native 
of  Virginia  and  a  daughter  of  Rev.  D.  D. 
Swaney.  They  had  ten  children,  of  whom 
eight  are  living:  Minnie  E-,  wife  of  Dr. 
George  Wilson,  of  Nokomis;  Jennie  1..  wife  of 
Will  McAfee;  Alice  M..  the  wife  of  Andrew 
Van  Buren,  of  Cooperstown,  New  York;  Olin, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years; 
Bruce   0.    and    Marv,    ai    home:    Samuel,    who 


is  attending  the  [ndiana  Dental  College;  Ed- 
gar A.  Elmer  P.  and  Homer,  triplets,  who 
were  born  August  20,  1880,  but  the  last  named 
died   at    tlie  age  of   ni in-   months. 

In  Ins  political  affiliations  .Mr.  Shoemaker 
is  a  Democrat  and  has  served  as  collector  of 
Audubon  township.  He  is  the  secretary  of 
the  Home  Insurance  Company  doing  business 
in  this  township.  This  furnishes  protection 
against  fires  and  lightning  and  is  a  reliable, 
trustworthy  organization.  During  the  Civil 
war  he  enlisted  May  2,  1864,  in  Company  D, 
One  Hundred  and  Fifty-seventh  Ohio  National 
Guards,  and  was  on  duty  at  Columbus.  Ohio, 
for  four  months.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
of  Nokomis  and  their  children  are  also  identi- 
fied with  that  denomination.  He  is  numbered 
among  the  early  settlers  of  that  town,  wide' 
was  a  mere  village  when  he  took  up  his  abode 
there  and  the  surrounding  district  was  nearly 
all  wild  prairie,  lie  has  aided  in  the  agricul- 
tural development  id'  the  county  and  through 
his  labors  has  won  a  comfortable  competence. 


ALBERT  M.   PADKX. 

Albert  Milton  l'aden,  who  owns  and  operates 
a  farm  of  eighty  acres  of  section  l(i.  Hillsboro 
township,  was  born  m  this  township.  April  27, 
1864,  and  is  a  son  of  James  M.  and  Mary 
(McLean)  l'aden.  The  father,  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  came  to  Montgomery  county  at  an 
early  day  and  settled  upon  a  farm  in  Hillsboro 
township,  carrying  on  agricultural  pursuits 
and  at  the  same  time  aiding  in  the  advance- 
ment ami  upbuilding  of  the  county  by  per- 
forming faithfully  the  duties  of  citizenship 
until  his  death   in   1868. 

Until  about  seventeen  years  of  age  Albert 
M.  l'aden  pursued  bis  education  in  tin'  district 
schools  near  his  father's  home  and  later  he 
spent  one  year  in  the  high  school  at  Hillsboro 
and  for  one  term  was  a  student  in  Brown's 
Business  College,  at  Jacksonville,  Illinois.  He 
then  resumed  farm  work,  in  which  he  had  re- 
ceived ample  training  in  the  cultivation  and 
improvement  of  the  old  homestead.  He  re- 
mained at  home  until  twentv  vears  of  age  and 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


351 


was  then  married,  on  the  1  Itli  "1  May,  L884, 
to  .Miss  Dora  Emery,  a  daughter  of  Robert  and 
Ruth  (Wilson)  Emery.  Her  lather  was  horn 
near  Fillmore,  Illinois,  and  was  a  carpenter  by 
occupation,  following  that  pursuit  as  a  life 
work.  He  died  about  the  year  1868  but  his 
widow  is  still  living,  making  her  home  in 
Hillsboro  township.  In  their  family  were  two 
children,  the  son  being  Sebron  Emery,  who  is 
now  living  in    Hillsboro. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paden  have  been  born 
three  children:  James  Carl,  born  January  31 
1885;  Albert  Hoy.  born  October  7,  1886;  and 
Bertha,  bom  December  II.  1891.  The  parents 
attend  the  Presbyterian  church  and  in  his 
political  views  Mr.  Paden  is  an  earnest  Ee- 
publican.  He  held  the  office  of  assessor  for  one 
term,  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  politi- 
cal honors,  preferring  to  give  his  undivided 
attention  to  his  farming  interests.  He  is  now 
the  owner  of  eighty  acres  of  land,  which  he 
has  placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
and  his  farm,  on  section  16,  Hillsboro  town- 
ship, is  a  well  improved  property,  supplied  with 
all   modern    farm   equipments. 


WILLIAM  FRICKE. 
In  a  record  of  the  agricultural  development 
of  Raymond  township.  William  Fricke  should 
find  mention  for  he  is  one  of  the  most  progres- 
sive, enterprising  and  intelligent  young  farm- 
ers  of  his  locality.  He  lives  on  section  25  and 
is  the  owner  of  a  well  improved  farm  of  two 
hundred  acres  equipped  with  all  modern  con- 
veniences. He  was  born  in  Madison  county, 
Illinois.  September  18,  1865,  and  is  of  Ger- 
man Lineage.  His  father,  Christian  Fricke,  a 
native  of  Germany,  came  to  the  United  States 
when  a  young  man,  attracted  by  the  business 
opportunities  and  advantages  of  the  new  world, 
lie  made  his  way  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and 
while  there  residing  was  married  to  Dorothea 
Eppers,  also  a  native  of  Germany.  Mr.  Fricke 
engaged  in  steamboating  on  the  Mississippi  for 
a  number  of  years  and  also  worked  at  railroad 
construction.  He  afterward  established  his 
home  in  Madison  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
carried  on  farming  for  a  few  years  and  during 
Ihe   residence  of  the    family   there    four   chil- 


dren were  added  to  the  household.  Jn  186? 
he  came  to  Montgomery  county,  purchasing 
eight)  acres  of  land,  and  began  the  develop- 
ment of  a  farm.  That  he  prospered  in  Ins  un- 
dertaking is  indicated  by  the  tact  that  he  grad- 
ually extended  the  boundaries  of  his  place  and 
eventually  he  had  eight  hundred  and  lilt)'  acres 
included  within  five  tracts,  lie  was  a  very 
prominent,  successful  ami  capable  agricultur- 
ist and  his  life  demonstrated  the  possibilities 
of  accomplishment  when  one  has  strong  de- 
termination ami  is  willing  to  work  earnestly 
ami  persistently  in  order  to  win  prosperity.  He 
spent  his  hist  years  iii  Montgomery  count),  de- 
parting this  Life  on  the  L9th  of  April,  L893. 
His  wife  survives  him  and  now  resides  in 
Nokomis.  Unto  this  worth)  couple  were  born 
lour  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  are 
now    living  and   are   heads  of   families. 

William  Fricke  was  reared  m  Montgomery 
county  and  is  indebted  to  the  puhlic-school 
system  for  the  educational  privileges  which  he 
enjoyed.  lie  attended  the  Union  Brick 
school  and  when  he  had  mastered  the  elemen- 
tary branches  id'  learning  therein  he  entered 
the  school  of  experience,  in  which  he  has  also 
Learned  man)  valuable  Lessons.  He  continued 
to  assist  his  rather  in  the  operation  of  the 
old  home  place  until  the  hitter's  death  and  then 
succeeded  to  the  ownership  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  the  home  farm.  lie  also 
bought  eight)'  acres  additional  and  he  now  has 
a  well  improved  and  valuable  property.  He 
raises  good  stock  anil  also  feeds  some  stock 
for  the  market.  He  is  known  throughout  this 
section  of  the  county  as  a  successful  farmer 
and  he  has  won  his  reputation  by  hard,  per- 
sistent Labor.  His  entire  life  has  been  charac- 
terized by  unfaltering  diligence  and  industry, 
for  he  realizes  that  this  is  the  hasis  of  all  sub- 
stantial success  and  advancement  in  the  busi- 
ness  world. 

Mr.  Fricke  was  married  in  Raymond  town- 
ship on  the  19th  of  January,  1898,  to  Miss 
Mollie  Weller,  the  youngesi  daughter  of  Daniel 
Weller,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  county 
and  township,  owning  and  operating  a  farm 
adjoining  the  Fricke  place.  Three  children 
grace     this     marriage:        Lvdia.     Louise     and 

Helen. 


352 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


Mr.  Fricke  was  reared  m  the  Lutheran  faith, 
his  wife  in  the  Methodist  church,  and  both 
now  attend  the  services  of  the  Methodist  de- 
numination.  Although  he  has  never  sought 
or  desired  public  office  he  takes  a  public-spir- 
ited interest  in  political  questions  and  has 
served  as  a  delegate  to  the  county  conventions 
of  the  Republican  party.  His  life  history  is 
well  known  to  many  of  his  friends  for  he  has 
long  resided  in  Montgomery  county.  There 
have  been  no  exciting  chapters  in  his  life  rec- 
ord that  he  wishes  to  cover  up,  but  all  has  been 
open  and  above  board,  and  his  straightforward 
dealings  have  made  him  a  respected  and  valued 
resident   of  Raymond  township. 


HARRY   C  STUTTLE. 

Among  the  younger  lawyers  practicing  at 
the  Montgomery  county  bar  is  Harry  C.  Stut- 
tle,  of  Litchfield,  who  has  followed  his  profes- 
sion in  his  native  city  and  with  good  success. 
He  was  born  February  35,  1879.  His  father, 
Joseph  Stuttle,  was  born  in  Edwardsville,  Illi- 
nois, and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
pioneer  families  of  the  state,  his  parents  hav- 
ing come  from  Austria  at  an  early  day  and  es- 
tablished their  home  upon  a  farm  in  Madison 
county.  When  their  son  Joseph  was  but  ten 
years  of  age  they  removed  to  Montgomery 
county,  settling  in  Fillmore  township,  where 
Joseph  Stuttle  continued  to  reside  until  about 
thirty  years  of  age.  He  then  took  up  his  abode 
in  Litchfield,  where  he  is  now  living  at  the 
age  of  fifty-two  years.  He  was  a  poor  boy,  en- 
joying but  lew  advantages,  and  at  the  outset 
of  his  career  he  hail  no  pecuniary  assistance, 
but  through  perseverance  ami  energy  lie  has 
accumulated  a  competence  and  is  now  the 
owner  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land 
adjoining  Litchfield,  together  with  city  prop- 
erty. Hi1  is  likewise  a  stockholder  in  the 
Litchfield  Bank  &  Trust  Company  and  is  one 
of  the  esteemed  citizens  of  Montgomery  coun- 
tv.  where  ho  has  so  directed  his  labors  as  to 
win  honorable  prosperity,  lie  votes  with  the 
Democracy.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Hannah  "Heeler,  died  in  1884,  in  the 
faith    of   the   Lutheran    church,    in    which   she 


held  membership.  Her  father.  Jacob  Beeler, 
was  a  large  property  holder  and  capitalist  who 
became  one  of  the  early  residents  of  Litchfield 
ami  was  one  of  its  promoters  and  upbuilders. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stuttle  became  the  parents  of 
three  children:  Harry  C. ;  Joseph  S..  who  is 
residing  upon  the  old  home  farm;  and  Charles 
F..  a  practicing  dentist  of  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri. 

Mr.  Stuttle  id'  this  review  pursued  his  early 
education  in  the  old  Beacon  schoolhouse  near 
Litchfield  and  i*  a  graduate  of  the  high  school 
of  this  city  of  the  class  of  1898.  He  afterward 
engaged  in  teaching  for  a  year  and  then  en- 
tered the  University  of  Illinois  at  I'rbana  in 
the  fall  of  1899.  lie  spent  one  year  there  and 
subsequently  entered  the  law  office  of  Zink 
&  Hinder  at  Litchfield,  but  completed  his  law 
studies  in  the  office  of  M.  M.  Creighton.  In 
the  fall  of  1903  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and 
ha-  since  been  practicing  in  Litchfield  with 
good  success,  having  already  obtained  a  client- 
age that  many  an  older  practitioner  might  well 
envy.  He  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
fraternity,  the  Benevolent  &  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  the  Mutual  Protective  League,  and 
in  his  political  views  is  a  Democrat.  He  is 
well  known  m  the  city  of  his  nativity  and  is 
popular  with  a  large  circle  of  friends. 


URBAN  E.  KINTZ. 
Urban  E.  Kintz,  who  is  a  representative  of 

industrial  interests  in  Litchfield,  was  born  in 
Terre  Haute.  Indiana,  in  1870.  His  father. 
Charles  Kintz,  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  on 
the  10th  of  February,  is  is.  and  his  death  oc- 
curred on  the  26th  of  February.  1874,  He  was 
a  carpenter  by  trade  and  in  an  early  day  ho  re- 
moved  with  two  brothers  to  Terre  Haute.  In- 
diana, where  he  spent  tin1  remainder  of  his 
life.  He  held  membership  with  the  Catholic 
church  and  in  his  political  views  he  was  a 
Democrat.  He  married  Catherine  Martha  Mil- 
liken,  who  was  born  January  oft,  18.13.  and 
is  also  deceased.  Their  marriage  was  cele- 
brated March  13.  18(19.  and  they  became  the 
parent-  of  three  children:  Urban  E. :  Blanche, 
who   was  born   in    187?   and   has  passed  away; 


HARRY    C.    STUTTLE 


LIBRAE 

OF  TH£ 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PBESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


355 


Evoy  Josephina,  who  was  born  in   is;  I  and  is 
deceased. 

Urban  E.  Kintz  acquired  bis  education  in  the 
parochial  schools  near  Terre  llautc,  Indiana, 
but  his  opportunities  in  that  direction  were 
somewhat  limited.  He  learned  the  carpenter's 
trade  in  his  native  place,  beginning  work  at 
twenty-five  cents  per  day  and  boarding  himself. 
He  was  employed  as  a  journeyman  for  five 
years  and  afterward  worked  at  his  trade  in 
Van  Buren,  Missouri,  for  a  similar  period. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  returned  to 
Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  and  was  employed  at 
farm  labor  for  two  years,  but  afterward  re- 
sumed carpentering,  lie  came  to  Litchfield 
in  189]  ami  worked  in  the  coach  shop  of  the 
Big  Four  Eailroad  Company  until  the  plant 
was  removed  from  this  city.  Ee  afterward  fol- 
lowed his  trade  in  S't.  Louis.  Missouri,  but 
later  again  came  to  Litchfield  and  entered  into 
partnership  with  George  ( '.  Fellner  in  1902. 
This  relation  has  since  been  maintained  and 
as  contractors  and  builders  they  are  doing  a 
good  business,  having  a  liberal  share?  of  the 
public  patronage. 

()n  the  20th  of  July,  1902,  Mr.  Kintz  was 
married  to  Mis-  Fannie  Grace  Weatherford, 
who  was  bom  October  28,  1868,  in  Litchfield, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Hardin  and  Martha 
(Reams)  Weatherford.  In  his  younger  days 
his  father  was  a  farmer  and  at  the  time  of  the 
Civil  war  he  offered  his  services  to  the  govern- 
ment, enlisting  at  Carlinville,  Illinois,  in  1861, 
as  a  member  of  Company  K,  One  Eundred  and 
Twenty-second  Illinois  Infantry,  with  which  be 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  sec- 
ond lieutenant  and  he  participated  in  a  num- 
ber of  important  engagements.  In  one  battle 
be  was  shot  in  the  temple.  He  is  now  a  char- 
ter member  of  Sidney  Philip  Post.  G.  A.  h\, 
and  has  filled  all  of  the  positions  in  the  post. 
Tn  his  family  were  eleven  children,  of  whom 
'Mrs.   Kintz  is   the  eighth   in  order  of  birth. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kintz  have  been  born 
four  children:  Roy  Eugene,  who  was  bom  in 
Litchfield,  October  6,  1893;  Pauline  Maw  bom 
in  St.  Louis.  Missouri,  February  18.  iSOfi: 
Charles  Hardin,  born  in  Litchfield,  March  6, 
1000:  and  Martha,  born  July  2.  190°,.  Mrs. 
Kintz    is   a    member    of   the   Lutheran    church 


and  Mr.  Kintz  is  connected  fraternally  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  and  the  Order  of  the 
Eagles.  Politically  be  is  a  Republican.  Dur- 
ing tl„.  greater  part  of  bis  life  be  has  continued 
in  the  business  in  which  be  embarked  as  a 
young  tradesman  and  bis  skill  and  efficiency 
have  increased  with  the  passing  years,  so  that 
be  is  worthy  the  patronage  which  is  extended 
him.  His  business  has  been  constantly  growing 
since  be  entered  into  his  present  partnership 
in  Litchfield  ami  many  substantial  structures 
here  stand   as  evidences   of   bis  handiwork. 


WILLIAM   B.  POTTS. 

William  B.  Potts,  i  of  the  intelligent,  en- 
terprising ami  successful  farmers  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  is  Living  «>n  section  3-1,  Zanes- 
ville  township,  ami  is  the  owner  of  valuable 
landed  possession-  comprising  three  hundred 
a  lie-,  nf  which  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres 
is  in  the  home  place.  A  native  son  of  this 
county,  be  was  bom  in  Zanesville  township, 
October  Mo.  L858,  a  son  of  K.  J.  Potts,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  Macoupin  county.  Illinois, 
where  the  days  of  bis  boyhood  and  youth  were 
passed.  lie  was  married  here  to  Miss  Agnes 
Ann  Allen,  who  was  born  in  Zanesville  town- 
ship, Montgomery  county,  and  he  opened  tip 
a  [arm  in  Zanesville  township,  breaking  his 
land,  planting  bis  crop-  and  in  due  course 
of  time  gathering  rich  harvests.  He  used  four 
yoke  id'  oxen  to  the  breaking  plow  and  he 
broke  hundreds  of  acres  in  this  county,  thus 
assisting  in  large  measure  in  the  substantial 
improvement  and  agricultural  development  of 
this  portion  of  the  state.  Upon  the  old  home- 
tead  farm  be  reared  bis  family  but  subse- 
qui  ntlv  lie  sold  his  property  in  Montgomery 
county  ami  went  to  Evansville,  Indiana,  where 
he  is   now  living  retired. 

William  P>.  Potts  was  reared  upon  the  old 
family  homestead  in  (be  usual  manner  of 
farmer  lads  of  that  period  and  remained  with 
hi-  father  until  twenty-three  years  of  age,  as- 
sisting in  the  labors  of  field  and  meadow. 
During  the  winter  months  he  attended  the 
public  schools,  thus  acquiring  a  fair  educa- 
tion.     Tlr    wis    married    in    Litchfield    on    the 


356 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    GOIANTY 


5th  of  February,  1882,  to  Miss  Olive  Belle 
Rushton,  a  native  of  Bond  county,  Illinois, 
born  at  Mulberry  Grove,  her  parents  being 
Came-  and   .Martha  Rushton. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Potts  located  upon 
a  farm  in  Raymond  township,  where  he  rented 
a  tract  of  land  and  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  for  four  years.  He  then  purchased 
a  small  place  of  twenty-five  acres  covered  with 
stumps  and  brush,  but  with  characteristic  en- 
ergy he  began  to  clear  the  land  and  develop  his 
farm.  He  worked  on  day  after  day,  earnestly 
and  persistently,  and  as  time  passed  his  efforts 
were  rewarded  with  good  success.  Later  he 
purchased  more  land  from  time  to  time  in 
ten  and  fifteen  acre  tracts  until  he  was  the 
owner  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres,  which 
he  had  cleared,  fenced  and  developed  into 
productive  fields.  He  then  sold  that  property 
and  purchased  his  present  home  on  section  34, 
Zanesville  township,  where  he  has  two  hundred 
and  fifty  acres.  The  place  was  somewhat 
dilapidated,  however,  when  it  came  into  his 
possession  in  1900,  but  he  has  continued  the 
work  of  improvement  here  and  now  has  a  good 
property  well  equipped  with  modern  buildings 
and  all  the  accessories  needed  to  carry  on  the 
farm  work.  In  addition  to  the  raising  of  grain 
he  also  raises  and  feeds  stock  for  the  market. 
Mr.  Potts  began  his  Inisiness  life  without  a 
dollar  and  he  has  made  what  he  possesses 
through  his  labor,  frugality   and  enterprise. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Potts  were  born  eight 
children:  Agnes  A.;  Henry  J.,  who  became  a 
member  of  the  United  States  navy;  Carrie 
Mac:  Albert  Leroy ;  Alice  G. ;  Joseph  E. ;  and 
Florence  0.  They  also  lost  a  son,  William  W-, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years. 

Politically  Mr.  Potts  is  a  Democrat  when 
voting  upon  national  issues  and  he  east  his 
first  presidential  ballot  for  Grover  Cleveland 
and  his  last  for  William  Jennings  Bryan.  At 
local  elections,  however,  ho  votes  independently, 
supporting  the  candidate  whom  he  think-  host 
qualified  for  the  office.  He  has  been  elected 
ami  served  as  commissioner  of  highways,  has 
been  a  member  of  the  school  hoard  and  is  now 
serving  as  it<  president.  Ho  was  also  for  two 
tonus  county  commissioner  and  he  has  served 
ns  a  delegate  to  the  countv  conventions  of  his 


party.  He  is  one  of  the  organizers  and  direct- 
ors of  tin'  Farmers  .Mutual  Telephone  line. 
Mrs.  Potts  and  their  two  oldest  (laughters  are 
members  of  the  Christian  church.  Mr.  Potts 
has  boon  identified  with  the  growth  and  devel- 
opment of  the  county  throughout  his  entire 
life  and  he  has  been  a  hard  working,  indus- 
trious man,  attending  strictly  to  his  business 
affairs  and  through  bis  persistent  purpose  win- 
ning the  success  which  is  the  just  reward  of 
untiring   labor. 


A.  SUMNER   BARRY. 


The  name  of  Barry  figures  conspicuously  in 
connection  with  the  history  of  Montgomery 
county,  for  at  an  early  period  in  the  develop- 
ment of  tin-  portion  of  the  state  the  grand- 
parents  of  A.  Sumner  Harry  located  here,  and 
since  that  time  their  descendants  have  been  fac- 
tors in  the  agricultural  progress,  and  in  mat- 
ters of  citizenship  have  been  Loyal  to  high  ideals 
resulting  to  the  ecod  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Barry  of  this  review  was  born  upon  his 
father's  farm  in  Hillsboro  township.  Decem- 
ber 25,  is:,;,  a  -on  of  John  W.  Marry,  a  native 
of  Barren  county,  Kentucky,  born  October  3. 
L830.  The  grandfather,  Richard  Barry,  was 
born  in  Wythe  county,  Virginia,  in  January, 
L785,  and  there  resided  until  eighteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  removed  to  Kentucky.  In  that 
state  he  married  Nancy  Smith,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  North  Carolina  in  1789.  They 
were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  five  sons  and 
four  daughters:  Nellie.  Joseph,  Polly,  Alford, 
Michael  S.,  Nancy,  Emily,  .lames  T.  and  John 
W.  The  last  named,  the  father  of  A.  Sumner 
Barry,  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Mont- 
gomery county  in  1831,  the  journey  being  made 
by  team  and  wagon  m  accordance  with  the 
primitive  methods  of  travel  of  that  daw  The 
grandfather  entered  from  the  government  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  by  purchasing 
a  squatter's  right  to  a  claim  on  which  a  small 
rude  cabin  had  been  built.  To  the  development 
and  improvement  of  this  property  Richard 
I'.arn  devoted  his  energies  until  his  death 
which  occurred  June  30,   1S48.     His  wife  died 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


ME.    AND    MBS.    A.    SUMNER    BAEEY 


JOHN    W.    BARKY 


ADDISON    McLAIN 


MES.    ADDISON    McLAIN 


OF  THE 
UHWERSW  OF  H.UWMS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    .MONTGOMERY    COl'NTY 


301 


at  the  home  of  Smith  Barry,  February  11, 
1867. 

Amid  the  wild  scenes  of  frontier  life  John 
W.  Barry  was  reared;  early  becoming  familiar 
with  all  the  duties  and  Labors  that  fall  to  the 
lot  of  the  agriculturist.  Ee  married  Sarah  C. 
Newcomb,  who  was  born  in  Wythe  county,  Vir- 
ginia, December  L8,  L831,  and  came  to  Mont- 
gomery county  with  her  parents,  William  A. 
and  Mary  A.  (Aimbester)  Newcomb,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  the  old  Dominion.  The 
father,  who  was  born  in  Prince  George  county, 
came  t<>  Montgomery  county.  Illinois,  in  1837, 
and  thus  it  is  that  A.  Sumner  Barry  is  de- 
scended from  pioneer  families  of  Illinois  in 
both  the  paternal  and  maternal  lines.  Unto 
his  parents  were  horn  nine  children,  but  the 
eldest  died  in  infancy.  The  others  are:  Mary, 
the  wife  of  Joseph  B.  Nail,  of  Litchfield;  Jane, 
who  died  April  2,1904;  William,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  a  year  and  a  half ;  A.  Sumner;  Lou. 
who  married  John  F.  White  and  died  October 
18.  1890;  Henry  W. ;  Amanda  A.,  the  wife  of 
Edward  Bailey,  of  Grisham  township;  and 
George,  who  died  at  the  age  of  ten  months. 
Upon  the  old  family  homestead  John  W.  Barry- 
reared  his  family.  He  lived  there  during  the 
period  of  his  own  youth,  in  fact,  the  farm  was 
his  place  of  residence  from  1831  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  on  the  11th  of  June,  1899.  He 
gave  his  political  allegiance  to  the  Republican 
party  and  held  some  local  offices,  the  duties  of 
which  he  ably  discharged,  but  his  atten- 
tion was  chiefly  directed  to  his  business  inter- 
ests, in  which  he  met  with  good  success.  He 
had  long  survived  his  wife,  who  died  March 
15,  1866; 

Reared  on  the  old  farm  on  section  35,  Hills- 
boro  township,  Sumner  Barry  received  his 
practical  training  in  farm  work  by  assisting 
his  father  in  the  labors  of  the  fields,  and  he 
early  came  to  understand  the  value  of  industry, 
perseverance  and  honesty  in  active  business 
life.  His  literary  education  was  received  in 
the  public  schools,  and  when  his  time  was  not 
occupied  with  his  textbooks  he  aided  in  the 
work   of  the  fields. 

On  the  6th  of  September,  1882,  Mr.  Barry 
was  married  to  Miss  Dora  McLain,  a  daughter 
of     Addison     and     Catherine     McLain.     Her 


father  was  horn  in  North  Carolina,  October 
.">.  1811,  and  was  married  September  17,  1834. 
About  two  years  later  he  came  to  this  county 
and  settled  in  Eillsboro  township,  lie  followed 
fanning  throughout  life,  and  died  hen'  August 
25,  L873.  Lis  wife  passed  away  July  13,  1903. 
In  their  family  were  eleven  children,  namely: 
Mary  A.,  Isabel,  Sarah  J.,  Nancy,  William  A., 
Catherine  A.,  John  1L.  .lames  C,  David  M., 
Dora  1'..  and  one  that  died  in  infancy.  Three 
of  the  children  are  now  deceased.  Mr.  McLain 
was  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  Four  children  have 
been  horn  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harry:  Nellie,  the 
wife  of  Chester  Holmes,  of  East  Fork  town- 
ship;  Earl,  Roscoe  and  Florence. 

After  his  marriage  our  subject  rented  the 
Smith  Barry  farm  for  three  years  and  then 
took-  up  his  abode  on  the  place  where  he  now 
resides.  He  owns  one  hundred  and  ten  acres 
here,  and  also  a  half  interest  in  his  father's 
old  farm  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-nine 
acres.  He  carries  on  general  fanning,  follows 
modern  business  methods,  and  Ins  agricultural 
labors  are  returning  to  him  a  g I  annual  in- 
come. 

Mr.  Barry  has  taken  an  active  and  helpful 
part  in  community  interests.  He  served  as 
highway  commissioner  for  three  terms  and  was 
school  director  for  twelve  years.  His  political 
support  is  given  to  the  Republican  party,  and 
fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  possesses  many 
sterling  traits  of  character  which  command 
for  him   uniform   regard. 


GEORGE  A.  PARTLOW. 

Among  the  residents  of  Montgomery  county 
who  have  conic  to  Illinois  from  the  south  is 
George  A.  Partlow,  who  resides  in  Audubon 
township.  He  was  born  in  Rappahannock 
county.  Virginia.  June  L9,  1858,  a  son  of  Wil- 
liam W.  and  Sarah  J.  (Rudaeill)  Partlow.  The 
ancestral  home  of  the  family  was  in  the  Old 
Dominion,  where  were  born  the  father,  grand- 
father, and  great-grandfather  of  George  A. 
Partlow.      The    family,   however,   is  of   Scotch- 


;iC2 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


[rish  Lineage.  The  grandfather  and  father  al- 
ways resided  in  the  Old  Dominion,  where  they 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  and  were 
known  there  as  extensive  planters  and  slave 
owners,  the  father  having  large  landed  posses- 
sions in  his  native  state. 

In  early  youth  George  A.  Partlow  became 
familiar  with  agricultural  labors.  His  educa- 
tion was  acquired  in  the  subscription  schools 
and  he  remained  at  home  until  1879,  when  at 
the  age  of  twenty-one  years  he  went  to  Clark 
county,  Virginia,  where  he  begin  working  for 
ten  dollars  per  month  as  a  farm  hand.  He 
was  thus  employed  for  three  years  and  during 
the  last  year  was  paid  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  dollars.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  was 
married,  June  1.  1882,  to  Miss  Jennie  Mc- 
Donald, who  was  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage,  her 
parental  grandfather  having  come  from  Scot- 
land to  America.  Her  father  was  James  Mc- 
Donald and  her  mother  bore  the  name  of  Mrs. 
Priscilla  S'pade  Moreland  prior  to  her  marriage 
with  Mr.  McDonald.  They,  too,  were  native 
residents  of  Virginia,  and  her  father  was  a 
Confederate  soldier,  who  served  in  Lee's  army, 
participating  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness 
and  many  other  important  engagements,  which 
occurred  in  Virginia.  He  died  in  1S86  and 
was  buried  upon  his  farm  in  Culpeper  county, 
that  state,  where  the  mother's  remains  were  also 
interred  when  she  was  called  to  her  final  rest. 
In  their  family  were  fifteen  children,  eight 
sons  and  seven  daughters:  .lames  W.,  who  is 
living  upon  the  home  farm  in  Culpeper  county. 
Virginia;  John  R.,  of  Williamson  county, 
Texas;  Mrs.  Nellie  M.  Carpenter,  of  Brandy 
Station,  Culpeper  county.  Virginia:  Mrs.  Jen- 
nie R.  Calvert,  who  lives  in  Palmer,  Christian 
county,  Illinois:  Mrs.  Partlow;  William  H., 
who  resides  in  Prince  William  county,  Vir- 
ginia; Lucy  ML,  deceased,  who  was  buried  at 
Woodville,  Virginia;  Wallace  E.,  who  is  mar- 
ried and  follows  blacksmithing  at  Culpeper 
Courthouse,  Virginia;  Mrs.  Carrie  Livergood. 
of  Taylorville.  Illinois:  Edward  J.,  who  re- 
sides with  his  brother,  James,  upon  the  old 
family  homestead;  Mrs.  Lizzie  K.  Best,  who 
is  residing  in  Nokomis,  Illinois:  Mrs.  Belle 
Kibler,  who  died  and  was  buried  at  Woodville. 
Virginia:  Annie  M..  who  died  in  infancy  and 


was  buried  in  Rappahannock  county,  Virginia; 
Charles  H.,  who  is  married  and  is  located  in 
Williamson  county,  Texas;  and  Horace  L., 
who  is  also  married  and  makes  his  home  in 
Williamson  county. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Partlow  are  parents  of  two 
children:  Nellie  M.,  born  May  11,  1883,  at- 
tended the  common  schools,  was  educated  in 
music  in  Pana.  and  is  now  teaching  large 
music  classes  in  Ohlnian,  Rosemond  and  other 
parts  of  Montgomery  county.  Bertha  C.  was 
born  March  4.  1885,  on  the  day  on  which  Pres- 
ident Cleveland  was-  first  inaugurated.  She 
attended  the  district  school,  also  spent  one 
term  as  a  student  in  the  high  school  at 
Nokomis  and  is  now  a  teacher  in  the 
home  school  at  Prairie  Chapel.  The 
parents  and  daughters  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  Mr. 
Partlow  is  identified  with  the  Court  of 
Honor  and  with  the  Republican  party.  He  has 
been  school  director  for  nine  years  and  was  as- 
sessor for  one  year.  He  has  always  been  a 
church  trustee,  has  been  Sunday  school  su- 
perintendent and  has  thus  taken  a  very 
active  and  helpful  part  in  the  moral  as  well 
as  the  educational  and  material  development 
of  his  community.  He  owns  a  farm  of  eighty 
acres,  upon  which  he  has  made  most  of  the 
improvements,  bringing  it  up  to  its  present 
state  of  development.  His  influence  has  ever 
been  exerted  on  the  side  of  right,  truth,  justice, 
reform  and  progress  and  therefore  he  is  a  man 
whom  to  know  is  to  respect  and  honor  and 
whose  friendship  is  prized  by  those  who  have 
gained   his    favor  and  confidence. 


WILLIAM  SHOEMAKER. 

Among  the  retired  farmers  of  Raymond  is 
William  Shoemaker,  who  for  a  period  of  thirty 
years  was  actively  and  successfully  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  in  Montgomery  county. 
owning  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
in    Nokomis    township.    His    residence   in   this 

county  dates  fi 1866,  so  that  he  is  numbered 

among  its  early  settlers.  His  birth  occurred  in 
Jefferson  oeunty,  Ohio.  March  20,  1838,  and  his 
father,   Adam  Shoemaker,  was  born  in  Bedford 


ill?.    AND    MRS.    WILLIAM    SHOEMAKER 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


365 


county,  Pennsylvania,  in  ls.li).  The  parental 
grandfather  was  John  Shoemaker  and  the 
family  is  of  German  lineage.  John  Shoemaker 
removed  from  Pennsylvania  to  Ohio  in  1816. 
becoming  one  of  the  early  residents  of  Jeffer- 
son county.  Adam  Shoemaker  was  there 
reared  and  in  that  county  lie  married  Eliza- 
beth Albaugh,  a  native  of  Ohio.  He  followed 
farming  in  Jefferson  county,  where  he  opened 
up  and  developed  two  tracts  of  land,  becoming 
"in  of  the  successful,  enterprising  and  inde- 
fatigable agriculturists  of  his  community. 
There  he  reared  his  family  and  his  last  days 
were  spent  in  that  county,  his  death  there  oc- 
curring in  1886.  His  wife,  surviving  him  for 
a   few-  years,  passed   away  in   1892. 

William  Shoemaker  was  reared  to  manhood 
in  Jefferson  county  and  his  educational  privi- 
leges were  very  limited,  because  of  the  primi- 
tive condition  of  the  schools  and  also  because 
his  services  were  needed  upon  the  home  farm. 
His  training  in  the  labors  of  the  held  was  not 
meager  ami  lie  early  gained  the  practical  ex- 
perience which  proved  the  foundation  for  his 
success  in  later  life.  Hi:  was  married  in  Gal- 
lia county,  Ohio,  January  0,  1862,  to  Miss 
Margaret  Graden,  who  was  born  in  Harrison 
county,  Ohio.  After  his  marriage  lie  engaged 
in  the  operation  of  a  flouring  and  grist  mill 
for  one  year,  after  which  he  carried  on  general 
agricultural  pursuits  lor  two  years.  In  1866 
he  removed  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Montgomery 
county  near  Nokomis.  There  he  purchased 
raw  land  and  opened  up  a  farm  which  he  con- 
tinued to  improve  for  several  years.  He  had 
at  first  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  to  which  he  afterward  added  by  purchase 
sixty  acres.  He  improved  the  entire  amount 
and  cultivated  it  for  some  time,  lint  later  sold 
that  property  and  bought  a  farm  of  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  near  Nokomis.  This 
he  placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
adding  all  modern  equipments  which  are  found 
upon  a  model  farm.  He  worked  persistently 
and  energetically  in  placing  his  farm  in  the 
best  possible  condition  and  lie  continued  its 
active  operation  until  1903,  when  he  removed 
to  Raymond  and  purchased  residence  property 
which  he  now  occupies.  The  history  of  his 
business  career  is   the  account  of  steady  pro- 


gression from  humble  financial  surroundings 
to  affluence.  He  followed  methods  such  as 
any  man  might  employ,  his  business  life  be- 
ing   characterized    by    industry    and    integrity. 

In  1884  Mr.  Shoemaker  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  passed  away 
on  the  24th  of  December  of  that  year.  There 
were  seven  children  of  that  marriage:  Ella 
M.,  the  wife  of  Cornelius  Pocock,  a  well-to- 
do  farmer  of  Montgomery  county;  Amos  A., 
who  owns  a  good  farm  ami  is  engaged  in  the 
creamery  business  at  Nokomis;  Luther  F.,  a 
business  man  of  .Raymond;  Leora  M.,  the, 
wife  of  J.  F.  Kellogg,  of  Jacksonville;  Adam 
R.,  who  died  in  childhood  ;  John  \\\.  who  is 
living  in  Greenfield,  Illinois;  and  Jerome,  who 
died  in  infancy.  In  September,  1S86,  Mr. 
Shoemaker  was  married  in  this  county  to  Ma- 
tilda \.  Gibson,  who  was  horn  in  Montgomery 
county  and  is  a  daughter  of  E.  E.  Gibson,  one 
of  tin'  early  settlers  of  this  portion  of  the  state, 
arriving  from  Maryland  in  186;?. 

Politically,  because  of  his  strong  sympathy 
with  the  temperance  cause,  Mr.  Shoemaker 
gives  an  ardent  support  to  the  Prohibition 
party,  hut  political  honors  and  emoluments 
have  had  no  attraction  for  him.  He  served, 
however,  as  school  treasurer  of  Audubon  town- 
ship for  six  years,  but  otherwise  has  filled  no 
public  positions.  He  was  reared  in  the  Lu- 
theran faith,  while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  was  formerly 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  but  is  now 
dimitted.  For  thirty-eight  years  he  has  been 
a  resident  of  the  county  and  lias  seen  many 
changes,  bringing  about  a  modern  develop- 
ment and  advanced  civilization.  He  occupies 
a  pleasant  home  in  Raymond  and  still  owns 
the  house  and  two  lots  in  Nokomis.  He  is  now 
enabled  to  enjoy  a  well  merited  rest. 


JOSJAII  BIXLER. 
Josiah  Bixler,  editor  ami  proprietor  of  the 
Eillsboro  Journal,  was  born  in  Tuscarawas 
county,  Ohio,  in  1859.  The  family,  of  Ger- 
man origin,  has  been  largely  represented  in 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  through  many  genera- 
tions.    The  first  of  the  name  in  America  set- 


366 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


tied  in  Maryland,  and  later  others  of  the  fam- 
ily went  to  the  Keystone  state.  Daniel  Bixler, 
the  lather  of  Josiah  Bixler,  was  born  in  Ohio, 
followed  the  occupation  of  farming  throughout 
his  business  career  and  died  in  1894  at  the  age 
of  sixty-nine  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
United  Brethren  church  and  in  his  political 
views  was  a  Republican.  He  was  influential 
and  prominent  in  his  community  and  held  a 
number  of  minor  positions.  He  married  Sa- 
rah Kanaga,  wdio  was  born  in  Tuscarawas 
county,  Ohio,  and  is  now  living  on  the  old 
homestead  near  Bolivar,  that  state,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-five  years.  She,  too,  was  of  German 
lineage  and  her  father  was  a  minister.  Unto 
Daniel  Bixler  and  his  wife  were  born  three 
children:  Amos,  who  is  living  in  Bolivar; 
Josiah  ;  and  Abraham  Lincoln,  deceased. 

Josiah  Bixler  acquired  his  preliminary  edu- 
cation in  the  country  schools  of  Ohio  and 
afterward  entered  the  normal  school  at  Ada, 
that  state,  remaining  as  a  student  there  from 
1883  until  1887.  when  he  was  graduated.  For 
nineteen  years  he  was  actively  identified  with 
educational  interests  as  a  teacher,  spending 
seven  years  of  that  time  in  Ohio  and  twelve 
years  in  Illinois.  The  fall  following  his  grad- 
uation be  came  to  this  state  and  located  in 
Sangamon  county,  becoming  principal  of  the 
schools  of  Mechanicshurg.  Subsequently  he  re- 
turned to  Jefferson,  Ohio,  and  was  principal  of 
the  high  school  there  for  one  year,  when  he 
resigned  to  accept  the  superintendency  of  the 
Hillsboro  schools,  remaining  at  the  head  of  the 
public  school  system  of  this  city  for  six  years. 
He  then  resigned  and  purchased  the  Hillsboro 
Journal  in  1898  from  B.  F.  Boyd  &  Company. 
He  has  prospered  in  his  new  venture  and  in 
the  six  years  of  his  journalistic  experience  he 
has  more  than  doubled  the  subscription  of  his 
paper  and  has  made  it  the  official  paper  of  the 
Republican  party  in  Montgomery   county. 

In  November.  1898,  Mr.  Bixler  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Anna  Witherspoon.  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Sarah  B.  (Blackwelder)  Wither- 
spoon. She  was  born  m  Hillsbojo  in  18G9  and 
they  now  have  one  child.  Sarah  Louise.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bixler  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  he  is  an  active  worker  in 
the  church  and   Sunday  school,  serving  as  one 


of  the  officers  in  the  former  and  doing  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  the  growth  and  extend  the 
influence  of  the  church.  He  is  also  prominent 
in  Masonic  circles  in  Hillsboro,  has  been  Mas- 
ter of  his  lodge  lour  years,  and  is  the  present 
high  priest   of  the  chapter. 


JAMES  R.  OSBORN. 

During  a  life  span  of  more  than  seventy-two 
years  James  R.  Osboru  lias  been  a  resident  of 
Montgomery  county,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Butler  Grove  township,  on  the  2d  of  March, 
1832.  lie  is  a  son  of  Levi  and  Mary  (Corn- 
best)  Osborn,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Kentucky,  the  father  having  been  born  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1808,  and  the  mother  on  the  10th 
of  January.  1810.  In  the  fall  of  1830  they 
started  overland,  making  the  journey  on  horse- 
back and  bringing  with  them  their  only  child. 
Mr.  Osborn  settled  in  Butler  Grove  township, 
securing  a  claim  of  eighty  acres  from  the  gov- 
ernment. The  land  had  never  been  cultivated 
and  a  breaking  plow  prepared  the  fields  for 
the  planting.  He  built  a  log  cabin  of  one  room 
and  in  this  pioneer  home  began  life  in  Illi- 
nois, com  inning  the  work  of  the  fields  until 
he  had  made  his  land  a  productive  tract  that 
yielded  him  good  profit.  He  died  August  6, 
1851 .  after  about  twenty-one  years  of  active  and 
helpful  connection  in  the  pioneer  development 
of  the  county.  His  wife,  surviving  him  for 
a  quarter  of  a  century,  passed  away  May  22, 
1876.  The)  were  the  parents  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  three  died  in  infancy,  while 
eight  reached  years  of  maturity. 

James  1!.  Osborn.  living  upon  the  home  farm 
in  bis  early  boyhood  days,  started  out  in  life 
for  himself  in  the  fall  of  1851,  when  nineteen 
years  of  age  lie  began  to  earn  his  living  by 
teaching  in  a  school  which  was  conducted  on 
the  subscription  plan,  each  scholar  paying  two 
and  a  half  dollars  per  term.  He  continued  his 
educational  work  at  intervals  until  1861.  In 
the  fall  of  1862,  his  spirit  of  patriotism  being 
aroused  by  the  continued  attempt  of  the  south 
to  overthrow  the  Union,  he  enlisted  and  be- 
came a  corporal  of  Company  F,  One  Hundred 
and  Twenty-sixth   Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


JAMES    R.    OSBOKN 


MIN.    JAMES    R.    OSBORN 


LIBRAfW 

OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


.■571 


The  regiment  did  dut}  in  Tennessee,  being 
largely  engaged  in  garrison  duty  and  in  guard- 
ing railroads.  With  this  command  Mr.  Os- 
born  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  after 
which  he  returned  to  Montgomery  county  and 
again  engaged  in  teaching  during  the  winter 
months  until  1875.  hi  the  following  year  he 
located  upon  the  farm  which  lias  since  Keen  his 
home,  and  in  its  conduct  he  has  displayed  good 
ability  as  an  agriculturist.  He  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  cultivable  land  in  the 
home   place   and    thirty-seven    acres    of    timber 

in  Irving  township,      lie  lias  g 1  equipments 

upon  his  farm,  including  the  latest  improved 
machinery,  and  annually  harvests  fair  crops  as 
the  reward  for  his  labors. 

On  the  1th  of  April,  1878,  Mr.  Osborn  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Margarei  L.  Eppes, 
a  native  of  North  Carolina,  who  died  April  24, 
1881.  Unto  them  -were  born  two  sons:  John 
M.  and  James,  both  at  home.  The  latter  is  now 
serving  as  township  assessor.  Mr.  Osborn  of 
this  review  was  the  first  township  assessor  of 
Butler  Grove  township,  and  in  matters  per- 
taining in  public  progress  and  improvement  he 
has  always  been  deeply  interested  and  has  borne 
a  helpful  part.  He  has  been  school  director, 
and  the  cause  of  education  has  found  in  him 
a  warm  friend.  His  political  support  is  given 
to  the  Republican  party,  and  he  is  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
whose  life  has  been  honorable  and  upright  and 
whose  sterling  worth  is  recognized  by  his  many 
acquaintances,  who  give  him  their  warm  friend- 
ship  and    hold   him   in   high   esteem. 


DANIEL  WELLER. 

Daniel  Weller,  a  representative  farmer  of 
Raymond  township,  living  on  section  36,  was 
at  one  time  very  actively  engaged  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  but  is  now  largely  leaving  to 
others  the  wort  of  the  farm,  while  he  is  enjoy- 
ing a   well  earned   rest.     He  has  one  hundred 

and  ninety  acres  of  land  and  the  income  fi i 

the  property   is  sufficient  to  supply  him   with 

,     all   of  the  comforts  and   many  of  the   luxuries 

of  life.     One  of  the  old   settlers  of  Tlknois.  his 

residence   in   the  countv  dates    from    1840  and 


few  oi  its  citizens  have  longer  been  witnesses 
of  it >  growth  and  upbuilding,  while  at  all 
times  he  has  borne  his  full  share  in  the  work 
of  public  progress. 

.Mr.  Weller  was  horn  in  Canton.  Ohio,  on 
the  28th  of  October,  1832.  II  s  father,  John 
Weller.  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  born  in  1T8S, 
and  when  his  country  became  involved  in  the 
second  war  with  England  he  joined  the  Amer- 
ican army  and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  war 
of  1812.  lie  was  married  in  Ohio  to  .Miss 
Mary  Linkefelter,  a  native  of  Maryland,  and 
for  several  years  thereafter  he  carried  on  farm- 
ing in  Ohio.  Nine  children  were  horn  unto 
him  and  his  wife  in  that  state  and  in  1840  lie 
came  with  his  family  to  Illinois,  settling  in 
Montgomery  county  in  what  is  now  Irving 
township.  The  work  of  improvement  had 
scarcely  been  begun  in  this  section  of  the  state 
at  that  time.  The  homes  of  the  early  residents 
were  largely  log  cabins  situated  in  the  edge 
of  the  forest,  for  it  was  not  thought  that  the 
prairie  -land  was  of  much  value.  Mr.  Weller 
purchased  a  farm  of  five  hundred  acres  and 
began  its  cultivation,  planting  the  seed  that  in 
due  course  of  time  brought  forth  rich  crops. 
He  carried  on  his  farm  work  in  a  modern  way 
until  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death  in 
the  spring  of  1843.  His  widow  survived  him 
for  a  long  period  and  reared  her  family  upon 
the  old  homestead,  doing  a  mother's  full  part 
by  her  children.  She  died  in  1886  at  the  age 
of  eighty-four  years,  lint  her  memory  is  yet 
enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  her  sons  and  daugh- 
ters and  ninny  friends  who  esteem  her  for  her 
many  excellent  traits  of  character. 

Daniel  Weller  is  one  of  the  two  sons  and  two 
daughters  of  the  family,  who  are  yet  living. 
He  was  a  lad  of  only  about  eight  years  when 
brought  by  bis  parents  to  Illinois  and  on  the 
homo  farm  bis  youth  was  passed.  He  had  few 
advantages  and  privileges  during  that  period. 
To  some  extent  be  attended  the  public  schools, 
lint  bis  labors  were  largely  needed  in  carrying 
on  the  farm  work  and  lie  early  became  familiar 
with  all  the  duties  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the 
agriculturist.  After  attaining  his  majority  he 
desired  to  establish  a  home  of  his  own  and  was 
married  in  Montgomery  county.  March  29, 
I860,  to  Miss  Lydia   Heflev,  wr-o  was  born  and 


■3 : 2 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


reared  in  this  county  and  is  a  daughter  of  Til- 
man  Hefley.  The  young  couple  began  theii 
domestic  life  upon  the  farm  which  he  yet  owns, 
but  which  at  that  time  comprised  only  eight 
acres  of  land,  which  was  raw  and  unimproved. 
This  he  began  to  break  and  when  the  plowing 
was  done  he  planted  his  seed  and  in  due  course 
of  lime  garnered  rich  crops.  These  early 
years  and  fraught  with  unremitting  toil,  but 
he  possessed  the  determinat  on  to  persevere  in 
his  work  and  as  the  years  passed  by  his  finan- 
cial resources  increased,  enabling  him  to  buy 
land  from  time  to  time  until  he  became  the 
owner  of  four  hundred  acres.  Upon  his  farm 
he  erected  a.  large  two-story  residence  of  pleas- 
ing appearance  and  he  also  built  two  substan- 
tial barns.  He  likewise  put  out  orchards,  one 
of  which  is  now  in  excellent  bearing  condition 
and  he  planted  maple  and  evergreen  trees, 
which  are  a  pleasing  feature  of  the  home.  As 
his  children  have  grown  he  has  divided  his  land 
and  po.-sessions  with  them,  hut  still  retains 
possession  of  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  of 
the  old  home  place,  constituting  a  very  val- 
uable farm,  which  would  bring  a  high  market 
price. 

In  1902  Mr.  Weller  lost  his  wife,  who  de- 
parted this  life  on  the  2nd  of  January  of  that 
year.  Eleven  of  their  children  are  living, 
namely:  Emma,  the  wife  of  Rolla  Rolf,  of 
Logan  county;  Mrs.  Ellen  Wilson,  a  widow  re- 
siding in  Irving;  Lewis,  of  Irving  township; 
John  and  George,  who  are  living  in  St.  Louis; 
Noah,  a  resident  farmer  of  Raymond  town- 
ship; Mrs.  Maggie  Frame,  who  is  living  near 
Hillsboro;  Mrs.  Mollie  Fricke.  wife  of  Wil- 
liam Fricke.  who  is  represented  elsewhere  in 
this  work;  Herbert.  Otto  and  Ross,  all  at 
home. 

In  his  political  affiliation  Mr.  Weller  is  a 
Republican.  He  cast  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  Fremont  in  1856.  and  in  1SG0  supported 
Lincoln.  He  has  voted  the  national  ticket  at 
each  presidential  election  since  that  time, 
while  at  local  elections  he  supports  tin'  candi- 
date whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  for  office, 
regardless  of  party  affiliation.  He  belongs  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  hut  was 
reared  in  the  Lutheran  faith.  Long  years  have 
umie  and  gone  since  he  became  a  resident  of 


Montgomery  county  in  his  early  boyhood  days 
and  he  has  watched  with  interest  its  growth 
and  development  a-  the  county  has  merged 
from  the  swamp  and  the  wilderness  to  take- 
its  place  with  the  most  productive  agricul- 
tural district  of  this  great  grain-growing  state. 
His  mind  bears  many  pictures  of  early  pioneer 
conditions  and  of  the  progress  that  has  been 
wrought  as  the  years  have  gone  by  and  no  one 
takes  more  pride  in  what  has  been  accomplished 
than  Daniel  Weller,  who  has  at  all  times 
favored  substantial  ami  practical  development. 


WILLIAM   11.  McLEAN. 

A  rich  and  productive  farm  of  four  hun- 
dred and  ten  acres  adjoining  the  village  of 
Farmersville  is  the  property  of  William  II. 
McLean.  It  is  located  on  section  33,  Bois  Dare 
township,  and  the  cultivation  and  improvi  meiit 
which  he  bestowed  upon  it  has  made  it  a  valu- 
able property,  notable  even  in  a  district  famous 
for  its  line  farms.  Mr.  McLean  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Illinois  since  1864,  coming  to  this  state 
when  a  youth  of  about  fourteen  years.  His 
birth  occurred  in  Middlesex  county,  New  Jersey* 
July  10.  1850. 

His  father,  Martin  McLean,  was  born  in 
Ireland  and  came  to  America,  the  family  home 
being  established  in  New  Jersey,  whi  re  he  re- 
sided until  1864.  Having  in  the  meantime  mar- 
ried and  become  the  father  of  three  children 
he  removul  with  his  family  in  that  year  to 
Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  where  he  pur- 
chased the  land  upon  which  his  son  William 
H.  now  resides.  There  he  carried  on  general 
farming  and  stock-raising,  meeting  with  excel- 
lent success  in  his  undertakings  so  that  he 
was  enabled  to  add  to  his  landed  possessions  and 
eventually  became  the  owner  of  eight  hundred 
acres.  He  spent  his  last  years  upon  this  farm, 
passing  away  about  1898.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Carey,  died  some 
years  prior  to  his  demise.  In  their  family  were 
three  children:  J.  J.,  who  is  now  a  resident 
of  St.  Louis,  was  at  one  time  county  treasurer 
of  Montgomery  county,  served  for  two  terms 
as  circuit  clerk  and  was  a  prominent  and  in- 
fluential ciJzen  of  Hillsboro   and  this  portion 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


373 


of  the  state;  William  H.  is  the  second  of  the 
l';nuil\  ;  and  Margaret  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
MeAnamry,  of  Farmers^  ille. 

William  H.  McLean  came  to  Illinois  when 
in  his  fourteenth  year  and  was  reared  upon  the 
old  homestead  farm,  continuing  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  neighborhood  his  education  which 
had  been  begun  in  New  Jersey.  He  remained 
with  his  lather  until  about  twenty-nine  years  of 
age  and  received  manual  training  at  farm  la- 
bor, beginning  work  in  the  fields  in  early  youth. 
Ih  was  taught  how  to  plant  the  seed,  cultivate 
the  crops  ami  gather  the  harvests  and  also 
drilled  in  the  best  methods  of  earing  for  the 
stock,  so  that  when  he  began  business  on  his 
own  account  he  had  ample  experience  to  aid 
him.  After  his  marriage  he  located  upon  a 
part  of  the  old  home  farm  and  subsequent  to 
his  father's  death  he  became  the  owner  of  a 
larger  portion  id'  (his  by  purchasing  the  inti  rests 
of  the  other  heirs.  He  has  since  continued  the 
work  of  further  development  and  improvement 
here  and  he  now  has  broad  fields  giving  promise 
of  excellent  crops.  He  has  intimate  knowledge 
of  the  best  methods  of  tilling  the  soil  so  as  to 
produce  good  harvests  and  in  connection  with 
the  raising  of  grain  he  is  successfully  engaged 
in  the  raising  of  good  grades  of  stock,  lie  Fat- 
tens several  carloads  of  western  sheep  i uallv 

aiid  also  fattens  some  cattle  and  hogs,  which 
he  ships  to  the  city  markets. 

Pleasantly  situated  as  regards  his  home  life, 
Mr.  McLean  was  married  on  the  4th  of  July, 
L880,  to  Mi--  Mary  Gaul,  who  was  horn  in 
Jersey  county.  Illinois,  hut  -pent  her  girlhood 
days  in  Montgomery  county.  Six  children  have 
graced  this  union:  Martin  I'1..  at  home;  Katie. 
i  fe  wife  of  John  Gillman,  a  merchant  of  Far- 
in  rsville;  J.  .1..  William  L.,  Allen  and  Ella, 
who  arc  yet  with  their  parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
McLean  were  reared  in  the  Catholic  faith  and 
are  members  of  the  church  of  that  denomination 
in  Parmersville.  For  forty  years  he  has  lived 
upon  the  same  farm  in  Montgomery  county, 
during  which  time  he  has  witnessed  much  of 
the  growth  and  development  of  this  part  of  the 
state.  He  has  seen  its  wild  lands  reclaimed  and 
transformed  into  productive  fields, has  seen  the 
growth  of  towns  and  villages  and  the  introduc- 
tion  of   all    improvements   known    to   the   older 


east,  lie  takes  quite  an  active  interest  in 
local  political  affairs,  as  an  advocate  of  the 
Democracy,  ami  was  elected  ami  served  for 
three  term-  as  supervisor  and  was  chairman 
of  the  finance  and  poor  claims  committees,  lie 
has  also  served  on  the  village  school  board  for 
a  number  of  years,  has  been  a  member  of  the 
town  board,  of  which  he  was  president,  and  has 
been  selected  as  a  delegate  to  the  county  and 
congressional  conventions,  hi  all  of  tlnse  posi- 
tions he  has  discharged  his  duties  faithfully, 
promptly  and  capably  and  his  public  record, 
like  his  private  life,  is  above  reproach. 


WILLIAM   .1.  YESKE. 
William  .1.  Yeske,  who  is  engaged  in  general 

tanning  on  section  2,  [rving  township,  was 
horn  in  Germany,  August  1.  I860,  and  is  a  son 
of   Christlicb   and    Minnie    (Clabonda)    Yeske, 

both  of  wl i  were  natives  of  Germany,  whence 

t  he\  came  to  the  United  States  in  1872,  locating 
in  ILillshoro.  Illinois.  The  father  engaged  in 
Earming  and  remained  a  resident  of  Montgomerj 
county  until  his  death  in  1898.  when  he  was 
sixty-four  years  of  age.  Ili>  widow  still  re- 
sides upon  the  old  homestead  at  the  age  of 
seventy-four  year-. 

William  .1.  Yeske  was  a  youth  of  twelve 
years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
emigration  to  the  United  States.  He  contin- 
ued his  education  begun  in  Germany  as  a  stu- 
dent in  the  common  schools  of  Irving  township 
ami  lived  at  home  until  twenty-five  \ears  of 
age,  during  which  time  he  received  practical 
training  in  farm  work  by  assisting  in  the  labors 
of  fields  and  meadow.  On  leaving  home  he 
began  farming  on  his  own  account  by  renting 
a  tract  of  land  of  George  W.  Paisley.  He  lived 
upon  tins  lor  six  years  ami  then  removed  to 
southwestern  Minnesota,  where  he  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  He  there 
resided  lor  ,-ix  years,  after  which  he  sold  that 
property  in  1892  and  bought  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres  in  section  2,  Irving  township.  This 
ha-  since  been  his  place  of  abode  ami  he  has 
extended  the  boundaries  of  his  farm  by  the  pur- 
chase of  an  additional  tract  of  forty  acres,  mak- 
ing   now  altogether  one    hundred   and    eighty 


374 


PAST    AND    PRFSEXT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


acres.  His  farm  is  well  equipped  with  modern 
machinery  and  accessories  and  his  land  is  richly 
cultivated  so  that  the  fields  annually  return 
to  him  a  good  harvest,  making  him  one  of  the 
substantial  citizens  of  his  community. 

On  the  16th  of  May,  1894.  Mr.  Yeske  was 
united  in  marriage  to  .Miss  Minnie  Heffley,  a 
daughter  of  D.  T.  and  Myra  Heffley,  early  set- 
tlers of  this  county.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yeske 
have  been  born  three  children:  Verna,  eight 
years  old;  Shurley,  born  August  14.  1898; 
and  Vera,  born  duly  29,  1900.  The  wife  and 
mother  died  March  23,  1903,  at  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-nine years  and  two  days.  Mr.  Yeske  is  a 
member  of  St.  John's  Lutheran  church  and 
of  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  at  Irving.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  will  have  served 
as  a  member  of  the  school  board  for  six  years 
when  his  present  term  expires.  He  takes  a 
deep  interest  in  the  cause  of  education,  believ- 
ing it  to  be  the  bulwark  of  the  nation  and  he 
does  everything  in  his  power  to  secure  good 
schools  and  competent  teachers  in  bis  district. 
He  has  a  patriotic  interest  in  all  that  pertains 
to  public  progress  and  improvement  and  while 
capably  managing  his  private  business  affairs  he 
has  yet  found  time  to  aid  in  the  advancement 
of  measures  which  have  for  their  object  the 
general  good. 


EMERY  WRIGHT. 


Success  depends  upon  the  individual  and 
not  upon  environment,  fortunate  circum- 
stances or  inheritance.  In  this  land  where  op- 
portunity is  open  to  all,  the  great  majority  of 
our  successful  men  are  those  who  have  been 
dependent  upon  their  own  resources  and  capa- 
bilities from  early  age  and  it  is  to  this  class 
that  Emery  Wright,  now  a  successful  general 
merchant,  belongs,  lie  was  born  in  Fillmore 
township,  May  s.  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  Jarrett 
and  Mary  (Whitten)  Wright.  His  father,  also 
a  native  of  Fillmore  township,  was  born  March 
In.  1819,  and  represented  one  id'  the  oldest 
pioneer  families  of  Montgomery  county.  The 
grandfather.  Joseph  Wright,  settled  in  Ibis 
county  when  there  were  few  residents  within  its 
borders   and   when   the   work   of    improvement 


and  progress  lay  largely  in  the  future.  Reared 
to  manhood  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  the  fron- 
tier. Jarrett  Wright  began  farming  on  attain- 
ing bis  majority  and  through  a  long  period 
successfully  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits, 
becoming  one  of  the  extensive  farmers  of  this 
community.  As  his  financial  resources  in- 
creased he  invested  in  land,  becoming  the 
owner  of  over  eight  hundred  acres,  of  which 
more  than  six  bundled  acres  was  in  Mont- 
gomery county.  lb'  was  also  prominent  in 
public  affairs  and  exerted  strong  influence  in 
behalf  of  upbuilding  and  substantial  improve- 
ment. He  served  in  the  war  with  Mexico  and 
bis  political  support  was  givej)  to  the  Democ- 
racy. He  was  married  in  IS  19  to  Mis-  Mary 
Whitten,  a  daughter  of  Kastnn  Whitten,  one 
of  the  oldest  pioneer  fam  lies  of  the  county. 
Her  father  served  in  the  Rliek  Hawk  war, 
I "nt o  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jarrett  Wright  were  born 
six  children,  five  of  whom  arc  now  living  in 
Fillmore  township.  Mr.  Wright  passed  away 
on  the  2d  of  March.  1890,  and  bis  wife  sur- 
vived him  until  1897.  He  was  a  self-made 
man.  whose  unfaltering  industry  and  strong 
purpose  proved  the  basis  of  bis  success,  and 
throughout  an  active  and  useful  career  be  was 
always  found  to  be  honorable  and  straightfor- 
ward, never  taking  advantage  of  the  necessities 
of  bis  fellow  men  in  any  trade  transaction. 

Emery  Wright  began  his  education  in  the, 
public  schools  of  Fillmore  township  and  after- 
ward continued  his  studies  in  Hillsboro,  thus 
acquiring  a  good  practical  education.  He 
taught  school  for  one  term  and  then  turned  his 
attention  to  the  cultivation  of  his  father's 
farm,  which  he  continued  to  operate  and  im- 
prove until  1884,  devoting  In-  attention  mostly 
to  the  cultivation  of  grain.  In  that  year  he 
went  to  Serento  and  spent  a  year  and  a  half 
in  general  merchandising,  after  which  be  re- 
turned home  and  again  began  farming.  In  the 
fall  of  1886  he  was  appointed  to  the  position 
of  deputy  county  clerk'  and  served  in  that  ca- 
pacity until  June.  L891.  He  then  remained 
upon  the  home  farm  until  18.92,  when  he  was 
elected  to  the  position  of  circuit  clerk  and  re- 
sided in  Hillsboro  through  the  succeeding  four 
years  or  until  1896,  when  his  term  of  office 
expired,  and  he  returned  to  the  old  homestead. 


EMERY    WRIGHT 


MR.     AND     MRS.     JARRETT     WRIGHT 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    01 


MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


:;;; 


In  1900  he  opened  a  genera]  store,  which  he 
conducted  with  fair  success  for  aboul  twenty 
months.  He  then  sold  out,  hut  afterward  again 
i  Qgaged  in  merchandising  and  he  now  con- 
ducts a  well  equipped  general  mercantile  estab- 
lishment, carrying  a  well  selected  line  of  g Is 

such  ns  arc  demanded  by  the  country  trade. 

Mr.  Wright  is  a  charter  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  at  Hillsboro.  Ee  en- 
dorses I  lie  principles  of  the  Democracy  and 
always  takes  an  active  interest  in  politics,  do- 
ing everything  in  his  power  to  promote  the 
growth  and  insure  the  success  of  his  party.  In 
the  positions  which  he  has  filled  he  has  ever 
been  found  true  to  the  trust  reposed  in  him 
and  in  all  relations  of  Life  he  has  faithfully 
met   every  obligation  ami  duty. 


CALVIN    II.  MACK. 

One  ef  the  younger  representative  farmers 
and  progressive  stock-raisers  ol  Raymond  town- 
ship is  Calvin  II.  Mack,  whose  property  of  two- 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  is  located  on  paction 
:::>.  It  forms  one  of  the  pleasing  features  in 
the  landscape  because  of  the  well  tilled  fields, 
the  substantia]  buildings  and  the  air  of  neat- 
uess  and  thrift  which  pervades  the  place.  Mr. 
Mack  is  a  native  son  of  the  county  and  was 
horn  upon  the  farm  where  he'  now  resides 
January  P.'.  L861.  lie  is  a  son  of  Oscar  C. 
Mack,  whose  birth  occurred  at  Gilson,  New 
Hampshire,  in  1829. 

The  grandfather.  Calvin  Mack,  who  for  many 

years  resided  in  the  Old  Granite  state,  ci to 

Illinois  in  1838,  settling  in  Montgomery  county. 
He  established  his  home  in  Butler  Grove  town- 
ship near  Ware's  Grove,  where  he  transformed  a 
tract  of  wild  land  into  richly  cultivated  fields, 
opening  up  a  farm  on  which  his  son  Oscar  C. 
Mack  grew  to  mature  years.  When  manhood 
had  been  attained  the  latter  was  married  in 
Montgomery  county  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Eugg, 
a  native  of  New  Jersey,  whose  girlhood  days, 
however,  were  passed  in  Illinois,  the  family 
arriving  here  about  L844.  Eer  father  was 
Si | ii iro  Hugg.  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  resi- 
dents of  the  state.  Oscar  C.  Mack  purchased 
laud  and  located  upon  the  farm  which   is  now 


the  home  of  his  son  Calvin.  This  became  his 
residence  properly  in  1860  and  his  labors 
wrought  a  great  transformation  in  (he  appear- 
ance of  the  farm,  which  was  in  :r  primitive  con- 
dition when  it  came  into  his  possession.  The 
work  of  plowing,  planting  and  harvesting  was 
carried  on  year  after  year  ami  in  due  course  of 
time  the  fields  became  ver;  productive,  so  that 
the  sales  of  his  crops  brought  to  him  a  good 
income  and  enabled  him  to  add  to  his  place 
until  he  hail  four  hundred  acres.  Upon  his 
farm  he  reared  his  family,  hut  in  later  years 
he  removed  to  Raymond,  where  in  L892  he  pur- 
chased a  home,  in  which  he  spent  his  remaining 
days,  passing  away  there  in  1902.  Jlis  wife 
survives  him  ami  still  resides  in  Raymond,  one 
of  the  worthy  business  women  of  Montgomery 
county  whose  mind  is  a  connecting  link  between 
the  primitive  conditions  of  the  past  and  the 
progressive  prcseni  with  its  advanced  modern 
civilization.  In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple 
were  five  children,  of  whom  Calvin  II.  is  the 
eldest  and  the  only  son.  The  others  are:  Alice 
.lane,  the  wife  of  Lewis  A.  Wiley,  of  Raymond 
lowuship;  Fannie,  the  wife  of  Chester  Berry,  of 
Raymond  township;  Charlotte,  the  wife  of  Da- 
vid Ware  of  Butler  Grove  township;  and  Mary 
Roselina,  who  died  when  hut  six  years  of  age 

Calvin  II.  Mack  spent  Ins  boyhood  days  in 
the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  of  the  period, 
enjoying  some  advantages  and  pleasures,  and 
at  the  same  lime  sharing  with  the  family  in  the 
hard  work  of  the  farm.  He  attended  the 
common  schools  and  in  the'  summer  months 
worked  in  held  and  meadow.  lie  has  never 
desired  to  engage  in  other  occupation  than  that 
to  which  he  was  reared  and  he  succeeded  to  I  In' 
ownership  of  the  old  homestead  partly  by  inheri- 
tance and  partly  by  purchase  of  the  interests 
of  the  other  heirs.  He  now  carries  on  general 
farming  and  stock-rais  ng  and  also  feeds  some 
stock  for  the  market.  His  place  covers  two  hun- 
dred ami  eighty  acres  of  the  rich  and  arable 
land  of  Raymond  township.  The  soil  is  very 
productive  and  responds  readily  to  the  cultiva- 
tion which  he  bestows  upon  il  and  therefore 
he  annually  harvests  good  crops. 

In  Butler  township  in  18,87  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Mack  and  Miss  Laura  M. 
Wiley,  who  was  born  near  Hillsboro  and  spent 


378 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


her  girlhood  days  in  Butler  Grove  and  Raymond 
townships,  her  parents  being  John  and  Sophia 
Wiley,  who  were  residents  of  this  state.  The 
mother  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  with 
her  daughter  Mrs.  Mack.  Three  children  grace 
this  marriage,  of  whom  two  are  Living,  Beulah 
and  Roscoe,  while  Mary  died  in  infancy. 

Inti  rested  in  the  political  sentiment  of  the 
country  and  desiring  all  that  is  best  for  the 
nation  Mr.  Mack  gives  his  political  support  to 
tlu  Democracy,  believing  that  its  principles  con- 
tain the  best  elements  of  good  government.  His 
first  presidential  ballot  was  cast  for  Grover 
Cleveland.  He  was  elected  and  served  as  com- 
missioner of  highways  for  seven  consecutive 
years  and  as  a  member  of  the  school  board  for 
ten  years  he  had  opportunity  to  set  forth  his 
progressive  ideas  concerning  education  and  the 
advantages  which  should  be  afforded  to  children 
for  advancement  in  this  direction.  He  is  now 
president  of  the  district  school  board.  He  has 
served  as  a  delegate  to  the  county  and  districCi 
conventions  of  his  party  and  is  recognized'  as  a 
local  leader  of  the  Democracy.  He  and  his  wife 
are  faithful  members  of  the  Lutheran  church 
and  he  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows  society, 
which  he  joined  in  Butler.  He  has  filled  many 
of  its  positions  and  is  now  a  past  grand.  Born 
on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  his  entire 
life  has  here  been  spent  and  he  is  deeply  at- 
tached to  the  place,  because  of  its  pioneer  as- 
sociations as  well  as  because  of  its  later-day 
interests.  It  has  been  the  scene  of  his  manhood 
activity  and  has  yielded  to  him  a  good  income 
as  the  result  of  his  carefully  managed  and  pro- 
gressive farming  methods  and  straightforward 
business  dealings.  He  stands  high  as  a  business 
man.  is  equally  prominent  in  the  regard  of  his 
fellow  citizens  socially,  and  in  all  life's  rela- 
tions lie  has  been  found  true  to  the  trust  reposed 
in  him. 


CHAP.LES   L.   LAWS. 

Charles  L.  Laws,  living  on  section  20,  East 
Fork  township,  is  identified  with  general 
fanning  and  stock-raising  interests,  making  a 
specialty,  however,  of  the  breeding  of  fine  farm 
animals.     He  was  horn  in  Montgomery  county 


upon  the  farm  which  is  now  his  home,  Septem- 
ber 6,  1862,  his  parents  being  William  and 
Mary  (McCaslin)  Laws.  His  father  was  born 
in  Kentucky,  in  November,  1826,  and  when 
three  years  of  age  he  came  to  Illinois  with  his 
parents,  the  family  home  being  established  in 
what  is  now  called  Jett  Prairie  in  Bond  county. 
When  a  young  man  William  Laws  began  work- 
ing upon  a  farm  and  throughout  his  entire  life 
he  has  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
had  nothing  to  aid  him  as  he  started  out  upon 
an  independent  business  career,  and  all  that  he 
possesses  has  been  acquired  through  his  own 
efforts.  In  his  farming  operations,  howevei, 
he  has  been  quite  successful,  has  added  to  his 
place  from  time  to  time,  and  is  now  extensively 
engaged  in  general  agricultural  pursuits  and 
stock-raising,  being  now  the  owner  of  a  good 
property  of  this  character,  about  three  hun- 
dred acres,  hut  the  management  of  the  place 
and  the  active  work  is  largely  left  to  others, 
while  he  is  enjoying  a  well  merited  rest.  He 
lias  long  been  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading 
men  in  his  township,  interested  in  its  welfare 
and  active  in  support  of  all  enterprises  for  the 
general  good.  His  political  allegiance  is  given 
to  the  Republican  party.  In  1854  he  was  unit- 
ed in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  McCaslin,  and  un- 
to them  were  born  nine  children,  of  whom  live 
are  now  living.  The  mother  died  May  30,  1903. 
Upon  the  old  family  homestead  Charles  L. 
Laws  was  reared,  early  becoming  familiar  with 
the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the 
agriculturist.  He  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  near  his  home  and  started 
out  in  life  for  himself  when  twenty-four  years 
of  age,  by  operating  the  old  homestead  farm, 
upon  which  he  n  sides.  In  former  years  he 
was  quite  extensively  engaged  in  the  raising  of 
grain,  but  now  devotes  his  attention  more 
largely  to  the  raising  of  stock.  He  always 
handles  high  grades,  raises  good  sheep  and 
horses  and  also  buys  and  ships  stock.  He  has 
the  reputation  of  being  a  very  successful,  ener- 
getic and  able  farmer,  and  has  prospered  in 
his  undertakings,  and  although  he  had  no 
pecuniary  assistance  at  the  outset  of  his  career 
he  is  now  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  thirty 
acres  of  land,  constituting  a  valuable  farm  and 
one  which  returns  him  an  excellent  income. 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


MR.    AND    MRS.    CHARLES    L.    LAWS 


ME.    AND    MRS.    WILLIAM    LAWS 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COl'NTY 


3S3 


On  the  18th  of  March,  1886,  in  East  Fork 
township,  Mr.  Laws  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Mary  F.  Traylor,  who  was  born  in  that 
township,  February  18,  18G7,  a  daughter  of 
Joel  C.  Traylor,  whose  sketch  appears  else- 
where in  this  volume.  The  children  born  of 
this  union  are:  Effie  May,  born  August  3, 
1889;  Lena  Myrtle,  February  23,  1892;  Wil- 
liam Joel,  February  23,  1894;  Sarah  Camilla, 
June  9,  1897;  and  Mary.  July  19.  1904. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Laws  hold  membership  in  the 
Presbyterian  church  of  Donnellson,  and  in  his 
political  views  Mr.  Laws  is  a  Republican  who 
has  given  stalwart  support  to  the  party  since 
he  attained  his  majority.  Fur  ten  years  he 
has  filled  the  office  of  school  treasurer,  and  he 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  everything  relating  to 
community  interests  and  to  the  substantial  up- 
building of  his  locality.  He  has  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance in  this  part  of  the  state,  where  his 
entire  life  lias  been  passed,  and  the  fact  that 
many  of  his  warmest  friends  are  those  who 
have  known  him  from  boyhood  is  an  indication 
that  bis  has  been  an  upright  career  worthy  of 
the  confidence  that  is  uniformly  i  xtended  him: : 


JAMES  E.  CRAWFORD. 

James  E.  Crawford,  whose  home  farm  on  sec- 
tion 34,  Zanesville  township,  covers  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  acres  of  land  which  is  rich  and 
arable,  was  born  January  10,  18G5,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood which  is  still  his  home  and  because  his 
<nt ire  life  has  been  passed  in  this  locality  he 
has  a  wide  acquaintance  here.  His  father, 
James  M.  Crawford,  was  a  native  of  Tennessee 
and  a  son  of  James  Crawford,  one  of  the  early 
Millers  of  Montgomerv  county,  coining  to  Illi- 
nois from  Tennessee  about  L830.  The  father 
Ox  our  subject  was  here  reared  and  after  arriv- 
ing at  man's  estate  he  wedded  Susan  Thomson, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio,  but  was  reared  here.  In 
order  to  provide  for  his  family  .Mr.  Crawford 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits,  securing  a  tract 
of  wild  land,  which  he  cultivated  until  he  made 
it  one  of  the  good  farms  of  Zanesville  township. 
Prospering  in  his  undertakings  he  added  to  his 
landed  possessions  from  time  to  time  until  he 
was   the   owm  r  of  nearly  four  hundred   acres. 


making  him  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of 
his  community.  His  death  occurred  here  about 
1882  or  1883  and  the  county  thus  lost  one  of 
its  pioneer  settlers,  who  had  long  witnessed  its 
growth  and  improvements  and  had  taken  a  help- 
ful part  in  its  substantial  development  along 
agricultural  lines.  Mrs.  Crawford  survived  her 
husband  for  a  number  of  years  and  passed  away 
in  April,  1904. 

James  E.  Crawford,  one  of  a  family  of  five 
children,  of  whom  four  are  yet  living,  spent 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  upon  the 
old  home  farm  and  was  educated  in  the  Honey 
Bend  school  at  Litchfield.  In  early  boyhood  he 
was  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy 
and  became  his  father's  assistant  upon  the 
farm,  continuing  to  render  him  valuable  aid 
until  his  death,  after  which  lie  was  manager 
of  the  farm  for  a  number  of  years.  Following 
his  marriage  he  located  upon  his  present  farm 
on  section  34,  Zanesville  township.  He  suc- 
ceeded to  a  part  of  the  old  homestead,  purchased 
more  land  and  now  has  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
acres.  He  built  a  good  house,  substantial  out- 
buildings and  has  now  a  well  improved  property. 
Iir Connection  witli  general  farming  he  is  en- 
gaged in  -the  dairy  business,  milking  fifteen  cows 
and  making  daily  shipments  of  cream  to  St. 
Louis.  He  has  followed  this  business  for  four 
years  and  finds  this  a  profitable  source  of  in- 
come. In  addition  to  his  farming  interests 
he  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  is  a  stockholder 
in  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Telephone  Company, 
fully  recognizing  the  value  of  telephonic  com- 
munication in  rural  districts  as  a  help  to  busi- 
ness interests  as  well  as  social  intercourse. 

Mr.  Crawford  was  married  in  Hillsboro  on 
the  23d  of  December,  1884,  to  Miss  Etta  A. 
Grisham,  who  was  born  near  Greenville,  Illinois, 
and  was  reared  in  Bond  county.  They  began 
their  domestic  life  upon  the  farm  which  has 
since  been  their  home  and  they  have  become  the 
parents  of  the  following  children :  Edith  J. ; 
James  A.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eleven  years; 
Susan  M. :  John  II. ;  Mabel  E. :  Nellie  Leora  ; 
Hattie  Julia,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six  months; 
Martha  E.;  Ruth  ;  Gussie  Viola:  and  James  Q. 

Mr.  Crawford  exercises  his  right  of  franchise 
in  support  of  the  Democracy,  of  which  he  is  a 
stanch   advocate,  never  failing  to   vote  for  the 


:!s| 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


party  candidate  since  casting  his  first  presi- 
dential ballot  for  Grover  Cleveland,     lie  has 

never  aspired  to  office,  but  has  given  his  atten- 
tion to  business.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian church.  Mrs.  Crawford  belongs  to  the 
Free  Methodisi  church.  Their  lives,  in  con- 
sistent harmony  with  their  professions,  have 
won  them  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  their 
main'  friends. 


FERDINAND  MOUSE. 

Ferdinand  Morse  has  a  wide  acquaintance 
throughout  Illinois  because  of  his  active  con- 
nection with  the  Modern  American  Fraternal 
Order.  Be  is  serving  as  its  state  deputy  and 
his  Labors  in  this  connection  have  made  him 
widely  known,  while  the  inherent  worth  of  his 
character  has  gained  for  him  the  high  regard 
of  his  fellow  men.  He  makes  his  home  in 
CotlVen  and  is  numbered  anion-  the  native  sons 
of  Illinois,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  High- 
land. Madison  county,  in  1855.  His  parents 
were  Simon  and  Anna  Morse.  The  father,  who 
was  born  in  Ohio,  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion and  came  to  Illinois  about  fifty-five  years 
ago,  casting  in  his  lot  with  the  eariy  settlers 
of  this  portion  of  the  stale,  his  residence  here 
covering  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  his  wife, 
surviving  him  for  seme  time,  died  about  fifteen 
years  ago.  She  was  reared  in  Pennsylvania 
and  to  the  family  she  proved  a  devoted  wife 
ami  mother.  They  had  two  children:  Ferdi- 
nand and  Charles,  who  is  an  extensive  land 
owner  in  Butler  county,  Kansas,  where  he  now 
owns  a  nice  ranch. 

Ferdinand  Morse  entered  the  public  schools 
of  Madison  county  when  but  six  years  of  age 
ami  mastered  the  elementary  branches  of  learn- 
ing there.  Subsequently  he  entered  McKendree 
College  at  Lebanon,  Illinois,  and  on  the  com- 
pletion of  a  scientific  course  was  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1KS7.  Having  enjoyed  ex- 
cellent educational  privileges  he  then  engaged 
in  teaching  school  for  several  years  in  Bond 
and  Plymouth  counties  and  because  of  bis 
ability  to  maintain  discipline  and  impart  readily 
and  precisely  to  others  the  knowledge  that  he 
had    acquired,    be    was    accounted    one    of    the 


successful  educators  of  bis  locality.  On  leav- 
ing the  schoolroom  lie  turned  his  attention  to 
merchandising  in  Macoupin  county,  conduct- 
ing a  store  in  Smithsboro  and  Atwater  for  five 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
began  farming,  which  he  followed  in  Bond 
county  near  Greenville,  Illinois,  for  ten  years. 
He  next  came  to  Coffeen,  where  he  embarked 
in  tin'  lumber  business,  but  after  four  years  he 
sold  bis  lumberyard  to  Mr.  Morgan  and  in 
1902  iie  opened  a  general  store  which  is  now 
managed  by  his  son,  Arthur  B.,  while  Mr. 
Morse  gives  his  attention  to  the  organization 

of  lodges  in  connection  with  the  Modern  A r- 

iean  Fraternal  Order  of  Effingham,  Illinois. 
He  was  made  state  deputy  and  bis  labors  in 
founding  lodges  have  been  very  successful. 
This  keeps  him  upon  the  road  much  of  the 
time  and  is  continually  broadening  his  ac- 
quaintance. He  has  a  deep  interest  in  the 
fraternal  and  helpful  spirit  which  underlies 
the  organization  and  is  an  able  exponent  of  its 
principles. 

In  1871  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Morse 
and  Miss  .lane  Etta  Burnham,  id'  Quincy,  Illi- 
nois. They  became  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren, of  whom  four  are  living:  Mabel  M.,  the 
wife  of  Justin  Eduards;  Arthur  B..  who  is 
i n '\\  twenty-one  years  of  age  and  manages  his 
father'-  -tore:  Lela  Gertrude,  who  is  thirteen 
years  of  age;  and  Berniee  F.,  aged  eleven. 

All  of  the  family  belong  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  Mr.  Morse  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity. 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  the  Modern 
American  Fraternal  Order,  the  Royal  Neigh- 
bors and  the  Mutual  Protective  League.  He 
lake-  a.  deep  interesl  in  secret  societies  and  is 
a  -i  long  advocate  of  fraternal  insurance,  recog- 
nizing its  value  in  providing  for  the  families 
of  its  deceased  members.  In  bis  political  views 
he  was  ,-i  Populist  and  in  1  SOS  be  was  honored 
by  his  party  with  the  nomination  for  congress 
on  its  ticket,  on  which  occasion  he  received  tin1 
full  party  vote.  When  the  Populist  party  does 
not  have  a  ticket  in  the  field  he  gives  In-  politi- 
cal support  to  tin"'  Democracy.  He  is  a  man 
of  very  progressive  ideas  and  has  never  been 
connected  with  anything  that  has  proved  a 
failure.     He  carries  forward  to  successful  com- 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MOXTGO.M  Hl.'Y    COIXTY 


385 


pletion  whatever  he  undertakes  and  bis  busi- 
ness methods  arc  always  such  as  will  bear  the 
closest  investigation  and  scrutiny. 


.1.  M.  110 YT,  M.  I). 


Among  the  successful  representatives  of  the 
medical  fraternity  in  Montgomery  county  is 
Dr.  .1.  M.  Hoyt,  of  Fillmore.  In  a  profession 
where  advancement  depends  upon  individual 
merit  he  lias  steadily  worked  his  way  upward 
U  reason  of  his  close  application,  his  compre- 
hensive knowledge  of  the  principles  of  medicine 
and  surgery  and  his  correct  application  of  them 
in  his  professional  labors.  Or.  Hoyt  was  horn 
in  Rossville,  Kansas,  in  is;-.',  and  is  a  son  of 
T.  M.  and  ('.  0.  Hoyt.  both  natives  of  New 
York.  T.  M.  Hoyt  became  a  railroad  con- 
tractor and  in  that  line  of  business  went  to 
Kansas,  lie  built  the  Kansas  City,  Ft.  Scott 
&  Memphis  Railroad  and  was  putting  in  a  new 
road  from  Memphis,  a  branch  of  the  Iron 
Mountain  Railroad,  when  lie  became  ill.  suffer- 
ing an  attack  of  smallpox,  which  terminated  his 
life  near  Gilmore,  Arkansas.  In  Ins  family 
were  four  children,  of  whom  three  are  living. 
Dr.  J.  M.  Boyi  spent  the  days  of  his  youth 
i.t  Wisconsin  and  then  accompanied  his  mother 
on  her  removal  to  Ramsey,  Illinois,  where  he 
remained  for  five  years.  Fourteen  years  ago 
b  ■  became  a  resident  of  Fillmore.  He  attended 
the  schools  of  this  place,  also  graduated  at 
Hayward's  Business  College  at  S't.  Louis  and 
then,  determining  to  make  the  practice  of  med- 
icine his  life  work,  he  entered  upon  a  course 
of  study  and  for  one  year  was  a  student  in  the 
College  of  Physicians  &  Surgeons  of  Keokuk. 
Iowa.  He  then  matriculated  in  the  Marion 
Sims  College  at  St.  Louis  and  was  graduated 
on  the  10th  nf  April.  1899.  Returning  to  Fill- 
more, he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  medicine 
in  this  place  and  has  built  up  an  excellent 
business,  a  liberal  practice  having  been  ac- 
corded him  in  recognition  of  his  accurate  and 
comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  principles  of 
medicine  and  his  skill  in  diagnosing  and  treat- 
ing his  eases.  He  roads  broadly  concerning  the 
science  of  medicine,  keeps  in  constant  touch 
with  the  progress  made  by  the  profession  and 


lias  a  good  medical  library  at  his  home.  He 
also  adds  to  his  knowledge  through  the  inter- 
change of  thought  and  experience  in  the 
county,  district    and  state  medical  societies. 

On  the  17th  of  August,  1898,  Dr.  Hoyt  was 
married  to  Miss  Lutie  Short,  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
Short,  and  unto  them  were  horn  two  children, 
hut  Marion  is  the  only  one  now  living.  Dr. 
Hoyt  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church  and 
fraternally  is  connected  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  lodge  at  Fillmore.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Republican,  interested  in  (he  success  and 
growth  of  his  party  and  in  1901  he  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster  of  Fillmore,  which  position 
he  is  now  filling,  giving  general  satisfaction 
in  his  administration  of  the  affairs  of  the 
office.  He  is  a  young  man  of  laudable  ambition 
and  indefatigable  energy  and  already  he  has 
won  a.  reputation  in  his  chosen  life  work  that 
many  an  older  physician  might  well  envy. 


J.  S.   KILLPATRICK. 


d.  S.  Killpatriek.  who  for  more  than  twenty- 
two  years  has  resided  upon  his  present  farm  on 
section  I.  Eillsboro  township,  which  was  the 
old  homestead  of  bis  grandfather,  was  born 
on  that  section.  April  2,  1858.  His  father, 
William  Killpatriek,  was  a  native  of  Macoupin 
county.  Illinois,  and  in  his  boyhood  days  came 
to  Montgomery  county,  where  he  was  reared 
and  educated  ami  eventually  began  farming 
for  himself,  lb'  married  .Miss  Margaret  llurd, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  three  children: 
Ella,  who  married  Augusl  Yeske  ami  is  new 
deceased;  J.  S.,  of  this  review;  and  Alice,  who 
has  also  passed  away.  The  mother  died  in  1868, 
ami  the  father,  surviving  her  for  about  twelve 
year-,  died  en  the  10th  of  March,  1880,  when 
in  the  fiftieth  year  of  bis  age. 

Quietly,  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads, 
.1.  S.  Killpatriek  spenl  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth,  but  he  gained  practical  ex- 
perience  concerning  farm  work  during  that 
period  and  was  thereby  well  qualified  to  en- 
gage in  genera]  farming  on  his  own  account 
when  be  attained  man'-  estate.  He  continued 
with  bis  father  until  twenty-two  years  of  age 
and  was  then   in  the  west   for  a  year.     On  the 


38G 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


5th  oi  March,  1882,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Carrie  L.  Seymour,  and  the}  began 
their  domestic  life  upon  the  farm  which  they 
now  occupy  and  which  was  once  the  home  of  his 
parental  grandfather,  John  Kill  pa  trick,  one 
of  the  honored  pioneer  settlers  of  the  county. 
Our  subject  here  owns  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
six  acres  of  land  on  what  is  the  old  Hillsboro 
and  Litchfield  road,  about  two  and  a  half  miles 
west  of  Hillsboro,  and  the  place  is  a  valuable 
property,  with  its  rich  pasture  lands  and  well 
cultivated  fields.  There  is  no  liner  farm  in- 
land anywhere  than  is  to  be  found  in  central 
Illinois  and  Mr.  Killpatriek  owns  one  of  the 
good  farms.  He  feeds  cattle  and  hogs,  and  be- 
cause of  the  excellent  condition  of  his  stock  never 
finds  it  difficult  to  make  a  sale  when  he  places 
his  stock  on  the  market.  He  also  produces  good 
crops,  and  his  farm  is  well  improved  and  valua- 
ble. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Killpatriek  has 
been  blessed  with  two  children :  Essie  and 
William  Earl,  the  latter  one  of  the  youngest 
boy  graduates  to  complete  the  high  school  course 
in  Hillsboro.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Killpatriek  are 
well  known  in  this  county,  where  they  have 
a  large  circle  of  friends,  and  many  of  the  best 
homes  of  the  locality  extend  to  them  hearty 
hospitality.  Mr.  Killpatriek  belongs  to  the 
Mutual  Protection  League.  In  his  political 
views  he  is  a  stanch  Democrat  and  has  served 
as  highway  commissioner  for  two  terms,  dis- 
charging his  duties  in  a  prompt  and  capable 
manner. 


JOHN  H.  MILLER. 

John  H.  Miller,  to  whom  has  been  vouch- 
safed honorable  retirement  from  labor,  and 
who  is  now  making  his  home  in  Raymond,  was 
born  in  Orecne  county.  Illinois,  on  the  14th 
of  January,  1846.  His  father,  Lemuel  G. 
Miller,  was  also  a  native  of  that  county,  born 
August  11.  1820,  and  was  a  son  of  James 
Miller,  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  residents 
of  that  section  of  the  state.  Lemuel  Miller 
grew  to  manhood  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  fron- 
tier life  and  assisted  in  the  arduous  task  of 
developing  a   new   farm.     He  was  married  in 


Ins  native  county  to  Miss  Lucinda  M.  Lee,  who 
was  also  born  in  Greene  county.  They  began 
their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm  and  he  con- 
tinued to  engage  actively  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  his  death,  which  was  occasioned  by 
an  accident  in  1ST9.  His  wife  still  survives 
him  and  is  now  enjoying  excellent  health  at 
the  age  of  eighty  years.  They  became  resi- 
dents of  Montgomery  county  in  18.34  and 
opened  up  a  farm  near  the  old  town  of  Zanes- 
ville,  but  later  removed  to  a  farm  in  the  vicinity 
of  Raymond,  whereon  Mr.  Miller  spent  his  last 
days. 

John  H.  Miller  was  reared  to  the  occupation 
of  farming  and  pursued  a  common  school  edu- 
cation. No  event  of  special  importance  occurred 
to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  him  in 
his  youth.  After  attaining  his  majority  he 
sought  a-  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's 
journey  and  on  the  15th  of  September,  1809, 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Lizzie  J.  Mitts,  a  na- 
tive of  Montgomery  county  and  a  daughter  of 
Jesse  Mitts.  Mr.  Miller  has  owned  and  oper- 
ated several  farms  and  in  his  agricultural  pur- 
suits he  won  prosperity.  His  last  farm  com- 
prised two  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  land  lying 
near  Raymond,  and  upon  that  place  he  made 
excellent  improvements  and  built  substantial 
buildings  that  furnished  ample  shelter  for  grain 
and  stock.  His  fields  were  well  tilled  and  in 
his  pastures  were  seen  good  grades  of  cattle, 
horses  and  hogs.  He  continued  to  reside  upon 
the  farm  until  1902,  when  he  sold  the  property 
and  removed  to  Raymond,  where  he  purchased 
a  new-  residence.  He  also  bought  a  hardware 
store,  in  which  he  installed  his  son  as  man- 
ager, and  while  he  is  still  financially  interested 
in  the  enterprise  he  is  not  actively  engaged  in 
the  conduct  of  the  store.  He  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful as  a  farmer  and  stoek-raiser  and  breeder, 
and  with  a  comfortable  competence  to  supply 
him  with  all  the  necessities  and  many  of  the 
luxuries  of  life,  he  is  now  living  retired. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  have  been  born 
five  children:  Jesse  I.,  a  resident  of  St.  Louis, 
Missouri;  George  J.,  who  is  conducting  a  hard- 
ware store  in  Raymond;  Clifford  E.,  living  in 
Raymond,  Illinois;  Leonora,  the  wife  of  Oscar 
Edwards,  a  merchant  of  Coffeen;  and  Lemuel 
G.  who  is  a  resident  of  Raymond. 


MBS.  J.  H.  MILLER 


J.  H.  MILLER 


MRS.  ZERELDA  MITTS 


L.  G.  MILLER 


MRS'.  L.  G.  MILLER 


UBHAHY 

OF  THE 

m^m  of  ums 


'!V 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


389 


Politically  Mr.  Miller  is  a  stanch  Democrat, 
and  was  circled  and  served  for  one  term  on 
the  county  board  of  supervisors.  Tic  lias  also 
been  highway  commissioner  and  was  township 
school  trustee  for  a  number  of  terms.  Public 
interests  relating  to  the  welfare  and  upbuilding 
of  the  entire  community  always  receive  his  at- 
tention   and    he    gives    to    many   measures   for 

the  public  g 1  his  hearty  co-operation.     Since 

a  lad  of  eight  years  he  has  been  a  resident  of 
Montgomery  county,  has  witnessed  much  of  its 
growth  and  development  and  has  taken  great 
pride  in  what  has  been  accomplished.  His  ster- 
ling character  and  worth  have  made  him  widely 
and  favorably  known  anil  he  well  deserves  rep- 
n  sentat  ion  in  this  volume. 


LEWIS  A.  WILEY. 


Lewis    A.    Wiley,    who    own-    a    farm    of    "lie 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  section   35,   Ray- 
mond  township,  is  a  very    intelligent    and   en- 
terprising agriculturist  and  is  numbered  among 
Montgomery  county "s  native  sons,  his  lite  rec- 
ord being  a  credit  to  his  locality,     lie  was  bora 
in    Butler  Grove   township,  January   30,   1863, 
and  is  descended  from  one  id'  the  old  families  of 
North   Carolina.      His   grandfather,   Zachariah 
\\  iley,  was  born  in  that  state  and.  coming  to  III- 
inois  at  an  early  day.  established  his  home  upon 
a  farm  in   Monteomen  county,  where  he  reared 
his  family.     At  the  same  lime  lie  improved  his 
land  anil  although  he  had  only  the  crude  farm- 
ing   implements    at    that    time   he    transformed 
the    wild    prairie    into    productive    fields.       His 
son,  John    1'.   Wiley,  was  horn  and   reared   upon 
that    farm,  spending  his  youth   amid    the   wild 
scenes  of   frontier  life  and   aiding   in   the  ar- 
duous   task    of    developing    his    father's    land, 
lie  married  Miss  Pachcl  Scherer.  a  daughter  of 
Squire  Scherer.  and  they  began  their  domestic 
life   upon    a    farm   in   Butler   Grove   township, 
while  subsequently  they  removed   to   Raymond 
township    and    there    reared    their    family,   con- 
sisting;: of  three  sons  and   lour  daughters.     Mr. 
Wiley   continued    to   engage     in     agricultural 
piir>uits   until    his   death,   which   occurred    May 
'.':'..    L883.      Hi-   widow    still   survives   him    and 
now    resides    with    her   daughter     Mrs.    ('.    TL 


Mack,  who  is  mentioned  on  another  page  of 
tins  volume.  The  children  of  the  family  are 
Mary  .1..  the  deceased  wife  of  I.  Van  Wright; 
Laura,  the  wile  of  Calvin  Mack,  who  is  men- 
tioned elsewhere  in  this  volume;  Lewis  A.,  of 
this  review;  (diaries  I!.,  a  prominent  farmer  of 
Barber  county,  Kansas;  frank,  an  electrician 
of  Chicago;  Ella,  the  wife  of  Jesse  I.  Miller, 
of  St.  Louis.  Missouri;  and  Nellie,  a  twin 
sister  of  Ella  and  the  wife  of  James  Osborn, 
of  Butler  Grove  township. 

The   boyh I    ami    youth    of    Lewis   A.    Wiley 

were  quietly   passed,      lie   was   reared    to   man- 

I I  in  Butler  Grove  and  Raymond  townships, 

performing  such  duties  as  were  allotted  to  him 
on  the  home  farm  until  he  had  become  familiar 
with  agricultural  pursuits  in  every  department. 
II,.  continued  upon  the  old  home  place  until 
twenty-five  years  of  age  ami  worked  the  farm 
both  before  and  alter  his  father's  demise.  After 
his  marriage  he  rented  a  tract  of  land,  which 
he  cultivated  for  ten  years  and  in  1889  he 
bought    the    place    where    he    now-    resides    and 

built   there comfortable   residence,   taking 

up  his  abode  here  in  March,  1900.  He  has 
also  built  a  good  ham  and  other  substantial 
outbuildings  and  has  made  modern  improve- 
ments which  constitute  this  one  of  the  best 
farms  of  the  locality.  Ho  has  planted  fruit 
trees  until  he  now  has  a  line  orchard  and  has 
set  out  forest  and  ornamental  trees,  which 
make  his  farm  attractive  in  appearance  and 
which  also  add  to  its  worth. 

On  the  lib  of  April,  L888,  Mr.  Wiley  was 
married  to  Miss  Alice  J.  Mack,  a  sister  of  C. 
II.  Mack.  They  now  have  four  children: 
Rosella,   Warren.   Hazel  and   Esther. 

Mr.  Wiley  votes  with  the  Democracy  and 
though  he  has  never  been  an  office  seeker  he 
was  elected  as  township  clerk,  serving'  for  three 
consecutive  years,  lie  has  also  been  a  member 
of  the  school  hoard  for  twelve  years  and  has 
been  district  clerk.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Ware  Grove  Lutheran  church  and  be  is  an  ad- 
vocate  of  all  that  tends  to  benefit  bis  com- 
munity along  material,  social,  intellectual  and 
moral  lines.  His  life  has  been  a  busy  and  use- 
ful one  and  this  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that 
within  four  years'  time  he  has  put  all  of  the 
buildings  upon   his   farm   and   made   the  many 


390 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


substantia]  improvements  that  are  there  seen 
to-day.  He  now  has  a  neat  home  as  the  result 
of  his  frugality  and  industry  and  the  years  are 
bringing  to  him  creditable  success  which  will 
undoubtedly  increase  as  time  goes  by,  because 
he  possesses  the  elements  so  essential  to  pros- 
perity— willingness  to  work  aud  careful  man- 
agement in  the  control  of  his  investments  and 
business  interests. 


.HtllX  B.   TURNER. 


John  B.  Turner  is  the  owner  of  extensive 
landed  interests  covering  eleven  hundred  and 
eight  acres  and  upon  his  farm  he  is  en- 
gaged  in  the  breeding  and  raising  of  Here- 
ford rattle.  He  was  horn  in  Jacksonville,  Illi- 
nois. January  6,  1838,  a  son  of  Jonathan 
Tinner,  who  was  born  in  Pendleton.  Massa- 
chusetts, and  there  spent  his  early  years.  In 
the  '30s  he  came  west,  settling  at  Jacksonville, 
and  was  prominently  identified  with  the  early 
educational  development  of  the  state.  A  'Yale 
graduate,  he  accepted  a  professorship  in  Jack- 
sonville College,  and  he  was  afterward  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Champaign  Agricultural 
College.  His  time  and  energies  during  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  were  devoted  to  educa- 
tional work  along  agricultural  lines  and  his 
labors  proved  of  the  utmost  value  in  the  devel- 
opment of  Illinois.  He  married  Miss  Adolpha 
S.  Kibby,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  seven 
children.  Professor  Turner,  who  was  horn 
in  1805,  reached  the  very  advanced  age  of 
ninety-throe  years,  ami  his  wife,  who  was 
born  in  1808,  passed  away  on  the  fith  of  Janu- 
ary, 1880. 

John  B.  Turner,  horn  and  reared  in  Jack- 
sonville, is  a  graduate  of  the  Jacksonville  Col- 
lege of  the  class  of  18(10.  The  following  year 
he  engaged  in  teaching  school,  and  in  18tH 
he  and  his  brother  William  came  to  the  farm 
upon  which  John  B.  Turner  now  resides  and 
which  had  been  purchased  by  their  father  in 
the  '50s.  The  brothers  continued  in  the  part- 
nership until  the  death  of  William  Turner  in 
1883.  He  was  also  a  graduate  of  Jacksonville 
College  and  was  a  gentleman  of  Lrood  business 
ability    and    enterprise.      Together    thin'   began 


l  he  raising  of  Hereford  cattle,  and  to  this 
branch  of  business  Mr.  Turner  has  devoted  his 
energies  for  many  years.  He  now  has  a  very 
tine  herd,  bred  from  thoroughbred  animals, 
and  has  also  given  considerable  attention  to 
sheep-raising,  making  a  specialty  of  Shrop- 
shires.  and  annually  breeds  three  hundred 
ewes.  His  ranch  covers  eleven  hundred  and 
eight  acres  of  fine  land.  This  is.  indeed,  one 
of  the  best  farms  of  Montgomery  county,  and 
is  pleasantly  located  in  Butler  township,  a 
mile  and  a  half  west  and  one  mile  north  of 
the  village  of  Butler.  There  has  been  no  cle- 
ment of  chance  in  his  life  record,  for  every 
move  has  been  carefully  studied  and  thought- 
fully made,  and  he  is  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  best  methods  of  caring  for  stock  and  keep- 
ing them  in  excellent  condition  for  the  mar- 
ket. In  addition  to  his  property  in  Mont- 
gomery  county  Mr.  Turner  own<  a  ranch  of 
five  thousand  acres  in  Coleman  county,  Texas. 
On  the  '.".M  of  September.  1888,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  John  B.  Turner  and 
the  widow  of  his  brother  William.  They  have 
two  children:  Adolphus  K.  and  Frank.  Mr. 
Turner  is  not  a  party  man  in  polities,  but 
votes  as  he  thinks  best,  supporting  the  candi- 
dates whom  he  regards  as  best  qualified  for 
office  and  advocating  the  principles  which  he 
believes  contains  the  best  elements  of  good 
government  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  His  ex- 
tensive interests,  capably  managed,  return  to 
him  an  excellent  income,  making  him  one  of 
the  substantial  citizens  of  his  adopted  county. 


J.   M.   CORLEW. 

J.  Morgan  Corlew,  who  follows  farming  on 
section  23,  Zanesville  town-hip.  has  spent  his 
entire  life  in  Montgomery  county,  his  birth- 
having  occurred  within  its  borders  on  the  20th 
of  March,  1852.  His  father.  Philip  Corlew, 
was  also  a  native  of  Illinois,  born  in  1822, 
and  the  family  was  established  in  the  state  at 
an  earlv  day.  The  grandfather,  Philip  Cor- 
lew. Sr.,  was  of  French  lineage  and.  becoming 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Illinois,  established  his 
home  in  "Madison  county  when  the  work  of  im- 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


JOHN    B.    TUENEE 


WILLIAM    TURNED 


HflWtno 


L\ttftM« 

(  OF  \UJ**U 


l'AST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


395 


provement  and  development  seemed  scarcely 
begun.  He  afterward  took  up  his  abode  in 
Montgomery  county  and  it  was  here  thai  Philip 
Curlew,  Jr.,  was  reared  amid  the  wild  scenes 
of  the  frontier.  He  was  married  in  this  county 
to  Elizabeth  Barlow,  and.  desirous  of  provid- 
ing a   g 1  Imiiie   tor  his  wife  and   family,  he 

energetically  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits, 
developing  a  new  tract  of  land  into  a  good 
farm,  upon  which  he  made  his  home  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1855,  when  lie  was  a 
comparatively  young  man  of  thirty-three  years. 
His  wife  survived  him  lor  about  four  years 
and  was  married  a  second  time.  There  were 
three  children  by  the  first  marriage:  .1.  Mor- 
gan Corlew,  of  this  review.;  Nancy  Ann.  the 
wife  of  Fletcher  Beck,  of  Litchfield,  Illinois; 
and    Emma   Jane,   deceased. 

J.  Morgan  Curlew  was  reared  in  Montgomery 
county,  spending  his  boyhood  days  on  the  old 
home  farm,  where  he  worked  in  the  field  and 
meadow  when  not  engaged  with  the  duties  of 
tin'  schoolroom.  He  was  united  in  marriage. 
December  28,  1876,  to  Miss  Susan  E.  Roberts, 
also  a  native  of  this  county  and  a  daughter  of 
.lame-  Roberts,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this 
portion  of  the  state. 

Alter  his  marriage  Mr.  Curlew  took  up  his 
abode  upon  a  farm  near  I.itchlield.  where  he 
owned  a  tract  of  eight]  acres  of  land,  which 
ha  improved,  carrying  on  agricultural  pursuits 
there  for  eight  years.  In  1884  he  sold  that 
property  and  purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  nf  land,  on  section  23,  Zanesville  town- 
ship, where  he  now  resides.  He  at  once  began 
the  further  improvement  and  development  of 
this  place  and  his  farm  is  now  valuable  and 
equipped  with  modern  conveniences.  Mr.  Cur- 
lew makes  a  l>usinos>  of  raisins  good  stock  and 
annually  makes  shipments  of  tine  cattle  to  the 
city  market,  but  is  more  especially  engaged  in 
the  raising  of  hogs.  Hi-  farm  i<  one  of  the 
neatest  iii  the  township,  everything  being  in 
gond  order  and  first  class  condition.  He  has 
a  substantial  residence  and  barns  and  other 
outbuildings,  a  bearing  orchard  and  a  nice  va- 
riety of  other  fruits.  There  is  also  a  beautiful 
g7-ove  of  forest  trees,  an  avenue  of  these  trees 
fronting  the  house.  An  air  of  thrift  and  com- 
fort pervades  the  home  and   everything  about 


the  place  indicates  that    Mr.   Corlew  is  a   suc- 
eessful  farmer. 

To  Mr.  ami  Mrs.  Corlew  have  been  born  six 
children:  Effie,  who  is  the  widow  of  Jacob 
File,  of  Colleen,  Illinois;  Fred,  who  is  mar- 
ried and  follows  farming  in  this  county;  Willis 
and  Jesse,  who  assist  in  the  operation  of  the 
home  farm:  Philip  and  Joseph,  also  at  home. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Corlew  are  worthy  Christian 
people,  the  former  holding  membership  in  the 
Baptist  church,  while  the  hitler  is  a  member  of 
the  Free  Methodist  church. 

Politically  Mr.  Corlew  is  a  stanch  Democrat, 
giving  unfaltering  support  to  the  party  since 
casting  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  Samuel 
J.  Tilden  in  1876.  He  has  filled  several  local 
positions  of  honor  and  trust,  to  which  he  has 
been  called  by  the  vote  of  his  townsmen  who 
recognized  his  ability  ami  his  loyalty  in  citi- 
zen-hip. He  has,  however,  never  been  an  as- 
pirant for  office,  caring  little  for  political  pre- 
ferment. At  this  writing  he  is  a  member  of 
the  school  board  and  the  cause  of  education 
finds  in  him  a  warm  friend.  He  has  known  no 
other  home  than  Montgomery  county,  his  entire 
life  having  been  passed  here  and  he  has  there- 
fore been  a  witness  to  much  of  its  growth 
and  development.  He  is  well  known  in  Hills- 
horo  and  Litchfield  and  throughout  the  north- 
ern and  western  sections  of  the  count v  and  he 
has  the  good  will  and  esteem  of  those  with 
whom  business  or  social  relations  have  brought 
him  in  contact. 


DANIEL  F.  BROWN. 


Daniel  F.  Brown,  county  treasurer  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  who  since  the  fall  of  1902  has 
made  his  home  in  Hillshoro  in  order  to  better 
discharge  his  official  duties,  was  horn  in  Harvel 
township,  Montgomery  county,  in  1870.  His 
father.  Martin  Brown,  was  horn  in  Ireland,  and 
is  now  living  in  Harvel  township,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-four  years.  He  came  to  the  United 
states  in  1856,  locating  in  Greene  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  worked  on  the  farm  for  eight 
dollars  per  month.  Two  years  after  his  arrival 
he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  which  was  practi- 
cally in  the  swamps,  hut  he  made  the  most  of 


396 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


Ins  opportunities  ami  I ■  \   draining  and  cultiva- 
tion placed  bis  farm  in  excellent  bearing  condi- 
tion.  When  his  labors  brought  to  him  increased 
financial  resources  he  made  added  investments 
in  real  estate  and  he  is  now  the  owner  of  one 
thousand  acres,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  in 
Harvel  township,  although  three  hundred  and 
sixty   acres   is   in   Pitman  township.     He   was 
a  pioneer,  strong,  sturdy  and  persevering  and 
he  has  made  all  that  he  has  through  his  own 
industry.     He  dealt  extensively  in  stock  and  as 
the  years  have  advanced  he  has  become  one  of 
the    wealthy    men    of    the    county.      Upon    his 
home  he  has  a  comfortable  farm  residence  and 
is  now  enabled  to  enjoy  not   only  the  necessi- 
ties   but    many    of    the    luxuries   of   life.      Mr. 
Brown  is  a  communicant  of  the  Catholic  church 
and  in  his  political  views  is  a  stalwart  Demo- 
crat,   upon   which    ticket    he   has   been   elected 
and  re-elected  township  treasurer  until  his  in- 
cumbency in  the  office  covers  twenty-four  years. 
He    married    Annie     M.     Hoistead,    who    was 
born   in   Ireland  and  is  now  sixty-three  years 
of  age.     She  came  to  the  United  States  in  1863 
with  her  widowed  mother  and  brother,  who  lo- 
cated in  Missouri.    She,  too,  is  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  church   and  by  her  marriage  she  has 
become  the  mother  of  seven  children,  of  whom 
two    are    now      deceased.      Those     living   are: 
Daniel   F. ;   James   W.,   who   is   living   on   the 
home  farm ;  Cornelia,  who  is  the  wife  of  John 
Whelan,  a  farmer  of  Pitman  township;  Sarah, 
the  wife  of  James  Leonard,  a  farmer  of  Harvel 
township;   and   Rose,   the     wife     of      Edward 
Whelan,  a  farmer. 

Daniel  F.  Brown,  in  early  boyhood  days,  at- 
tended the  district  schools  and  in  1890  was 
graduated  from  the  Northern  Indiana  Normal 
School  at  Valparaiso.  He  afterward  attended 
Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  College  in  St. 
Louis.  Missouri,  and  then  entered  upon  his 
business  career  in  Farmersville  as  a  dealer  in 
grain  and  agricultural  implements.  He  re- 
mained at  thai  place  for  five  years,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  he  sold  out  and  was  thereafter 
identified  with  educational  interests  as  a 
teacher  until  1902.  In  the  latter  year  he  was 
elected  county  treasurer  and  is  now  serving 
as  the  custodian  of  the  public  funds  of  Mont- 
gomery   county.      He    had    formerly   been   col- 


lector of  taxes  in   Iims   l.)arc  township  for  three 
years. 

On  the  30th  of  September,  1896,  Daniel  F.- 
Brown was  married  to  Catherine  Aherin.  She 
was  born  in  Girard,  Illinois,  in  1871,  and  there 
is  one  child  of  this  marriage,  Martin  Harold. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  are  members  of  the  Cath- 
olic church  and  he  is  connected  with  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  while  politically  he 
is  a  Democrat.  His  official  record  is  one  which 
will  bear  close  investigation  ami  scrutiny  and 
he  has  given  entire  satisfaction  to  people  of  all 
parlies  by  his  capability  ami  prompt  discharge 
of  duty. 


ROBERT  WOLTERS. 


Robert  Wolters,  who  is  serving  as  township 
assessor  and  who  follows  farming  on  section  1, 
Rountree  township,  is  a  native  son  of  Ohio, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Cincinnati,  on 
the  2nd  of  June,  1855.  His  parents  are  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Louis  Wolters,  residents  of  llills- 
boro,  who  are  represented  elsewhere  in  this 
volume.  Robert  Wolters  attended  the  common 
schools  of  Montgomery  county  ami  also  the 
Fairview  shcool.  He  was  reared  to  farm  life, 
early  becoming  familiar  with  the  tasks  incident 
to  the  development  of  the  fields.  He  lived  at 
home  until  twenty-six  years  of  age  ami  then 
began  farming  for  himself  on  the  place  which 
is  now  his  home,  lie  has  one  hundred  ami  sixty 
aires  of  fine  land  under  cultivation,  consti- 
tuting an  excellent  property,  which  he  has  ac- 
quired as  the  result  of  his  business  sagacity, 
keen  discrimination  ami  unfaltering  industry. 
lie  has  labored  earnestly  year  by  year  ami  is 
widely  known  in  the  community  as  a  represen- 
tative farmer. 

In  January.  1881,  Mr.  Wolters  was  married 
to  At iss  Minnie  Ahrens,  a  daughter  of  Henry 
Ahrens.  She  was  born  in  Macoupin  county, 
Illinois,  in  1851.  Her  father  is  now  living 
with  her  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wolters  have  been  born 
eight  children,  but  their  eldest,  Henry,  died  at 
the  age  of  six  weeks.  Those  still  living  are 
Louisa.  Anna.  Ilulda.  Irena.  Robert.  Albert 
and  Lester,  all  of  whom  are  at  home. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    ('(tl'NTY 


397 


The  parents  are  identified  through  member- 
ship relations  with  the  German  Lutheran 
church  and  Mr.  Wolters  is  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views  and  allegiance.  He  has  served 
as  supervisor  of  his  township  for  six  years,  has 
been  assessor  for  four  terms  and  is  now  filling 
the  latter  office.  He  was  likewise  collector  for 
t.vo  years,  was  justice  of  the  peace  for  twelve 
years  and  during  a  long  period  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board.  Every  duty  of  a  pub- 
lic nature  devolving  upon  him  has  been  faith- 
fully met  and  his  active  co-operation  in  meas- 
ures for  the  public  good  has  been  a  valued  fac- 
tor in  promoting  general  progress  and  im- 
provement. 


C.  H.  TIFFIN. 


C.  H.  Tiffin  is  numbered  among  the  honored 
veterans  of  the  Civil  war.  having  proven  his 
loyalty  to  the  Union  cause  by  service  upon  the 
battle-fields  of  the  south  during  that  long  and 
sanguinary  conflict.  A  native  of  Ohio,  he  was 
born  in  Pickaway  county  on  the  17th  of  No- 
vember, 1843,  his  parents  being  Madison  and 
Abigail  (Crabill)  Tiffin.  His  father  was  a 
nephew  of  Hon.  Edward  Tiffin,  the  first  gov- 
ernor of  Ohio,  who  came  from  England  to 
America  and  settled  in  the  Buckeye  state  when 
it  was  considered  to  be  upon  the  far  western 
frontier.  Madison  Tiffin  removed  from  Ohio 
to  Moultrie  county.  Illinois,  in  1847  and  there 
remained  for  about  seven  years,  or  until  1854, 
when  he  came  to  Montgomery  county.  After 
a  short  period  had  passed,  however,  he  went  to 
Madison  county.  Illinois,  where  he  lived  until 
1866.  In  that  year  he  returned  to  Montgomery 
county,  settling  in  Walshville,  where  he  be- 
came identified  with  farming  interests. 

C.  H.  Tiffin  of  this  review  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  various  removals  until  after 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war.  He  was 
eighteen  years  of  age  when  in  response  to  his 
country's  call  for  troops  to  crush  out  the  re- 
bellion in  the  south  he  enlisted  on  the  12th  of 
August,  1862,  becoming  corporal  of  Company 
I,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-second  Illinois 
Infantry.  He  remained  with  the  army  for  three 
years  and  was  in  many  important  battles.    The 


first  engagement  in  which  he  participated  was 
at  Tupelo,  Mississippi,  and  later  he  was  at 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  and  in  the  battle  of  Fort 
Blakeley.  He  was  the  second  man  in  his  brig- 
ade inside  the  garrison  after  the  capture  of  the 
fort  and  he  was  detailed  as  color  guard.  He 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war  and  from  Fort 
Blakeley  went  to  Montgomery,  Alabama,  and 
thence  lu  Mobile.  Proceeding  northward  after 
the  close  of  hostilities  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged at   Springfield  in  August.  1865. 

When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his  ser- 
vices Mr.  Tiffin  returned  to  Madison  enmity, 
Illinois,  and  resumed  the  pursuits  of  civil  life. 
After  a  short  time,  however,  he  came  to  Mont- 
gomery county,  moving  to  this  locality  at  the 
time  of  bis  father's  return  here.  Ee  settled  in 
Walshville  and  on  the  3rd  of  October,  1867, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  J. 
Garland,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Garland.  At  this 
time  he  purchased  a.  farm  in  Walshville  town- 
ship, to  which  he  took  his  bride  and  they  re- 
sided there  for  fifteen  consecutive  years,  or 
until  1882,  when  they  removed  to  Hillshoro 
township  and  Mr.  Tiffin  rented  a  farm  for  two 
years.  ||e  then  took  up  his  abode  upon  his 
presenl  farm  in  August,  1886,  and  has  since 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  here  with 
good  success. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tiffin  was  blessed 
with  three  sons:  Frank  M.,  Charlie  C.  and 
Joseph  W.  In  1900  Mr.  Tiffin  was  called  upon 
to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the 
i:i,h  of  Octoher  of  that  year.  He  has  since  mar- 
ried Gertrude  Edwards  and  they  now  occupy 
the  farm  in  Hillshoro  township  which  com- 
prises one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  rich  and 
arable  land.  Mr.  Tiffin  is  a  member  of  the  Free 
Methodisl  church  and  has  lived  an  upright, 
honorable  life  and  now  does  everything  in  his 
power  to  advance  the  cause  of  Christianity  in 
the  community  where  he  makes  his  home. 


OTTO  FUNK. 


Otto  Funk  has  perhaps  done  more  than  any 
other  individual  to  promote  musical  culture 
in  Montgomery  county,  having  for  a  number  of 
years  engaged  in  teaching  music  in  East  Fork 


398 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


township.  He  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, October  6,  L868,  a  son  of  Benjamin  and 
Caroline  (Krause)  Funk,  both  of  whom  are 
natives  of  Germany.  They  became  residents  of 
Montgomery  county  in  L881,  at  which  time 
they  settled  upon  the  Jackson  farm  of  four 
hundred  acres,  Mr.  Funk  continuing  in  its  cul- 
tivation with  good  success  until  1892,  when  he 
removed  to  Hillsboro,  since  which  time  his  son 
Otto  has  been  operating  the  rami,  while  the 
father  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in  the  county 
seat. 

Otto  Funk  whs  reared  in  St.  Louis  and  re- 
ceived four  years'  training  in  music  there  and 
four  years  at  Konigsburg,  Germany,  under  such 
distinguished  musical  educators  as  Max  Brodi, 
Robert  Goldbeck  and  Theodore  Oesten.  After 
studying  for  some  time  abroad  Mr.  Funk  re- 
turned to  the  United  Slates  and  spent  two  years 
as  a  teacher  and  concert  player  in  St.  Louis. 
He  it  was  who  laid  the  foundation  for  the  love 
o-f  classical  music  in  Montgomery  county.  He 
was  instrumental  in  having  the  famous  quin- 
tette club  of  St.  Louis  give  high  class  musical 
entertainments  here.  The  leading  members  of 
the  chili  were  George  Herrick  and  Alfred  G. 
Robyn.  Mr.  Funk  realized  that  he  could  not 
derive  financial  benefit  from  this,  hut  for  the 
love  id'  music  ami  because  of  a  public-spirited 
desire  to  educate  the  people  he  made  a  financial 
sacrifice  in  order  to  bring  superior  musical  tal- 
ent to  Montgomery  county.  At  one  time  he  had 
a  very  large  class  of  pupils  in  music,  giving 
as  many  as  two  hundred  lessens  in  a  month, 
but  he  now  has  only  a  few  scholars  as  his  at- 
tention is  given  to  his  farming  interests.  He 
teaches  seven  branches  of  music  and  is  widely 
recognized  as  one  of  the  famous  representatives 
of  the  art  in  this  pari  of  the  state,  having  de- 
veloped his  native  powers  ami  talents  until  he 
is  a  superior  performer,  lie  plays  three  hun- 
dred selections  from  memory  and  when  studying 
he  practiced  ten  hours  a  day.  His  income  is 
derived  principally  from  his  farm  and  he  is 
prepared  to  shelter  three  hundred  head  of  stock. 
One  winter  he  sheltered  Pawnee  Bill's  entire 
wild  west  show.  He  has  a  fish  lake  upon  his 
farm  covering  six  acres  and  the  water  is  eight 
feet  deep.  Tt  is  his  ambition  to  create  a  line 
summer  resort   and  fishery  second  to  none  and 


m  one  consignment  he  received  two  hundred 
thousand  fish,  lie  also  operates  the  second 
largest  ice  plant  111  the  county  and  this  is  com- 
plete  in  every  detail.  In  his  business  he  dis- 
plays marked  ability,  enterprise,  sound  judg- 
ment and  unfaltering  diligence  and  he  is 
justly  accounted  one  of  the  most  progressive 
men  of  Montgomery  county. 

On  the  20th  of  May.  1894,  Mr.  Funk  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Leila  Edwards,  a 
daughter  of  ('.  11.  Edwards,  of  Donnellson, 
and  they  had  four  children:  Viola,  Olga,  Rosa 
and  Benjamin.  Mr.  Funk  is  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  camp,  also  the  Mutual  Pro- 
tective  League,  the  Hankers  Life  Association, 
the  Washington  Life  Association.  His  politi- 
cal support  is  given  to  the  Prohibition  party 
and  he  is  a  stanch  advocate  of  the  cause  of 
temperance.  In  fact,  he  favors  every  move- 
ment that  tends  to  elevate  mankind  and  to 
promote  the  best  character  development. 


ANTON   ('.   GEES. 

Anton  C.  (ices,  a  veterinary  surgeon  of  Ray- 
mond, Illinois,  whose  well  known  ability  in  this 
profession  has  brought  to  him  an  extensive 
and  profitable  business  during  the  thirty  years 
of  his  practice  in  Montgomery  and  adjoining 
counties,  has  been  a  resident  of  Illinois  since 
September,  1870.  He  was  horn  across  the 
water,  however,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Westphalia.  Germany,  on  the  20th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1845.  His  pari  nt-  were  Henry  and  Mary 
(Broeckling)  Gees,  who  spent  their  entire  lives 
in  that  country,  the  father  dying  in  1861  and 
the  mother  in   1875. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject  were 
passed  in  Germany  and  he  studied  veterinary 
surgery  in  his  native  land.  The  favorable  re- 
ports which  hi'  heard,  however,  concerning  the 
opportunities  of  the  new  world  led  him  to  see]; 
a  home  in  America  and  on  the  16th  of  May, 
1870,  he  arrived  in  St.  Louis.  Missouri.  The 
same  year  he  went  to  Iowa  and  afterward  to 
Minnesota,  where  he  worked  at  harvesting  and 
haying  and  in  the  autumn  of  1870  be  came  to 
Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  where  he  secured 
employment    as    a    farm    hand,    being    thus   en- 


MB.    AND    MRS.    ANTON    C.    GEES 


s*Tona««s 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OK    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


•101 


gaged  for  two  years  in  the  service  of  Henry 
Friedmeyer.  He  then  entered  upon  the  prac- 
tice of  liis  profession  and  as  a  veterinary  sur- 
geon  he  has  won  creditable  success.  He  is  now 
one  of  the  oldest  practitioners  in  this  line  in 
the  count}  ami  Ins  business  has  constantly 
grown  in  volume  and  importance,  bringing  to 
him  very  desirable  financial  return.  Purchas- 
ing land,  he  located  upon  a  farm  which  he 
continued  to  cultivate  for  several  years,  hut 
during  the  past  twenty  years  he  has  resided 
in  the  town  of  Raymond,  where  he  erected  a 
neat  residence,  lie  also  owns  a  nice  piece  of 
land  and  has  a  well  improved  place  in  addi- 
tion to  his  farm  property  which  lie  has  in  this 
county.  His  financial  resources  were  limited 
when  he  emigrated  to  America,  hut  his  busi- 
ness ability,  his  capable  management  and   his 

laudable    ambition    have    I n    the    foundation 

upon  which  lie  has  reared  the  superstructure 
of  success. 

In  January.  1880,  Mr.  Gees  was  united  in 
marriage  in  Montgomery  county  to  Mrs.  Har- 
riet Trott,  a  native  of   England,  horn  in   Smii- 

ersetshire,  where  her  girlh 1  days  were  passed. 

She  came  to  the  new  world  in  1870.  joining 
her  fathers'  family  here.  Her  parents  were 
both  natives  of  England  and  on  coming  to 
America  in  1871  first  located  in  Wisconsin,  but 
four  years  later  came  to  Montgomery  county, 
Illinois,  settling  upon  a  trad  id'  land  in  Zanes- 
ville  township,  where  they  made  their  home  un- 
til death.  Both  died  in  L886,  the  mother  on 
the  13th  nf  April,  and  the  father  on  the  27th 
of  December.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gees  have  two 
living  children  :  Sophia,  who  is  a  fine  musician 
and  is  a  leader  of  the  choir  in  the  Catholic 
church  in  Raymond  :  ami  Frank.  They  also 
lost  two  children.  Hen  Adolphus  and  Henry. 
who  died    in  childhood. 

Politically  Mr.  Gees  is  an  earnest  Demo- 
crat, well  informed  on  the  questions  ami  issues 
of  the  day,  and  since  casting  his  presidential 
ballot  I'm'  Samuel  .1.  Tilden  in  1876  he  has 
never  faltered  in  his  allegiance  to  the  party. 
He  was  elected  and  served  for  one  term  on 
the  town  board,  but  he  otherwise  bus  never 
sought  in-  held  office,  preferring  to  give  his 
undivided  attention  to  his  professional  duties 
and   business   interests.      lie  and    his   wife   were 


reared  in  the  Catholic  faith  and  are  members 
of  the  church  of  thai  denomination  at  Ray- 
mond. For  more  than  one-third  of  a  century 
he  has  been  a  resident  of  Montgomery  county, 
witnessing  the  changes  which  have  marked  its 
progress  toward  an  advanced  civilization.  As 
the  years  have  passed  the  circle  of  his  friends 
has  been  extended  with  the  growth  of  the 
circle  of  his  acquaintances  and  he  enjoys  in 
high  measure  the  good  will  and  regard  of  many 
with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


ROBERT  J.  POTTS. 

Roberl  .1.  l'otts  is  (he  owner  of  two  valuable 
and  well  improved  farms,  comprising  three 
hundred  and  twenty-nine  acres  of  land,  which 
is  productive,  owing  to  the  care  and  cultivation 
which  he  bestows  upon  his  fields.  His  home 
is  mi  section  ■.".'.  Zanesville  township,  and  lie 
ranks  among  the  substantial  agriculturists  of 
his  community.  He  was  horn  October  29, 
1872,  a  sou  of  Richard  D.  and  Mary  A.  E. 
(Leyerly)  Potts.  The  lather's  birth  occurred 
in  Macoupin  county,  this  state,  in  the  year 
is:;:,.  Tb,.  paternal  grandfather,  W.  B.  l'otts, 
was  one  of  the  early  residents  of  Illinois,  es- 
tablishing his  home  in  Macoupin  county  When 
its  land  was  largely  unclaimed  and  much  of  it 
was  still  in  its  primitive  condition  awaiting  the 
cultivation  of  the  white  man  to  become  arable 
and  valuable.  Richard  D.  l'otts  was  brought 
to  Montgomery  county  in  his  early  youth,  was 
reared  here,  ami  when  he  had  arrived  at  years 
of  maturity  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss 
Mary  Leyerly,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Ma- 
coupin county.  They  took  up  their  abode  upon 
a  tract  of  new  and  undeveloped  land,  but  he 
soon  placed  the  farm  under  cultivation  and 
worked  persistently  day  after  day  and  year 
after  year  until  prosperity  crowned  his  efforts 
and  he  became  the  owner  of  nearly  five  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  having  a  high  market  value. 
Upon  his  place  he  remained  until  called  to  his 
liual  resl  on  the  28th  of  December.  1902.  His 
widow,  now  surviving  him.  is  enjoying  good 
health  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years. 

Roberl  .1.  l'otts  is  their  only  living  child,  al- 
though   Iwo   of   their   children    reached   mature 


10'.' 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


years.  At  the  usual  age  he  entered  the  public 
schools,  wherein  he  mastered  the  elementary 
branches  of  learning  and  later  he  became  a 
student  in  Blackburn  University  at  Carlinville. 
When  not  occupied  with  his  studies  or  the  pleas- 
ures of  the  playground  he  worked  in  the  iields 
as  his  age  and  strength  permitted  and  remained 
with  his  father  until  after  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  carrying  on  the  home  farm  work  for 
a  number  of  years. 

On  the  18th  of  June,  L900,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Potts  and  Miss  Caroline  Eart- 
lnann.  who  was  horn  and  reared  in  St.  Loins, 
Missouri,  and  is  a  daughter  of  William  Henry 
and  Eleanor  Eartmann,  of  that  city,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  Germany.  Mr.  Potts  began 
opening  up  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  lives, 
and  he  took  his  bride  to  his  new  home,  con- 
tinuing the  work  of  further  development  and 
improvement  there  until  he  has  now  a  very 
valuable  property,  Ins  landed  possessions  ag- 
gregating three  hundred  and  twenty-nine  acres. 
He  has  three  barns  upon  his  place,  has  set  out 
an  orchard  and  has  a  great  variety  of  fruit; 
which  furnishes  many  an  attractive  disli  for  the 
table,  lie  now  routs  considerable  of  his  land, 
hut  is  still  actively  engaged  in  fanning,  and 
each  springtime  gives  promise  of  golden  liar- 
vests  in  the  autumn  in  return  for  the  plowing 
and  planting  in  which  he  is  engaged  in  the 
early  days  of  the  season.  In  addition  to  agri- 
cultural interests  he  is  a  stockholder  and  direc- 
tor in  the  Raymond  National  Bank,  and  he 
assisted  in  the  organization  id'  the  People's 
Mutual  Telephone  Company  and  is  likewise  a 
stockholder  in  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Insurance 
<  'on  i  pan  v. 

The  home  of  Mr.  ami  Mrs.  Potts  has  keen 
blessed  with  one  sou.  James  Garrett.  The  par- 
ents have  many  friends  among  the  younger  peo- 
ple of  Zanesville  township,  as  well  as  the  older 
residents,  and  the  hospitality  of  many  of  the 
host  homes  of  this  section  of  the  county  is 
freely  accorded  them.  In  his  political  views 
Mr.  Potts  is  an  earnest  Democrat  where  national 
issues  are  involved,  hut  at  local  elections  he 
votes  independently,  lie  has  served  for  two 
terms  as  township  assessor,  and  as  a  citizen  is 
public-spirited  and  progressive,  being  deeply  in- 
terested in  everything  that  pertains  to  the  wel- 


fare and  substantial  upbuilding  id'  this  part 
of  the  state.  A  young  man  id'  good  business 
ability  and  strict  integrity,  of  exemplary  habits 
and  upright  life,  all  who  know  him  give  him 
their  confidence  and  regard,  and  he  well  deserves 
mention  in  this  volume. 


S.  E.  GERLACH. 
S.  E.  Gerlaeh,  one  of  the  prominent  busi- 
ne.-s  men  of  Waggoner,  where  he  is  conducting 
a  general  mercantile  establishment,  has  been 
a  resident  of  Illinois  since  1869.  Born  m 
Ohio,  he  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of 
day  in  Northampton,  Clark  county,  on  the  8th 
of  January,  1867,  his  parents  being  Michael 
and  Druscilla  (Overpack)  Gerlaeh.  The  father, 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  was  there  reared, 
and  when  a.  young  man  he  removed  to  Ohio, 
where  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Druscilla 
Overpack.  whose  hand  he  sought  in  marriage. 
She  was  born  in  the  Buckeye  state  and  they 
began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm  there, 
.Mr.  Gerlaeh  continuing  the  cultivation  of  land 
in  Clark  county  until  1869,  when  he  removed 
westward  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Macoupin 
county.  He  lived  there  for  a  Ion  years  ami 
then  came  to  Montgomery  county. 

S.  E.  Gerlaeh  was  reared  as  are  most  farm 
boys,  working  in  the  Iields  during  the  time  of 
spring  planting  and  when  crop?,  were  harvested 
in  the  fall.  In  the  winter  months  he  attended 
the  public  schools,  and  by  reading  and  expe- 
rience in  later  years  he  has  added  greatly  to 
his  knowledge,  becoming  a  well  informed  man. 
The  home  life  of  Mr.  Gerlaeh  has  been  very 
pleasant,  lie  was  married  on  the  16th  of  Xo- 
vember,  1887,  in  Zanesville  township.  Mont- 
gomery county,  to  Miss  Jane  Fooks,  who  was 
horn  December  9,  1864,  a  sister  of  George 
Fooks,  who  is  represented  elsewhere  in  this 
volume.  After  their  marriage  Mr.  Gerlaeh  con- 
tinued to  engage  in  general  farming  for  eight 
years,  meeting  with  fair  success,  lie  then  de- 
termined to  turn  his  attention  to  other  busi- 
ness interests  and  became  a  part  owner  in  a 
lumber  business  in  Waggoner.  Removing  to 
the  town,  he  was  actively  connected  with  the 
conduct  of  that  enterprise  until  January.  1001, 


LIBRARY 

OF  TH€ 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


S.    E.    GEBLACH    AND    FAMILY 


i      mif    •»  *•  v                    •■» 

i 

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1 

«JF     ^^^           "  ^^ 

■-;««&£ 

MICHAEL  GERLACB  AND  FAMILY 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OE    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


-Kir 


when  he  sold  mil  and  purchased  a  general  mer- 
cantile establishment,  which  he  has  since  con- 
ducted. He  now  carries  a  large  and  well  se- 
lected line  of  good-  suitable  for  the  town  and 
country  trade,  and  he  has  built  up  a  good  busi- 
ness, having  a  large  and  constantly  growing 
patronage.  He  lias  won  a  good  reputation,  not 
only  for  excellent  lioo.Is.  Iml  also  for  straight- 
forward dealing,  and  he  has  made  it  his 
earnest  effort  to  please  his  customers  and  make 
them  entirely  satisfied  in  their  trade  relations 
with  him.  Hi'  has  improved  and  built  resi- 
dence property  here  and  he  has  also  bought  a 
good  business  house. 

Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Gerlacb  have  two  children: 
Ethel  Ann.  horn  March  1.'!.  1890;  and  George 
William,  horn  August  •-»;.  1893.  The  parents 
hold  membership  in  the  Baptist  church.  Po- 
litically Mr.  Gerlach  is  a  Republican,  taking  an 
active  interest  in  the  work  otf  his  parly.  He 
has  been  elected  and  served  as  township  col- 
lector and  is  a  friend  of  good  schools,  believing 
in  the  employment  of  competent  teachers.  He 
served  on  the  school  board  for  several  years, 
anil  during  thai  lime  rendered  effective  aid  to 
the  cause  of  education.  He  has  been  a  resident 
of  this  portion  of  the  county  from  his  youth 
to  the  present  time,  and  the  fact  that  many  of 
his  stanchest  friends  are  those  who  have  known 
him  from  boyhood  i>  an  indication  that  his 
ha-  been  a  career  worthy  of  regard  and  one 
that  will  hear  the  closest  investigation  and 
scrutiny. 


HON.  A.  F.  McEWEN. 
lion.  A.  h.  McEwen,  superintendent  of  the 
Litchfield  Marble  &  Granite  Works  ami  one  of 
the  honored  veterans  of  the  Civil  war  ami  in 
days  id'  peace  has  been  equally  loyal  to  his 
country  ami  her  best  interests,  was  horn  in 
Hillsboro  on  the  17th  of  March,  1842.  His 
parents  were  John  and  Lydia  (Fitch)  Mc- 
Ewen. The  former  was  a  native  of  North 
Carolina  and  was  of  Scotch-Irish  extraction, 
manifesting  in  his  life  the  sterling  honesty 
and  rugged  character  of  the  people  from  whom 
he  was  descended.  John  McEwen  came  to 
Montgomery    county    in    1839.      Tie    had    been 


married  in  his  native  stale  hut  his  wife  had 
died  there.  As  a  pioneer  he  made  his  way  into 
this  district  of  Illinois  ami  when  it  was  largely 
a  wilderness  with  hut  few  settlements  and  al- 
most no  improvements.  He  was  a  blacksmith 
by  trade  and  followed  that  pursuit  throughout 
his  entire  business  career.  He  took  an  active 
ami  helpful  pari  in  the  work  of  progress  and 
improvement  here  and  for  many  years  prior 
to  Ills  death,  which  occurred  in  IS  |S.  he  Idled 
the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace.  He  dis- 
charged his  duliis  in  the  court  without  tear  or 
favor  ami  he  also  solemnized  many  marriages 
among  the  earlier  settlers  of  the  county.  His 
death  occurred  at  the  comparatively  early  age 
of  thirty-nine  years.  He  was  an  earnest  Pres- 
byterian m  religious  faith  and  through  his 
efforts  in  behalf  of  the  church  contributed  to 
the  moral  as  well  as  material  development  of 
his  adopted  county.  His  widow  afterward  be- 
came the  wile  of  Rev.  William  J.  Boone,  of 
Shelbyville,  Illinois.  Her  death  occurred  in 
1881  and  was  deeply  deplored  by  many  friends 
for  she  had  the  love  and  esteem  of  all  wdio 
knew  her.  I>y  her  first  marriage  there  were 
four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  one 
sister  residing  in  Hillsboro,  one  in  Springfield, 
Ohio,  and  the  brother  of  our  subject  in  St. 
Louis. 

Aloiizo  F.  McEwen  was  only  sis  years  of  age 
ai  I  he  time  of  his  father's  death.  Four  chil- 
dren were  left  to  the  care  of  the  widowed  mother 
and  it  became  necessary  thai  the  sons  should 
early  start  out  in  life,  so  that  the  subject  of 
this  review  soon  learned  to  face  the  hardships 
and  difficulties  incident  to  farming,  lie  was 
put  to  work  that  he  might  help  his  mother 
and  he  entered  the  employ  of  Mr.  Hayward,  a 
noble  character  of  Montgomery  county,  wdio 
was  known  as  old  "twelve  per  cent."  Mr.  Hay- 
ward  was  an  extensive  landowner  and  Mr.  Mc- 
Ewen entertained  for  him  the  greatest  respect 
and  gratitude,  for  at  the  hands  of  his  em- 
ployer he  met  only  kindness.  Mr.  Hayward 
paid  him  seven  dollars  per  month,  which  Mr. 
McEwen  says  was  the  old  man's  way  of  helping 
Ins  mother,  for  the  hoy  had  little  to  do  and  was 
sent  to  school  throughout  the  winter.  In  his 
youth,  however,  he  assisted  in  the  plowing  and 
as  he  did  his  work  barefooted  he  was  constantly 


1 1  IS 


PAST    AXD    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


on  the  lookout  for  snakes,  which  infested  the 
tall  prairie  grass.  There  were  also  many 
wolves,  panthers  and  wild  eats  in  the  locality 
and  large  herds  of  deer  were  seen,  while  smaller 
game  was  to  be  hail  in  abundance.  His  earnest 
toil  awakened  a  good  appetite  and  brought  on 
sound  sleep  and  these  two  did  much  to  de- 
velop in  Mr.  McEwen  the  strong  constitution 
which  ha-  enabled  him  to  do  an  immense 
amount  of  hard  work  in  his  life  and  conduct 
important  business  interests.  After  leaving 
the  farm  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  marble  cut- 
ter, at  which  he  had  worked  hut  a  short  time 
when  he  became  imbued  with  the  "spirit  of  '61" 
and  enlisted  in  the  famous  Ninth  Illinois  In- 
Eantry  as  a  member  of  Company  H.  on  the 
23rd  of  April.   1861. 

This  regiment  was  transferred  to  Cairo, 
where  the  first  one  hundred  days  of  his  services 
were  -pent.  He  re-enlisted  at  the  end  of  that 
time  and  participated  in  all  the  memorable 
battles  and  stirring  incidents  with  which  that 
regiment  was  connected.  This  was  one  of  the 
most  renowned  commands  of  the  entire  army. 
With  his  comrade-  lie  re-enlisted  July  26,  1861, 
for  three  years'  service  and  under  General 
Grant  the  Ninth  and  Twelfth  Illinois  Regi- 
ments  went  to  Kentucky.  From  the  landing 
at  Paducah,  until  the  opening  of  the  Fort 
Henry  and  Fort  Donelson  campaign — Septem- 
ber 5,  1861,  to  February  6,  1862 — the  time 
was  taken  up  in  squad,  company  and  battalion 
drills  and  no  better  drilled  troops  did  the  state 
send  to  the  front  than  the  Ninth  regiment. 
Ai  fort  Henry  this  command  landed  opposite 
th  i  fort  on  the  Tennessee  river.  The  stream 
was  very  high  at  that  time  and  the  bottoms 
were  covered  with  hack  waters  so  that  wading 
was  necessary.  The  boys  had  to  place  their 
cartridge  boxes  on  their  beads  and  thus  pro- 
ceed under  difficulties,  hut  when  the  high  land 
was  reached  fort  Henry  was  taken  on  the 
double  quick.  Snow,  rain  and  exposure  left 
many  ill  in  the  hospital.  On  the  12th  of 
February  the  regiment  crossed  the  river  and 
took  its  position  in  (lie  rear  of  Fort  Donelson. 
The  Ninth  was  one  of  the  first  to  meet  the  Con- 
federate force-  when  they  tried  to  evacuate  the 
fori  on  the  morning  of  the  15th.  Many  were 
killed    and    wounded    ami    a    few    were    taken 


prisoners.  The  battle  of  Shiloh  followed  and 
only  live  hundred  and  seventy-eight  members 
of  the  regiment  were  able  to  respond  for  duty 
and  only  two  hundred  and  nine  came  out  un- 
scathed, one  hundred  and  three  being  killed, 
while  two  hundred  and  sixty-six  were  wounded. 
There  .Mr.  McEwen  was  hit  three  times,  once 
in  tin1  head,  a  second  time  in  the  shoulder  and 
the  third  time  in  the  leg.  On  Friday.  April 
4.  lS(i"i.  the  Ninth  regiment,  which  had  for- 
merly been  uniformed  in  a  gray  suit  with  a 
still',  high  gray  hat.  was  furnished  with  new 
Mm'  uniforms,  which  thev  wore  on  Sunday 
morning  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh  for  the  first 
time.  The  regiment  was  commanded  by  Colo- 
nel Jesse  J.  Phillips,  the  brigade  by  Colonel 
August  Marsey,  while  General  W.  W.  Wallace 
was  in  charge  of  the  division.  At  the  battle 
of  Shiloh  the  Ninth  held  position  near  a  ravine 
not  far  from  the  place  where  General  Albert 
Sidney  Johnston  was  killed.  It  was  recorded 
that  not  one  straggler  from  the  ranks  of  the 
Ninth  regiment  was  found  after  the  engage- 
ment at  that  place — a  fact  of  which  no  other 
regiment  dining  the  entire  war  could  boast. 
Colonel  box  -ays  in  his  Regimental  Losses  in 
the  American  Civil  War.  "It  has  now  become 
clear  that  the  greatest  loss  sustained  h\  any 
infantry  regiment  in  any  battle  of  the  war  oc- 
curred at  Shiloh  in  the  Ninth  Illinois.  This 
gallant  regiment  fought  on  that  field  at  the 
deadly  point  known  as  the  'Hornets5  Nest,' 
when  it  suffered  a  loss  of  three  hundred  and 
sixty-six  men  out  of  five  hundred  and  seventy- 
eight  engaged,  one  hundred  and  three  being 
killed  outright."'  Its  gallant  Colonel  Phillips 
was  conspicuous  in  the  fray  and  was  wounded 
while  his  horse  was  killed  from  under  him. 
At  the  noted  battle  of  Balaklava  the  Light 
Brigade  of  six  hundred  made  its  famous  charge 
with  a  loss  of  two  hundred  and  forty-seven,  or 
thirty-six  per  cent,  while  the  Ninth  Illinois 
losi  sixty-three  per  cent  in  the  face  of  a  mus- 
ketry that  was  more  terrible  than  the  cannon- 
ading at  Balaklava.  During  the  war  the  Ninth 
suffered  a  total  loss  of  seven  hundred  and 
sixty-six  men  in  one  hundred  and  ten  engage- 
ments out  of  a  total  enrollment  of  fourteen 
hundred  and  ninety-three.  In  the  regiment 
there  were  many  officers  and   privates  of  Ger- 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


H)!l 


111:111,  French  and  American  descent  but  as  Illi- 
nois citizens  their  glory  will  never  fade.  After 
the  battle  of  Shiloh  Mr.  MeEwen  was  sent  home 
on  a  furlough  of  six  weeks,  but  on  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  returned  to  his  regiment 
and  with  it  went  to  Atlanta  and  on  the  famous 
march  to  the  sea.  Not  long  after  this  he  was 
mustered  out  and  returned  home  with  a  most 
creditable  and  honorable  military  record. 

Not  long  after  his  return  Mr.  MeEwen  was 
married  at  Eillsboro  on  the  8th  of  June,  1865, 
in  Miss  Maria  M.  Abbott,  a  daughter  of  Stephen 
Abbott,  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Hills- 
boro,  and  a  sister  of  Hon.  William  Abbott,  an 
attorney  of  this  city.  In  the  spring  of  1866 
they  removed  to  Litchfield  and  Mr.  MeEwen 
opened  a  marble  shop  on  the  north  side  of  the 
public  square,  where  he  was  located  in  business 
for  twelve  years.  In  1878  he  established  a 
grocery  store,  which  he  conducted  for  two  years, 
but  in  1880  he  again  engaged  in  the  marble 
business  and  in  1888  he  assisted  in  organizing 
the  Litchfield  Marble  &  Granite  Works,  with 
Hon.  T.  C.  Kirkland  as  president  and  Hon.  S. 
M.  Grubbs  as  treasurer,  while  Mr.  MeEwen 
Ik  came  superintendent  and  has  since  acted  in 
that  capacity.  This  is  one  of  the  leading  firms 
in  tins  line  of  business  in  central  Illinois  and 
Mr.  MeEwen's  long  experience  has  well  quali- 
fied him  for  the  conduct  of  the  extensive  and 
important  business  which  is  now  accorded  to 
the  company. 

Into  Mr.  and  Mrs.  MeEwen  have  been  born 
five  children:  Minnie  H..  born  March  1,  1866, 
is  now  the  wife  of  John  J.  Munson.  of  Minne- 
apolis. Minnesota,  and  they  have  one  child,  an 
infant ;  Grace  is  the  wife  of  James  P.  Robin- 
son, of  Hillsboro.  and  they  have  one  son  and 
two  daughters;  Maude  A.  is  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam Wilkes;  Alonzo  F.  is  employed  in  his 
father's  shop :  Florence  is  at  home. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  MeEwen  is  a  stal- 
wart Democrat,  and  upon  that  ticket  was  elect- 
ed to  the  city  council  from  the  third  ward  in 
18,1  and  1875.  He  was  appointed  by  Governor 
Tanner,  of  Illinois,  a  member  of  the  Shiloh 
battlefield  commission  and  has  served  in  that 
capacity  since  September  4.  1897.  The  mem- 
bers of  this  commission  are  to  mark  positions 
of  the  Illinois  regiment  on  the  battlefield   and 


erect  appropriate  monuments  to  the  memory 
of  those  brave  men  who  fell  there.  The  mem- 
bers  "I'  the  commission  at  the  present  writing, 
in  1904,  are  Captain  George  A.  Busse,  presi- 
dent; Major  George  Mason,  secretary;  Colonel 
J.  B.  Nulton,  Captain  Thomas  A.  Weisner, 
Captain  Benson  Wood,  Captain  J.  B.  Ramsey, 

Captain  Ti tin    Slattery,   Eon.  Isaac  Yantis, 

Hon.  A.  F.  MeEwen  and  Hon.  Sheldon  A. 
Ayres.  In  1900  Mr.  MeEwen  was  appointed 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  designs  and  ma- 
terials by  Major  General  John  A.  McClernand, 
president  of  the  hoard,  and  as  the  result  of 
Mr.  MeEwen's  committee  efforts  forty  magnifi- 
cent monuments  now  mark  the  positions  of 
twenty-eight  regiments  of  infantry,  eleven  bat- 
teries and  four  detachments  of  cavalry  on  the 
field  of  Shiloh.  He  set  up  the  first  regimental 
monument  in  honor  of  the  Ninth  Illinois  in 
the  battlefield  of  Shiloh.  He  is  a  prominent 
and  interested  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
Hie  Republic  and  greatly  enjoys  meeting  with 
his  old  comrades  at  the  annual  reunions.  He 
also  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp, 
No.  379.  He  has  been  a  successful  business 
man  and  has  a  host  of  warm  friends,  by  whom 
he  is  loved  and  respected  as  a  soldier,  citizen 
and  substantia]  man  of  affairs.  Few  men  are 
better  known  in  Montgomery  county,  and  none 
deserve  in  higher  degree  the  esteem  and  good 
will  of  those  with  whom  they  are  associated 
than  does  Alonzo  F.  MeEwen. 


HENRY    WARE. 


Henry  Ware,  who  is  interested  in  farming 
in  Butler  Grove  township,  was  bom  on  the  4th 
<>f  May.  1845,  in  the  same  township,  upon  a 
farm  which  is  now  the  home  of  W.  A.  Young. 
His  father.  Obediah  Ware,  was  horn  in  Atkin- 
son, New  Hampshire,  and  was  married  in  that 
state  to  Miss  Electa  1'ost.  He  removed  from 
New  England  to  Missouri  and  thence  came  to 
Montgomery  county.  Illinois,  settling  here  in 
L823.  From  the  government  he  entered  the 
html  upon  which  he  established  his  home,  de- 
veloping the  farm  that  was  the  birthplace  of 
Henry  Ware.  The  part  which  he  took  in  the 
development   and    improvement   of   the  county 


■110 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OK    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


was  very  helpful,  for  he  assisted  in  laying  out 

the  roads  and  reclaiming  the  wild  land  for 
civilization  and  in  instituting  many  public 
measures  that  have  proved  beneficial.  In  his 
family  were  ten  children,  one  son  and  nine 
daughters,  hut  only  two  are  now  living,  the 
sister  of  our  subject  being  Mrs.  Baldwin,  who 
resides  in  Butler  Grove  township.  The  father 
died  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years, 
while  his  wife  passed  away  in  1859  at  the  age 
of  forty-nine  years. 

The  boyhood  days  of  Henry  Ware  were  quiet- 
ly passed.  He  worked  in  the  fields  through  the 
summer  months  and  attended  the  public  schools 
in  the  winter  season,  and  he  gained  practical 
experience  in  all  of  the  varied  duties  which 
fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  After  at- 
taining early  manhood  he  married  Miss  Louisa 
Morrison  and  for  a  year  thereafter  rented  a 
farm.  He  then  began  the  operations  of  the 
home  place  and  subsequently  removed  to  the 
farm  which  is  now  his  home.  Here  he  has  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  rich  land  on  sec- 
tions 13  and  23.  Butler  Grove  township;  his 
residence,  however,  stands  on  the  latter  section. 
He  follows  general  farming  along  progressive 
lines  and  the  work  of  plowing,  planting  and 
harvesting  results  in  bringing  to  him  a  very 
good  income:  In  his  political  views  lie  is  a 
Republican,  but  the  honors  ami  emoluments  of 
office  have  had  no  attraction  for  him.  as  he  has 
preferred  to  devote  bis  energies  to  his  business 
affairs. 


DAVID  Y.  SCHERER. 

David  Y.  Scherer,  living  upon  a  farm  on 
section  2-1,  Raymond  township,  is  engaged  in 
the  raising  of  grain  and  stuck  and  lias  im- 
proved a  property  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  until  in  its  equipments  his  place  is  equal 
to  that  nf  any  in  the  community-  The  farm 
is  situated  about  three  and  a  half  miles  from 
Raw 1.  Mr.  Scherer  was  born  in  this  town- 
ship, February  3,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  David 
and  Mary  (Waggoner)  Scherer,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  North  Carolina.  The  father's 
birth  occurred  in  Guilford  county  in  1802, 
and  there  he  was  reared   and   married.     Five 


children  were  horn  ere  the  removal  of  the  pa- 
rents from  North  Carolina  to  Illinois.  On 
reaching  this  slate  the  father  established  his 
home  in  Montgomery  county,  securing  a  tract 
of  land  in  Raymond  township,  which  he  en- 
tered from  the  government.  It  was  all  wild 
ami  unimproved,  but  he  undertook  its  culti- 
vation with  strong  determination  and  in  course 
of  time  was  gathering  rich  harvests  where  a  few 
years  before  were  seen  the  wild  prairie  grasses. 
As  the  years  advanced  he  prospered  in  his 
undertakings  and  he  made  judicious  invest- 
ment of  his  capital  in  real  estate  until  he  was 
the  owner  of  nearly  one  thousand  acres.  He 
was  a  prominent  man  of  his  community,  in- 
fluencing public  opinion  along  progressive 
lines  and  lending  substantial  aid  for  the  de- 
velopment and  upbuilding  of  the  county.  He 
died  about  1858  and  thus  passed  away  one 
whose  value  as  a  citizen  was  acknowledged  by 
all  who  knew  him.  His  wife  survived  him 
for  many  years  and  reached  the  advanced  age 
of  ninety-three. 

David  Y.  Scherer,  belonging  to  a  family  of 
twelve  children,  seven  sons  and  five  daughters, 
who  reached  mature  years,  enjoyed  the  privi- 
leges and  also  faced  the  hardships  which  usu- 
ally come  to  a  household  of  large  numbers  when 
the  parents  are  only  in  medium  financial  cir- 
cumstances. He  has  but  one  surviving  brother, 
Joseph  Scherer,  who  is  living  in  Texas,  and 
two  sisters.  He  attended  the  common  schools 
in  his  youth  and  when  not  engaged  with  his 
textbooks  he  assisted  in  the  labors  of  field 
and  meadow,  taking  his  place  at  an  early  age 
behind  the  plow.  He  became  familiar  with  all 
departments  of  farm  work  and  his  practical 
experience  afterward  proved  of  much  value  to 
him  when  he  began  farming  on  his  own  ac- 
count.  Following  his  marriage  he  took  charge 
of  the  old  home  place  and  cared  for  his  mother 
for  many  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  bought  a  tract  of  land  on  section  21, 
Raymond  township,  and  removed  to  this  farm. 
The  land  was  but  partially  broken  and  he  con- 
tinued to  place  it  under  the  plow.  He  also 
built  fences  and  continued  the  work  of  culti- 
vation and  development  until  almost  the  en- 
tire amount  was  transformed  into  productive 
fields,      lie  erected  a  good  house  and  substan- 


ME.    AXD    MRS.   DAVID    SCHEEEE,    SB. 


OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


413 


tial  barn,  planted  shade  and  ornamental  trees 
and  set  out  two  orchards,  which  have  yielded 
an  abundance  of  fruit.  Everything  about  bis 
place  is  neat  and  attractive  in  appearance. 
There  is  a  fine  well  of  running  water  for  his 
stock  and  also  good  springs  upon  the  place. 
Ee  raises  high  grade  cattle,  hogs  and  horses, 
and,  in  fact,  everything  about  his  place  is  in 
the  finest  condition,  for  he  believes  in  progres- 
sion and  is  continually  improving  his  methods 
of  farming  in  keeping  with  the  advanced  ideas 
of  the  time.  Besides  bis  farm  he  owns  twelve 
lots  in  Butler,  on  one  of  which  is  a  barn  and 
on  another  is  a  two-story  house. 

Mr.  Seherer  was  married  in  Rountree  town- 
ship, December  11,  1863,  to  Miss  Louisa  M. 
Morrell,  who  was  born  in  Hancock  county, 
Ohio,  and  is  one  of  the  twelve  children,  eight 
sons  and  four  daughters,  all  yet  living,  of  Rob- 
ert Morrell,  who  came  to  Montgomery  county 
about  1859.  Her  father  purchased  a  farm  in 
Rountree  township  and  thereon  reared  his  fam- 
ily, the  children  leaving  the  old  homestead  as 
they  married  and  established  homes  <>f  their' 
own.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seherer  have  been 
born  seven  children,  of  whom  live  are  living: 
Mary  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Henry  Mitchell, 
who  resides  near  Vandalia;  William  .7..  a  busi- 
ness man  and  miner  of  California;  Oliver  F.. 
who  is  married  and  resides  in  Los  Angeles, 
California;  Alice  R.,  a  music  teacher;  and  Elsie 
E.,  at  home.  The  last  two  are  accomplished 
young  ladies.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seherer  also  lost 
two  children:  Robert  I!.,  who  died  when  about 
thirty  years  of  age;  and  May  Leota,  who  died 
in  infancy. 

Mr.  Seherer  exercises  his  right  of  franchise 
in  support  of  the  men  ami  measures  of  the 
Republican  party  and  he  proudly  cast  bis  first 
presidential  ballot  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in 
1864.  He  is  a  friend  of  (be  cause  of  educa- 
tion, believing  in  the  establishment  of  good 
schools  and  the  employment  of  competent 
teachers,  and  his  opinions  in  this  regard  were 
evidenced  bv  bis  service  on  the  school  board 
for  several  years.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were 
reared  in  the  Lutheran  faith  and  are  now  mem- 
bers of  Ware's  Grove  Lutheran  church,  where 
"Mr.  Seherer  is  also  identified  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen.     The  Seherer  home  is  neat  and  at- 


tractive in  appearance,  indicating  thrift  and 
good  taste.  The  bouse  is  surrounded  by  a  tine 
grove  of  forest  and  evergreen  trees  and  beauti- 
ful shrubbery.  Hospitality  is  one  of  the  not- 
able features  of  the  household  and  an  air  of 
culture  and  refinement  pervade.-  the  place,  so 
thai  the  home  has  become  a  favorite  resort  with 
many  friends,  who  represent  the  best  element 
in    Montgomery    county's    citizenship. 


CHARLES   II.   WITHERS'] X. 

Charles  II.  Witherspoon,  whose  connection 
with  business  interests  of  Hillsboro  covers  many 
years,  in  which  he  lias  successfully  conducted  a 
jewelry  store,  was  born  in  the  city  which  is  yet 
his  home  in  1846.    His  father,  William  Wither- 

sp i.  was  a  native  of   North   Carolina  and  in 

L830  became  a  resident  of  Hillsboro.  here  be 
conducted  the  first  tailoring  establishment  of 
_tbe  then  pioneer  town,  lie  was  also  a  carpen- 
ter and  wagonrnaker  and  figured  prominently 
in  business  circles  at  an  early  day.  His  po- 
litical support  was  given  to  the  Win?  party, 
and  because  of  his  belief  in  the  abolition  prin- 
ciples he  joined  the  Republican  party  when  it 
was  formed  to  prevent  the  further  extension  of 
slavery.  He  held  membership  in  the  Presby- 
terian church  and  his  life  was  ever  honorable 
and  upright,  winning  him  the  confidence  and 
regard  of  hi-  fellow  men.  lie  died  in  Hills- 
boro in  1886  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-one 
years.  In  early  manhood  he  wedded  Elizabeth 
.Morrison,  who  was  born  in  North  Carolina  and 
accompanied  her  husband  on  bis  removal  to 
the  west.  She.  too.  spent  her  remaining  days 
in  Hillsboro,  while  her  death  occurred  in  1883 
when  she  was  seventy-nine  years  of  age.  They 
were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  but  for  thirty 

years  Charles  II.  Witherspoon  has  1 n  the  onlj 

living  representative  of  the  family.  In  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  city  Mr.  Witherspoon 
of  this  review  acquired  his  preliminary  educa- 
tion and  afterward  attended  the  old  academy. 
When  his  education  was  completed  he  began 
clerking  in  a  stoic  and  subsequently  he  learned 
the  jeweler's  trade  with  Frederick-  Noterman, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  five  or  six  years, 
becoming    very    proficient    in    the    line    of   his 


414 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


chosen  vocation,  tie  then  established  a  jewelry 
business  on  his  own  account  and  has  remained 
in  this  line  continuously  since,  covering  a  pe- 
riod of  almost  one-third  of  a  century.    He  has 

a  large  and  well  (-elected  line  of  goods  and  a 
finely  equipped  store  for  a  city  of  tins  size  and 
enjoys  a  good  patronage,  his  business  being  a 
profitable  one. 

In  1SSG  Mr.  Witherspoon  was  married  to 
Miss  Alice  thinning,  a  daughter  of  John  C. 
Gunning,  a  wagonmaker  and  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Montgomery  county.  Mrs.  Wither- 
spoon was  horn  in  Hillshoro,  and  by  her  mar- 
riage has  become  the  mother  of  one  child.  Nell 
E.  Witherspoon.  The  parents  are  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  and  fraternally  Mr. 
Witherspoon  is  identified  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  and  with  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur.  He 
believes  in  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party  and  supports  his  belief  by  bis  ballot.  His 
worth  as  a  citizen  and  his  deep  interest  in  pub- 
lic affairs  has  been  recognized  by  his  fellow  men 
in  his  election  to  several  local  positions,  includ- 
ing that  of  city  treasurer  and  councilman.  His 
entire  life  having  been  passed  in  Hillshoro,  he 
has  a  very  wide  acquaintance  here  and  knows 
and  is  known  to  almost  all  of  its  citizen0..  While 
there  have  been  no  exciting  chapters  in  his 
history,  he  is  respected  for  his  activity  and  re- 
liability in  business,  his  fidelity  in  public  office 
and  the  many  admirable  traits  which  he  displays 
in  private  life. 


DAVID    WARE.  JR. 


David  Ware.  Jr.,  who  carries  on  general 
farming  in  Butler  Grove  township,  was  born 
August  2,  IStiU.  upon  the  farm  which  is  now 
his  home.  The  common  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood a  Honied  him  his  educational  privileges 
and  he  received  ample  training  in  farm  labor, 
working  in  the  lielcls  from  the  time  of  early- 
spring  planting  until  after  crops  were  har- 
vested in  the  late  autumn.  He  assisted  his 
father  up  to  the  time  of  his  marriage,  which 
occurred  on  the  17th  of  December.  1890,  Miss 
Lottie  Mack,  a  daughter  of  0.  C.  Mack,  be- 
coming his  wife  After  their  marriage  they  re- 
moved to  the  farm  upon  which  they  now  reside, 


constituting  a  part  of  the  old  home  place. 
Here  Mr.  Ware  owns  two  hundred  acres  on 
section  10,  Butler  Grove  township,  and  is  en- 
gaged in  genera  I  farming  and  stock-raising.  He 
keep.-  on  hand  good  grades  of  cattle  and  hogs, 
and  his  farm  is  neat  and  attractive  in  appear- 
ance, indicating  his  careful  supervision. 

Mr.  Ware  served  as  school  trustee  for  ten 
years  and  was  conscientious  and  capable  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duties,  doing  all  in  his  power 
to  secure  good  school  privileges  for  the  chil- 
dren of  the  neighborhood.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican,  ami.  as  every  true  American  citizen 
should  do,  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions 
and  issues  of  the  day.  thus  being  able  to  sup- 
port his  position  by  intelligent  argument.  He 
is  a  member  id'  the  Ware  Grove  Lutheran 
church  and  fraternally  is  identified  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen  lodge  at  Butler.  He  repre- 
sents a  family  long  connected  with  the  county, 
widely  and  favorably  known  within  its  borders, 
ami  his  record  is  in  keeping  with  the  family 
reputation  for  integrity,  for  activity  and  re- 
liability in  business  and  for  loyalty  in  citizen- 
ship. 


MIC  II     HALL. 


Hugh  Hall,  who  is  conducting  a  cigar  store 
in  Litchfield,  is  one  of  the  active  business  men 
of  the  city,  possessing  the  enterprise  so  char- 
acteristic of  the  middle  west  and  while  he  has 
utilized  his  opportunities  for  business  advance- 
ment he  has  also  been  mindful  of  bis  duties  of 
citizenship  and  has  aided  in  the  material  prog- 
ress of  Litchfield  and  in  the  promotion  of  many 
interests  which  have  contributed  to  the  general 
good.  He  was  born  in  Fremont.  Ohio,  in  1865, 
a  son  of  John  and  Bridget  Hall,  who  were  na- 
tives of  Ireland.  In  early  life  the  father  came 
to  the  United  States,  establishing  his  home  in 
Fremont,  where  he  followed  the  stone-mason's 
trade  until  his  death.  Hugh  Hall  was  the  only 
child  of  their  marriage,  but  the  mother  had  five 
children   by  a  previous   marriage. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Hall  was  placed  in  St. 
Vincent's  convent  at  Cleveland.  Ohio,  where  he 
remained  until  eleven  years  of  age.  He  then 
returned    to   Fremont   and    afterward    attended 


HUGH    HALL 


UHWEft 


OF  T^ 
,£RS«n  of  ^«D- 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


•117 


school  through  the  winter  seasons,  while  in  the 
summer  months  his  time  was  devoted  to  farm 
labor,  at  which  he  was  engaged  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  He  then  made  his  way  west- 
ward to  Kansas,  where  lie  pre-empted  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land,  spending  eight 
months  in  that  state  in  order  to  gain  his  title 
to  the  property.  In  1881  he  came  to  Litchfield 
and  aided  in  the  building  of  Rhodes*  Opera 
House,  where  a  few  years  later  he  became  man- 
ager and  held  that  position  for  several  years, 
lie  also  did  an  advertising  business  and  for  lie- 
past  sixteen  years  has  had  the  bill-posting 
privileges  of  the  town.  For  the  past  three 
years  he  has  conducted  the  largest  distinct  cigar 
and  tobacco  emporium  in  Litchfield,  known  as 
the  Buzzards  Roost,  and  of  this  he  is  -nil 
proprietor,  having  a  profitable  business,  which 
he  has  developed  to  extensive  proportions. 

In  June.  180!).  Mr.  Hall  was  married  to  Miss 
Lulu  M.  Finley,  a  daughter  of  .lames  and 
Elizabeth  Finley  and  an  adopted  daughter  of 
George  W.  Amsden.  She  was  horn  in  Indiana 
and  they  now  have  a  little  son.  George.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hall  are  identified  with  the  Gajhplic 
church  and  he  is  connected  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  fraternity  and  tin'  Benevolent 
Protective  Order  of  Elks.  A  Democral  in  his 
political  affiliation,  he  was  elected  to  the  of- 
fice of  clerk  of  the  city  court  at  the  establish- 
ment of  the  court  in  the  city  of  Litchfield,  and 
is  still  holding  thai  position.  In  1*90  he  was 
chosen  city  clerk  and  held  that  office  for  two 
years,  lie  is  a  member  of  the  Montgomery 
county  central  committee  of  the  Democratic 
party  and  is  its  secretary.  Tlis  interest  in 
political  questions  is  deep  and  he  puts  forth 
effective  and  earnest,  effort  in  behalf  of  the 
principles   in   which   he  believes. 


FRANK  .1.  SCHEFFEL. 

Frank  .1.  Scheffel,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
butchering  business  and  in  the  manufacture 
of  -ail-aim  at  Litchfield,  was  born  in  northern 
Germany.  January  21,  1S49.  His  father,  also  a 
native  of  Germany,  remained  a  resident  of  that 
country  until  1870,  when  he  sailed  with  his 
wife  for   America,  arriving-  in   Illinois  on  the 


L3th  of  May,  accompanied  by  his  sons.  He 
located  at  Brighton,  this  state,  where  he  spent 
his  remaining  days,  passing  away  in  1896  at 
the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  He  had  never 
been  iil  m  all  his  life  until  his  last  sickness. 
His  widow  still  survives  him  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years  and  is  living  in  a  little  cottage 
by  herself.     In  their  family  were  four  sons. 

Frank  J.  Scheffel  was  reared  and  educated 
in  his  native  country,  ami,  crossing  the  Atlantic 
to  America,  arrived  in  Ilinois  on  the  26th  of 
April.  ISM.  He  resided  in  Alton  until  1872, 
when  he  took  up  his  abode  at  Medora,  Macou- 
pin county,  where  he  spent  six  years.  In  1882 
he  arrived  in  Litchfield  and  purchased  a  meat 
market,  from  McReynolds  on  Kirkham  street. 
Hi-  afterward  conducted  business  on  State 
.-I  reel  for  fifteen  years,  ami  in  1904  he  removed 
to  his  present  location  on  Kirkham  street,  where 
he  is  conducting  business  as  proprietor  of  a 
meat  market  and  as  a  sausage  manufacturer. 
The  good  quality  of  meats  which  he  carries  has 
insured  him  a  liberal  patronage,  and  a  cus- 
tomer once  secured  is  always  retained  by  him 
heeause  of  his  honorable  business  methods. 

Mr.  s,  liei],  I  was  married  at  Brighton,  Illi- 
nois, on  the  26th  of  April,  is"  1.  to  Mi-  Mary 
C.  Thole,  a  daughter  of  John  Thole.  Mrs. 
Scheffel  was  horn  Ma}  5,  1854,  at  Brighton, 
Illinois,  and  by  her  marriage  has  become  the 
mother  of  the  following  children:  Emma  died 
at  the  age  of  lour  weeks.  Edward  A.  was  born 
November  30,  187.6,  and  died  February  9,  190  1. 
ai  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years,  lie  was  en- 
gaged   in   the   butchering  business  at   Alton   at 

that   ti He  had    married    in  that    city  and 

left  a  widow  am]  two  children.  Walter  William. 
born  in  Medora,  Illinois,  dune  7,  1880,  is  as- 
sociated with  his  father  in  business.  Annie 
died  in  Medora  al  the  age  of  twenty-two  months 
and  was  buried  at  Sommerfield,  Macoupin 
county.  Godfred  died  May  11.  1882.  at  the 
age  of  five  months.  Louisa,  horn  in  L883,  is 
at  home.  Mary  died  at  the  age  of  three  months. 
Harry,  horn  in  1SS7.  is  with  his  parents.  John 
died  at  the  age  of  eight  months.  Dolly  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  twelve  years.  Paul  died 
at  the  age  of  nine  months.  Francis  is  now 
nine  years  of  age.  One  child  died  when  hut 
five  or  six  weeks  old. 


-LIS 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


Mr.  Scheffel  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political 
views  ami  he  took  an  active  part  in  politics  in 
Jerseyville,  Illinois.  He  is  a  Lutheran  in  his 
religious  faith,  having  been  roared  in  that 
church  by  his  parents,  who  were  also  members. 
Coming  to  America  in  early  manhood,  his  busi- 
ness life  has  here  been  passed,  and  whatever  suc- 
cess lie  has  achieved  lias  come  as  the  direct  re- 
ward of  his  honest  labor.  In  addition  to  his 
business  in  Litchfield  he  owns  a  farm  about  a 
mile  from  the  town. 


ALBERT   Pi.    LEWEY. 

The  attractiveness  of  Montgomery  county  as 
a  place  "1  residence  is  indicated  by  the  fact 
that  so  many  of  her  native  sons  still  make 
their  homes  within  her  borders  and  are  closely 
identified  with  her  business  interests  and  pub- 
lic affairs.  Anion-'  this  number  is  Albert  P. 
Lewey,  who  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light 
of  day  October  '.'.  L850,  upon  the  rami  where 
he   now   lives.      He   is   indebted   to   the    public. 

scl 1    system    for    the    educational    privileges 

be  enjoyed  while  under  (he  parental  roof;  les- 
sons of  industry,  economy  and  integrity  were 
instilled  into  his  mind  and  have  borne  fruit  in 
Ins  active  and   honorable  career. 

On  the  -JDh  .if  March.  1872,  Mr.  Lewey  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Lavina 
Beeler.  Her  father.  William  Peeler,  came  to 
Montgomery  county  in  1863,  but  after  residing 
here  for  one  year  he  returned  to  Ohio.  In  1871, 
however,  he  again  came  to  this  county  and  took 
up  his  abode  in  Hillsboro  township,  where  he 
followed  farming  I'm-  -nine  time.  Eventually 
he  removed  to  Indiana,  and  both  he  and  his 
wile  died  in  that,  state.  In  their  family  were 
ten  children:  George.  Mary,  Hannah,  Enos, 
Joseph,  Sarah  Lavina.  Daniel.  Anna.  Samuel 
ami  Martha. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Lewey  was 
about  twenty-two  years  of  age.  and  ho  then  took 
charge  of  the  old  home  farm,  which  he  has 
since  operated,  placing  it  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation  and  making  many  fine  and  mod- 
ern improvements  upon  ii.  until  it  is  now  con- 
sidered one  of  the  best  equipped  Farming  prop- 
erties   in    Hillsboro   township.      It    is   situated 


on  section  28,  about  five  miles  south  and  one 
mile  wesl  of  Hillsboro,  and  comprises  ninety 
acres  of  land,  which  is  very  rich  and  arable 
and  therefore  responds  readily  to  the  modern 
farming  methods  which  he  employs  in  the  cul- 
tivation of  bis  crops.  He  is  a  man  of  deter- 
mined purpose  and  carries  forward  to  suc- 
cessful completion  whatever  he  undertakes,  and 
he  bears  an   unassailable  business  record. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewey  have  been  born 
seven  children:  Oliver,  who  lives  in  Bozeman. 
Montana:  ('barley,  who  is  conducting  a  meat 
market  at  Colleen,  this  county:  Millie.  a\1u> 
has  engaged  in  teaching  school  lor  a  few  years: 
Laura,  al  home:  Everett  E.,  a  school  teacher 
of  this  county.  Jessie  and  Daniel,  also  with 
their  parents.  Mr.  Lewey  is  a  Democrat  as 
the  result  of  his  study  of  the  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day,  hut  the  honors  and  emolu- 
ments id'  office  have  little  attraction  for  him, 
although  be  is  never  remiss  in  the  duties  of 
citizenship  and  co-operates  in  many  public 
"•measures  for  the  general  good.  His  life  has 
been  'honorable  and  upright,  his  action-  manly 
and  sincere,  and  hi'  has  a  wide  and  favorable 
acquaintance  in  his  native  county. 


Z.  V.  KIMBALL,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Z.  V.  Kimball,  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  medicine  in  Hillsboro,  where  he  has  given 
substantia]  proof  of  ability  and  knowledge  that 
have  enabled  him  to  cope  successfully  with  the 
intricate  problems  which  continually  confront 
the  physician,  was  horn  in  North  Carolina  on 
the  26th  of  October,  L879.  He  is  a  representa- 
tive of  one  of  the  old  and  prominent  families 
of  his  native  state,  tracing  his  ancestry  hack 
to  Major  Buckner  Kimball,  who  came  from 
the  north  of  Ireland  about  1750  and  served  in 
the  Revolutionary  war  with  the  rank  that  bis 
title  indicates.  His  children  were  Nancy, 
Betsy,  Patsy,  Eddie  and  Harris,  all  natives  of 
Randolph  county.  North  Carolina.  Harris 
Kimball,  the  youngest,  married  Miss  Dorcas 
Wood,  of  North  Carolina,  and  they  had  ten 
children:  Joel,  Colya,  Harris,  William.  Elihu, 
Sarah.  Patsy,  Nancy.  Petty  and  Polly.  Of  this 
family   Joel,   son  of  Harris  Kimball,   was  the 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


MR.    AND    MRS.    A.    E.    LEWEY 


MB.    AND    MRS.    WILLIAM     BEELBE 


LIBRARY 

OF  TH€ 

DIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AXD    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


423 


grandfather  of  Dr.  Kimball  of  this  review.    Se 
was  born  in  North  Carolina,  August  11,  1799, 

and  died  May  28,  1883.  He  was  married  first 
to  Nancy  Kearns,  who  was  born  duly  12,  1801, 
and  was  married  in  ISIS  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen. They  had  six  children:  Thomas  II..  who 
was  born  November  19,  1819,  and  died  Janu- 
ary 15,  1890;  Wiley  J.,  who  was  born  April 
7,  1821,  and  died  in  1900;  John  A.,  who  was 
born  .May  15,  1823,  and  died  July  17,  1824; 
Martha  A.,  who  was  born  April  1.  1825,  and 
died  November  11,  1891;  Man  1,..  who  was 
horn  March  1.  1828,  and  lives  in  Moorsville, 
North  Carolina:  and  Eliza,  horn  August  4, 
1830,  and  now  living  in  Mount  Gilead,  North 
Carolina.  S'oon  after  the  birth  of  the  last 
named  the  mother  died,  and  on  the  1st  of 
March,  1831.  Joel  Kimball  married  Sarah 
Lent/.,  by  whom  he  had  ten  children:  Henry  1.. 
who  was  born  December  5,  IS:;  1.  ami  died 
March,  1900:  Nancy  L.,  born  April  8,  1833; 
lime;,.  A.,  born  April  4.  1835;  David  Hoyl, 
who  was  born  January  29,  1837,  and  died  in 
August,  1840;  John  Calvin,  horn  September 
5,  1839;  Chrissie  A..  August  '29.  1842;  Sarah"* 
S.,  October  8,  1844  :  William  II..  September  -.'s. 
1850;  Laura  W.,  March  L  1847;  and  Joel  L., 
October  •">.  1854.  Sarah  Kimball,  mother  of 
the  las!  ten  children,  died  March  16,  1902, 
aged  ninety-four  years,  eight  months  and  eight 
days. 

John  Calvin  Kimball,  fifth  child  of  Joel  and 
Sarah  (Lent/.)  Kimball,  and  father  of  Dr. 
Kimball,  of  Hillsboro,  was  born  in  North  Caro- 
lina. September  •">.  1839,  and  throughout  bis 
entire  life  has  followed  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing. Me  has  recently  removed  from  his  native 
state  to  Hillsboro,  although  at  a  former  date 
he  had  lived  here  for  ten  years.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Lueretia  Ann  Gheen  ami  they  became 
the  parents  of  twehe  children:  George  H.. 
horn  April  6,  ISC.-),  died  April  29.  18(i(i: 
Charles  W.,  born  November  18,  1866,  died 
February  22,  1890;  Mary  Bell,  born  May  8. 
1869,  was  married  December  29,  1886.  to  J.  P. 
Barkley,  and  they  hail  one  child,  Gordon  Kim- 
ball Barkley,  bom  in  1888.  In  1900  she  be- 
came the  wife  of  Dr.  O.  Avon,  of  Bristol,  Ten- 
nessee. .7(1.4  L..  born  January  29.  1871,  was 
married   in   1900   to  Lula   Polfin^.      Major  F.. 


born  January  Li.  1873,  died  November  15, 
Is;  I.  Edward  II.,  born  January  11,  ls7(i,  died 
June  12,  1894.  Matlie  I-'.,  horn  February  Hi, 
is;;,  was  married  to  R.  L.  Snyder,  October 
19,  1896.  She  died  August  1-"'.  1903.  leaving 
two  children,  Lois  and  Cathline.  Z.  Y.  Kim- 
hall  is  the  eighth  of  the  family.  Clarence  M. 
was  born  November  3,  1881.  Daisy  L..  horn 
November  Hi.  1883,  was  married  in  1901  to 
Ode  J!.  Snyder,  and  they  have  twins.  Hazel 
and  Helen,  horn  in  March.  1904.  Sarah  L. 
was  born  February  21,  1886,  and  married  B.  F. 
Rolfing,  March,  1904.  Pearl  G.  was  horn 
April    15,   1892. 

Dr.  Z.  V.  Kimball  was  a  student  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  North  Carolina  and  of  Hillsboro 
and  afterward  attended  the  Marion-Sims- 
Beaumont    College    of    Medicine    at     St.    Louis. 

Missouri,  where  be  was  graduated  on  the  1st 
of  May,  19H-2.  He  entered  the  office  of  Dr. 
M.  L.  Mover  in  June  of  thai  year  and  has  since 
engaged  in  practice,  winning  for  himself  a 
creditable  position  in  the  ranks  of  the  medical 
fraternity  of  Hillsboro,  his  years  being  no  bar 
'to  bis  ability  and  success,  although  he  is  one  of 
the 'YoiiiiL'-ef. members  of  the  medical  fraternity 
here.  He  is  thoroughly  conversant  with  modern 
ideas  and  the  improved  methods  of  medical 
practice,  and  by  reading  and  study  is  con- 
stantly broadening  his  knowledge. 


GEORGE  W.  BROWN.  JR. 

George  W.  Brown.  Jr..  is  the  owner  of  one 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  just  outside 
the  corporation  limits  of  Butler,  and  upon  this 
farm  he  resides.  IK  was  born  near  Hills- 
boro,  Montgomery  county,  on  the  30th  of 
May.  1843.  His  father.  George  W.  Brown,  Sr., 
came  to  this  county  about  1836  in  company 
with  Ins  father,  Nicodemus  Brown,  who  with 
his  family  settled  near  Hillsboro  upon  the  farm 
now  owned  by  Professor  Williams.  George  W. 
Brown,  Sr..  was  horn  in  Ohio,  and  after  arriv- 
ing at  years  of  maturity  he  married  Sarah  A. 
Jenkins.  Unto  them  were  horn  -i\  children: 
George  W.  and  (diaries  0.,  residents  of  But- 
ler: James  A.,  of  Mattoon,  Illinois:  Camilla, 
of   Hillsboro;  A.  Y.,  who  is  agent  for  the  Big 


I  VI 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


Fmir  Railroad  Company  at  Litchfield;  and  Al- 
bert J  I.,  who  is  with  the  same  railroad  com- 
pany at  Hillsboro.  The  father  died  December 
20,  1903,  in  the  eighty-fifth  year  of  bis  age, 
and  the  mother  passed  awaj  May  25,  1902,  in 
her  eighty-third  year. 

George  \V.  Brown,  Jr.,  spent  his  youth  on  a 
farm  until  ten  years  of  age,  when  the  father 
removed  with  his  family  to  Hillsboro,  and  be 
there  had  the  privilege  of  attending  the  Hills- 
boro Academy.  In  1861,  however,  when  eighteen 
years  of  age,  he  started  upon  his  business  career 
as  an  employe  of  the  firm  of  Glenn  &  Pinkney, 
dealers  in  merchandise  and  grain.  He  con- 
tinued with  these  gentlemen  until  1864  and 
afterward  spent  a  year  in  the  service  of  the 
firm  of  Clotfelter  &  Barnett.  In  March,  1865, 
he  came  to  Butler,  where  he  worked  for  Joseph 
Baum  &  Company  in  a  general  mercantile  es- 
tablishment for  two  years,  and  in  1861  be 
began  business  on  his  own  account  as  a  grocer. 
Not  long  afterward  his  brother,  C.  0.  Brown, 
joined  him  in  business  and  the  partnership  was 
continued  until  1881,  when  they  sold  out  to 
Boes  Brothers.  In  1886,  however,  he  once 
more  turned  his  attention  to  general  merchan- 
dising, opening  a  store  in  Butler.  He  has  also 
continued  to  buy  grain  here  since  1879  and  now 
conducts  a  business  which  is  constantly  growing 
in  volume  and  becoming  more  remunerative. 
In  1894  lie  purchased  the  stock  of  the  Mc- 
Henry  Hardware  Company  at  Hillsboro,  and  he 
now  conducts  one  of  the  largest  business  en- 
terprises of  the  kind  in  this  section  of  the 
country.  In  1898  he  bought  the  implement 
stock  of  the  firm  of  Paden  &  Wilson,  of  Hills- 
boro, and  in  1900  he  purchased  the  J.  1!.  Chal- 
lacombe  implement  stock.  Mis  son.  James  P., 
manages  the  hardware  department  and  Frank 
II.  manages  the  implement  business,  while  Mr. 
Brown  gives  his  personal  supervision  to  the 
other  branches  and  is  carrying  on  a  very  de- 
sirable business. 

On  the  -till  of  January,  1865,  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.  Mr.  Ili'own  was  united  in  marriage  to 
i\li>s  Henrietta  M.  Judson,  a  native  of  New 
Jersey,  who  was  educated  in  the  Hillsboro 
Academy.  They  have  six  children:  James  P., 
who  is  residing  in  Hillsboro;  Winnie,  the  wife 
of  W.  A.  White,  of  the  same  city;    Charles  J., 


a  dry-goods  merchant  at  Weather  ford,  Okla- 
homa; Frank  11.,  at  Hillsboro;  Louis  S..  a 
p'.aeticing  physician  of  St.  Louis;  and  Roland 
()..  who  is  in  the  -tore  with  his  father  at  But- 
ler. 

Mr.  Brown  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  or- 
der of  Hillsboro,  having  been  initiated  into  the 
lodge  in  December,  L864.  After  coming  to 
Butler  he  dimitted  to  the  lodge  at  this  place 
and  has  held  many  positions  therein,  also  serv- 
ing  as  representative  to  the  grand  lodge.  Mr. 
Brown  is  a  man  of  keen  business  foresight,  and 
his  ready  recognition  and  utilization  of  busi- 
ness opportunities  have  been  one  of  the  force- 
ful elements  in  his  success.  Mr.  Brown's  ac- 
tions have,  during  his  life,  been  such  as  to 
distinctively  entitle  him  to  a  place  in  this  pub- 
lication, and  although  his  career  has  not  been 
filled  with  thrilling  incidents,  probably  no 
biography  published  in  this  hook  can  serve  as 
a  better  illustration  to  young  men  of  the  power 
of  honesty  and  integrity  in  insuring  success. 


FRANCIS    MARION   SAWYER. 

Francis  Marion  Sawyer,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  transfer  and  express  business  in  Nokomis 
and  is  serving  as  supervisor  of  Nokomis  town- 
ship, has  been  a  resident  of  Montgomery  coun- 
ty for  thirty-six  years,  having  located  within 
its  holders  in  1868.  He  was  then  a  young 
man,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Macoupin 
county,  Illinois,  near  Staunton.  January  17, 
Is  in.  His  parents  were  Valentine  and  Mary 
Ann  (Spence)  Sawyer,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  North  Carolina,  whence  they  came 
to  Illinois  in  1832.  The  father  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation  and  established  his  home  in  Ma- 
coupin county,  where  for  many  years  he  car- 
ried on  agricultural  pursuits.  In  1866,  how- 
ever, he  removed  to  Bell  county.  Texas,  where 
his  remaining  days  were  passed,  his  death  thei-e 
occurring  on  the  1st  of  January,  1873.  when  he 
was  seventy-nine  years  of  age.  His  wife  died 
in  1853  in  Macoupin  county  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
one  years. 

Francis  M.  Sawyer  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  and  a  subscription  school  of  Ma- 
coupin   county.      When    fourteen   years   of   age 


PAST    AiND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


125 


he  began  breaking  prairie  with  an  ox  team,  and 
after  rive  years  he  devoted  the  winter  seasons  to 
hauling  logs  to  a  sawmill.  He  then  had  work 
at  teaming  from  Bethel,  Bond  county,  to  St. 
Louis,  earning  butter  and  eggs  to  the  city 
market  ami  bringing  back  goods  to  the  store. 
After  one  vear  he  rented  a  farm  and  turned 
his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuit-  on  his 
own  account  in  Macoupin  county.  At  the  time 
of  the  Civil  war  he  responded  to  the  country's 
eall  for  aid  and  enlisted  for  three  years'  service 
in  the  Third  Illinois  Cavalry,  hut  during  the 
time  that  he  was  waiting  to  lie  called  to  the 
front  he  cut  his  foot  while  chopping  wood, 
and  this  so  disabled  him  that  he  was  unable  to 
work  or  to  engage  in  military  service  for  two 
years.  For  a  year  after  his  recovery  he  was 
connected  with  farming  interests  in  Illinois, 
and  in  1866  he  went  to  Texas  with  his  father, 
remaining  in  that  state  through  the  succeed- 
ing  winter.  In  the  spring  he  returned  to  Ma- 
coupin county,  where  he  engaged  in  farming 
for  two  years,  and  the  next  year  he  herded  cat- 
tle in  Montgomery  county,  Illinois.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1868,  he  removed  to  this  county,  locating 
about  nine  miles  south  of  Nokomis,  in  Irving 
township,  where  he  carried  mi  general  farm- 
ing for  several  years.  In  Is;:,  he  removed  to 
a  farm  near  Ohlnian.  but  after  one  year  took 
up  his  abode  in  Nokomis  in  187<i.  Since  that 
time  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  transfer  and 
express  business  in  the  town,  and  in  1882  he 
also  began  dealing  in  coal,  operating  in  that 
commodity  for  fifteen  years.  He  also  conduct- 
ed a  farm  a  part  id'  the  time.  He  owns  a 
business  block  in  Nokomis  and  several  bouses 
which  he  rents,  and  also  has  a  nice  modern 
home  which  he  occupies,  and  a  farm  of  two 
hundred  acres  in  Bell  county.  Texas.  His 
properly  and  business  interests  in  Nokomis 
are  valuable  and  somewhat  extensive.  Mr. 
Sawyer  was  elected  tax  collector  for  three 
terms,  being  chosen  to  the  office  about  1885. 
About  1890  he  was  elected  supervisor  for  one 
year,  and  in  1902  and  again  in  10(1 1  lie  was 
chosen  for  that  office,  which  position  be  is  now 
filling.  No  public  trust  reposed  in  him  has 
ever  been  betrayed  in  the  slightest  degree,  and 
all  know  him  as  a  loyal  citizen,  interested  in 
everything  pertaining  to  general  progress. 


On  the  20th  of  January,  1861,  Mr.  Sawyer 
was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Bissel,  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  Bissel.  who  is  a  brother  of  Gov- 
ernor Bissel.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sawyer  were:  Francis  A.,  a  policeman  of 
Nokomis;  William  L,  a  druggist  of  Chicago; 
Ida  A.,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Kinney,  of  No- 
konris;  and  Andrew  Jackson,  who  died  in  1878 
at  the  age  of  seven  yens.  Mrs.  Sawyer  died  in 
1872  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years,  and  on  the 
11th  of  September,  ls;;i,  Mr.  Sawyer  was  again 
married,  bis  second  union  being  with  Sena  I. 
Birt,  a  daughter  of  John  Birt,  of  Montgomery 
county,  who  was  born  in  Ohio.  By  the  second 
marriage  of  Mr.  Sawyer  there  are  three  chil- 
dren: Eva,  the  wife  of  Harry  Powers,  a  fore- 
man of  the  Waukegan  Wire  Works,  of  that 
place;  Ethel  and  Lester,  both  at  home.  Mrs. 
Sawyer  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church 
and  Mr.  Sawyer  belongs  to  the  Masonic  lodge. 
His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Democ- 
racy and  he  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  local 
party  leaders. 


ARTHUE    WARE. 

Arthur  Ware,  born  on  the  old  Ware  home- 
stead in  Butler  Grove  township,  is  a  son  of 
David  Ware,  of  Hillsboro,  who  is  represented 
elsewhere  in  this  volume.  The  old  home  farm 
is  now  occupied  by  Lyman  Ware,  his  brother, 
and  it  was  there,  on  the  18th  of  November, 
L858,  that  Arthur  Ware  was  born.  He  early 
became  familiar  with  farm  work  there,  and  in 
the  public  school  of  the  neighborhood  acquired 
his  education.  When  twenty-three  years  of 
age  he  was  married  to  Addie  Aten,  of  the  same 
neighborhood,  who  bad  been  a  schoolmate  of 
his  in  her  girlhood  days.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  T.  ('.  Aten,  who  came  to  Montgomery  coun- 
ty  in  the  '60s.  Not  long  after  their  marriage 
the  young  couple  removed  to  the  farm  upon 
which  they  have  since  resided,  and  this  is  now 
one  of  the  best  improved  and  most  productive 
tracts  of  land  in  Butler  Grove  township.  Mr. 
Ware  has  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  the 
home  place  on  section  10,  about  two  miles 
north  and  one  mile  east  of  the  village  of  But- 
ler.    He  is  enlaced  in  general   farming,  in  the 


r.'i, 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTS 


raising  of  Holstein  cattle  and  in  the  dairy  busi- 
ness. He  feeds  both  hogs  and  cattle,  and  he  has 
the  finest  thoroughbred  registered  Holstein  cat- 
tle to  be  found  in  the  county.  His  business  is 
well  managed  and  his  careful  supervision,  un- 
tiring diligence  and  laudable  ambition  consti- 
tute the  basis  of  his  success.  Whatever  he  un- 
deretakes  he  carries  forward  to  successful  com- 
pletion, forms  his  plans  readily  and  will  brook 
no  obstacle  that  can  be  overcome  by  persistent 
and  honorable  effort. 

I  nto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ware  have  been  born  four 
children:  Frank,  Roy.  Mabel  and  Wilma.  The 
sons  have  attended  college  and  expect  to  enter 
the  Agricultural  College  at  Champaign.  Mr. 
Ware  has  been  president  of  the  Montgomery 
County  Farmers'  Institute  and  is  now  one  of  its 
directors.  His  political  support  is  given  to 
the  Republican  party,  but  the  honors  and 
emoluments  of  office  have  had  no  attraction  for 
him.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ware  Grove  Lu- 
theran church,  in  which  he  is  now  serving  as 
an  elder.  His  interest  in  everything  pertain- 
ing to  the  social,  intellectual,  material  and 
moral  welfare  of  his  community  is  deep  and  sin- 
core  and  is  manifest  by  hearty  co-operation  in 
iminv  movements   for  the  general  good. 


MRS.  MART    E.   SORRELL. 

Mrs.  Mary  E.  Son-ell  is  living  on  section  0. 
Raymond  township.  The  ladies  of  a  com- 
munity usually  figure  less  prominently  before 
the  public  than  the  fathers,  husbands  and 
brothers,  but  they  perform  a  no  less  important 
part  in  the  world's  work  in  the  management  of 
the  household  affairs  and  the  rearing  of  their 
families  ami  in  shaping  social  conditions,  and 
when  called  upon  they  have  displayed  the 
same  strong  and  commendable  business  charac- 
teristics that  are  usually  accorded  to  the  other 
sex.  Mrs.  Sorrel!  is  residing  upon  a  farm 
which  has  been  her  home  for  thirty-six  years 
and  in  its  control  she  displays  excellent  ability 
and  keen  business  foresight.  She  is  numbered 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Illinois,  dating  her 
residence  in  the  state  from  1839  and  in  Mont- 
gomery county  from  1844.  Few  have  so  long 
remained  within  the  borders  of  this  county  and 


her  memory  forms  a  connecting  link  between 
the  primitive  past  with  its  pioneer  conditions 
and  the  progressive  present  with  all  of  its  in- 
dications  of   modern   civilization. 

Mrs.  Sorrell  was  horn  in  Cabarrus  county, 
North  Carolina,  January  27,  1834.  Her  father, 
Lewis  Carriker.  was  also  horn  in  North  Caro- 
lina, was  reared  in  that  state  and  was  married 
there  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Pitts,  also  a  native  of 
North  Carolina.  Mr.  Carriker  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation  and  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits in  the  old  North  state  for  a  number  of 
years  or  until  after  the  birth  of  eight  of  his 
children.  In  1839  be  removed  with  his  family 
to  the  west,  settling  first  in  Fayette  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  purchased  three  hundred  and 
twenty  aens  of  land,  upon  which  a  log  cabin 
had  been  built.  The  town  of  Fillmore  now 
stands  upon  a  portion  of  the  old  family  home- 
stead there.  With  characteristic  energy  Mr. 
Carriker  began  the  development  ami  improve- 
ment of  his  farm  and  continued  to  reside  there- 
on for  a  number  of  years,  hut  later  sold  that 
property  and  in  4844  came  to  Montgomery 
county.  Here  he  bought  a  half  section  of  land 
about  nine  miles  north  of  the  city  of  Hillsboro 
and  opened  up  another  farm,  upon  which  he 
reared  his  family  and  remained  until  called  to 
his  final  rest.  His  wife  survived  him  for  a 
number  of  years  and  passed  away  in  L882. 
Thus  the  county  lost  two  of  its  most  respected 
pioneer  citizens,  hut  they  are  yet  remembered 
by  many  of  their  early  friends  and  neighbors 
and  their  name  should  be  enduringly  inscribed 
upon  the  pages  of  Montgomery  county's  his- 
tory. 

Mrs.  Sorrell  was  reared  in  Montgomery 
county  and  was  instructed  in  the  usual  house- 
hold tasks,  while  in  the  public  schools  she 
acquired  her  education.  In  earl\  womanhood 
she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  in  1855  to  New- 
Ion  Wiley,  a  native  of  this  state,  and  they  be- 
gan their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm.  Mr.  Wiley 
continuing  its  cultivation  and  development  un- 
til his  death,  which  occurred  in  February.  1862. 
lie  was  a  grandson  of  Newton  Coffey,  one  of 
the  first  settlers  of  Montgomery  county,  who 
came  to  Illinois  from  Kentucky.  He  was 
actively  associated  with  the  pioneer  develop- 
ment of  this  portion  of  the  state  and  he  deeded 


MR.    AND    MRS.    HENRY    SORRELL 


LUN01S 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


429 


to  the  comity  the  land  upon  which  the  present 
courthouse  now  stands.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wiley  were  born  four  children,  but  they  lost 
their  eldest,  Marie,  who  died  in  infancy.  The 
others  are  Alice,  the  wife  of  Hinton  Whittaker, 
of  Waggoner,  Illinois;  Charles  B.,  who  is  mar- 
ried and  follows  fanning  in  Baymond  town- 
ship: and  Lewis,  who  is  a  farmer  and  resides 
with  his  mother,  but  operates  a  tract  of  land 
of  his  own.  After  losing  her  first  husband 
Mrs.  Wiley  was  again  married  in  1868,  becom- 
ing the  wife  of  Henry  Sorrell,  a  native  of  In- 
diana, in  which  state  he  was  reared,  coming 
thence  to  Illinois  in  early  manhood.  Here  he 
purchased  a  tract  of  raw  land  and  improved  the 
farm  upon  which  his  widow  now  resides.  After 
his  marriage  he  brought  his  wife  to  the  home 
farm  and  here  they  lived  in  content  and  happi- 
ness until  Mr.  Sorrell  was  called  to  his  final 
home.  He  owned  eighty  acres  of  rich  land  and 
the  care  and  labor  which  he  bestowed  upon  it 
brought  to  him  a  good  annual  income.  Upon 
this  place  he  reared  his  family  and  here  he 
spent  his  remaining  days,  passing  away  on  the 
20th  of  March,  1901.  Three  daughters  were 
born  of  this  marriage:  Kittie.  who  died  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  years;  Lydia,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  fifteen  months:  and  Eosa.  the  wife  of 
A.  A.  Kendall,  a  resident  farmer  of  Raymond 
township. 

Mrs.  Sorrel]  resides  upon  the  old  homestead 
and  rents  the  land  to  her  son.  She  formerly 
belonged  to  the  Lutheran  church,  which  she 
joined  when  eighteen  years  of  nee.  but  she  is 
now  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  For 
sixty-five  years  she  has  made  her  home  in  Illi- 
nois and  through  sixty  years  has  lived  in  Mont- 
gomery county,  being  one  of  few  remaining 
early  settlers  who  has  witnessed  the  growth 
and  development  of  Ibis  section  of  the  state  as 
it  has  emerged  from  primitive  conditions  and 
pioneer  surroundings.  She  has  done  well  her 
part  in  the  labor  of  establishing  a  home  and 
like  others  she  endured  the  hardships  and  trials 
of  frontier  life.  She  is  much  beloved  by  those 
who  know  her  and  her  friendship  is  prized  by 
those  with  whom  she  has  been  associated,  for 
her  life  ha-  been  characterized  by  kind  words 
and  deeds.  She  has  helped  to  lift  the  burdens 
from  the  weak,  has  shared  the  troubles  of  others 


and    by    her    sympathy    has    lightened    many 

sorrows. 


GEOEGE    C.    FELL N  HI!. 

Success  is  always  the  result  of  untiring  ef- 
fort, close  application,  and  the  life  record 
which  the  American  people  hold  in  greatest  es- 
teem is  that  of  individual  accomplishment 
where  prosperity  results  from  personal  labor, 
capable  management  and  close  conformity  to 
commercial  ethics.  These  qualities  have  been 
manifest  in  the  career  of  Mr.  Fellner,  now  well 
known  as  a  contractor  and  builder  of  Litch- 
field, his  native  city,  lie  was  born  in  1866, 
a  son  of  Frederick  and  Margaret  (Grassel) 
Fellner.  The  lather  was  born  in  Bavaria.  Ger- 
many, ami  when  eighteen  years  of  age  came  to 
the  United  States,  locating  in  Cincinnati.  Ohio, 
where  he  worked  at  his  trade  of  cabinetmaking 
until  1863.  In  that  year  he  removed  to  Litch- 
field, where  he  began  business  as  a  carpenter 
and  contractor,  being  thus  identified  with  build- 
ing operations  in  this  city  until  18S6.  He 
then  removed  to  Los  Angeles.  California,  where 
he  continued  in  business  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1900.  Through 
bis  activity  and  energy  he  had  accumulated  a 
comfortable  competence.  At  the  time  of  the 
Civil  war  lie  responded  to  the  first  call  for 
troops  and  became  one  of  Fremont's  bodyguard. 
At  tlie  organization  of  the  Republican  party  he 
had  indorsed  its  principles  because  it  was 
formed  to  prevent  the  further  extension  of 
slavery — an  institution  to  which  Mr.  Fellner 
was  strongly  opposed.  He  belonged  to  the  odd 
Fellows  society  and  to  the  English  Lutheran 
church  and  took  an  active  part  in  church  work, 
serving  for  some  time  as  an  officer.  Tlis  wife, 
a  daughter  of  George  and  Catherine  Grassel, 
was  born  in  Kentucky  ami  died  in  1880  at  the 
age  of  thirty-six  years.  She.  too.  was  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  church.  In  their  family  were 
four  children:  Charles,  deceased:  George  C. ; 
William,  who  has  passed  away;  and  Katie,  the 
wife  of  Hugo  Theobold,  of  Lns  Angeles,  Cali- 
fornia. 

Tn  the  public  schools  of  Litchfield  and  in 
Cincinnati  George  C.  Fellner  acquired  his  edu- 


1:30 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


cation.  He  afterward  learned  the  carpenter's 
trade  with  his  father,  with  whom  he  worked 
for  three  years.  He  then  went  to  Los  Angeles, 
California,  but  For  the  past  fourteen  years  has 
been  numbered  among  the  contractors  and 
builders  of  Litchfield,  for  lie  has  erected  a 
number  of  the  best  buildings,  being  very  suc- 
eessful  in  his  labors  here.  He  executes  a 
contract  with  promptness  and  fidelity,  is  true 
to  the  terms  of  an  agreement,  and  by  reason  of 
his  reliable  methods  and  enterprise  has  won 
creditable  success. 

On  the  1st  of  October,  L900,  Mr.  Fellner 
was  married  to  Josie  Allen,  a  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Lucretia  Allen,  who  was  born  in 
Litchfield  in  1870.  The  father  was  a  painter 
and  a  resident  of  this  city.  Mr.  Fellner  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church, 
and  fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  ami  the  Odd  Fellows 
society.  His  study  of  political  issues  has  led 
him  to  give  his  support  to  the  Republican  par- 
ty, but  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office 
have  little  attraction  for  him.  as  lie  prefers 
to  give  his  undivided  attention  to  his  business 
a  [fairs. 


LYMAN    WAEE. 


One  of  the  old  families  of  Montgomery  coun- 
ty is  that  of  which  Lyman  Ware  is  a  repre- 
sentative, and  his  birthplace  was  the  farm 
upon  which  he  now  resides,  lie  was  horn  Feb- 
ruary 15.  1865,  ami  in  his  youth  attended  the 
public  schools.  In  1893  his  father  removed  to 
the  town  of  Hillsboro  and  Lyman  'Ware  then 
took  charge  of  the  old  home  place — a  work  for 
which  he  was  well  qualified  by  his  previous 
training  and  experience  in  the  fields.  From 
early  boyhood  In'  assisted  in  the  task  of  plow- 
ing, planting  and  harvesting  and  to  this  work 
he  has  devoted  his  energies  throughout  his  en- 
tire life.    Mis  I ie  place  comprises  one  hundred 

and  eighh  acres,  and  he  is  also  engaged  in  the 
management  and  operation  of  a  farm  id'  two 
hundred  acres  in  frving  township.  He  carries 
on  general  agricultural  pursuits,  raising  the 
cereals  best    adapted    to   soil   and   climate,  and 


he  is  also  successfully  engaged  in  stock-raising, 
making  a  specialty  of  shorthorn  cattle. 

On  the  '.".'d  of  November,  1S95,  Mr.  Ware 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ida  Linger, 
and  they  have  one  child,  Jennie  L.,  who  is 
now  seven  years  of  age.  The  parents  are 
members  of  the  Ware  Grove  Lutheran  church 
and  Mr.  Ware  is  a  Republican  in  his  political 
affiliation,  having  supported  the  party  since 
attaining  his  majority.  His  entire  life  has 
been  passed  in  Montgomery  county,  so  that  he 
is  well  known,  and  with  its  agricultural  in- 
terests he  has  been  closely  connected  through- 
out his  entire  life. 


DEWITT   0.    BURRIS. 

Dewitt  0.  Burris,  now  deceased,  was  horn  in 
Jackson  county.  Ohio,  on  the  3d  of  April,  1826, 
and  was  reared  upon  a  farm.  His  educational 
privileges  were  those  afforded  by  the  early 
schools  of  his  native  state,  which  was  then  a 
frontier  region  cut  oil'  from  the  advantages  and 
improvements  of  the  older  west  by  the  moun- 
tain ranges  of  Pennsylvania.  When  twenty- 
one  years  of  age  he  began  earning  his  own  liv- 
ing, and.  thinking  that  he  might  have  better 
chances  to  gain  a  start  in  a  still  more  western 
region,  he  wen!  from  Ohio  to  Indiana  and  aft- 
erward ci to  Illinois,  settling  in  Montgom- 
ery county  when  a  young  man  during  the  early 
'50s. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  life's  jour- 
ney Mr.  Burris  chose  Miss  Koselma  Mack,  who 
was  born  in  New  Hampshire  ami  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Calvin  Mack,  who  came  with  his  family 
to  Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  at  a  very  early 
period  in  its  development,  traveling  by  wagon. 
He  had  two  wagons,  in  which  the  family  jour- 
neyed  and  carried  their  household  effects.  The 
Mack  home  was  established  in  Butler  Grove 
township,  and  under  the  parental  roof  the 
daughter  Roselma  remained  until  she  gave  her 
hand  in  marriage  to  Mr.  Burris  on  the  7th  of 
April.  1857.  Not  long  after  this  the  young 
couple  removed  to  Christian  county,  Illinois, 
where  be  operated  a  sawmill  for  a  year.  They 
then  returned  to  Montgomery  county  and  lie 
gave  his  attention   to  agricultural   pursuits  in 


UNIVi 


DEW  ITT    C.    BURETS 


MKS.    DEWITT    C.    BURHIS 


■  ■ 


UNtv;  -G's 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


t35 


Butler  Grove  tow  nship,  Lmproving  a  good  farm. 
In  1803  he  removed  to  the  farm  upon  which  his 
widow  now  resides  and  made  that  place  his 
home  for  nineteen  years,  or  until  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  prospered  in  his  undertaking, 
becoming  one  of  the  well-to-do  citizens  of  this 
part  of  the  state.  As  his  financial  resources 
increased  he  added  to  his  land  until  lie  was 
the  owner  of  six  hundred  acres,  representing  a 
large  investment,  which  made'  him  one  of  the 
substantial  residents  of  his  Locality,  lie  de- 
served much  credit  for  what  lie  accomplished 
because  all  that  he  possessed  was  acquired 
through  his  own  efforts,  guided  by  sound  judg- 
ment and  prompted  by  laudable  ambition. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burris  were  horn  four 
children  who  are  still  living:  Carrie  A.,  the 
wife  of  A.  C.  Sammons;  Elzina.  the  wife  of 
W.  E.  Kendall,  of  Oklahoma;  Charles,  who  is 
living  upon  the  home  farm;  and  Wesley,  also 
at  home.  Those  who  have  passed  away  are 
George,   Emma,   ETattie  and  Willie. 

Mr.  Burris  died  January  4.  1ST0.  and  many 
who  know  him  mourn  his  loss,  for  they  had 
found  in  him  a  faithful  friend  ami  a  straight- 
forward business  man.  while  in  his  family  he 
was  a  devoted  husband  ami  father.  He  held 
office  in  his  township  and  gave  his  political 
allegiance  to  the  Democracy.  Mrs.  Burris, 
who  still  survives  her  husband  and  vol  re- 
sides upon  the  old  homestead,  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


E.    HAKIMS. 


Among  the  mosl  energetic,  wide-awake  and 
representative  Imsiness  men  of  Montgomery 
county  is  numbered  E.  Harris,  of  Coll'cen.  who 
i-  engaged  in  the  conduct  of  a  furniture  store 
and  is  also  manager  for  the  Mutual  Telephone 
System,  which  operates  eight  hundred  and  fifty 
telephones.  He  was  horn  in  Fillmore  township, 
Montgomery  county,  in  1867,  his  parents  being 
William  M.  and  Lourana  J.  (Sears)  Harris. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  William  B.  Harris, 
arrived  in  Montgomery  county  in  1821/,  being 
one  of  its  first  settlers.  The  greater  part  of 
the  land  was  still   unclaimed   and    uncultivated, 


and  where  are  now  seen  flourishing  towns  and 
villages  there  was  only  unbroken  prairie.  His 
father  was  horn  in  Bond  county,  Illinois,  in 
1828,  and  in  early  life  followed  agricultural 
pursuits.  lie  also  engaged  in  merchandising 
in  Fayette  count}-,  Illinois,  and  became  one  of 
the  active  factors  in  the  business  life  of  his 
community.  In  184'J  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage' to  Miss  Lourana  J.  Sears,  also  a  repre- 
sentative of  one  of  the  oldest  families  of  this 
part  ol  the  state.  At  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage Mr.  Harris  located  in  Montgomery  coun- 
ty, where  he  resided  continuously  until  1872, 
hut  is  now  a  resident  of  Bingham,  Fayette 
county.  Into  him  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
seven  children,  of  whom  four  are  now  living. 

E.  Harris  acquired  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Fayette  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
spent  the  early  part  of  his  life.  In  1891  he 
came  to  Colleen  and  established  a  furniture 
store,  which  he  has  since  conducted.  In  addi- 
tion he  carries  on  an  undertaking  establishment, 
holding  state  embalmer's  license  No.  555, 
and  both  branches  of  his  Imsiness  have  proved 
remunerative.  He  carries  a  large  and  well  se- 
lected line  of  furniture  calculated  to  meet  the 
varied  demands  of  the  town  and  country  trade, 
and  his  reasonable  prices,  fair  dealing  and  un- 
faltering determination  to  win  an  honorable 
success  have  been  the  potent  elements  in  his 
prosperity.  He  is  to-day  the  oldest  merchant 
in  continued  business  in  Coffeen.  He  is  also 
the  manager  of  the  Mutual  Telephone  System, 
which  has  proven  id'  much  value  to  the  county, 
being  a  source  of  great  convenience,  not  only 
in  business,  but  in  social  life.  Eight  hundred 
an. I  fifty  telephones  are  in  operation  under  the 
management  of  this  company.  Mr.  Flarris  is 
to-day  considered  the  most  prosperous  business 
man  of  Coffeen,  and  he  certainly  deserves  his 
success,  as  if  has  come  to  him  as  the  direct  re- 
ward of  his  unfaltering  diligence,  capable  man- 
agement and  recognition  of  opportunity. 

In  1889  Mr.  Harris  was  married  to  Miss 
Victoria  Hicks,  id'  East  Fork  township,  and 
they  have  two  children.  Ruby  M.  and  Frank  C. 
Mr.  Harris  belongs  to  the  Woodmen  fraternity 
and  in  his  political  views  he  is  a  Democrat. 
Upon  his  party  ticket  he  was  elected  assessor 
and     supervisor,   discharging    his    duties     with 


136 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


capability  and  promptness.  He  belongs  to  that 
class  of  representative  American  men  who, 
while  promoting  their  individual  interests,  also 
advance  the  general  welfare,  and  Coffeen  classes 
him  among  its  valued  citizens,  in  that  he  is 
deeply  interested  in  her  welfare  and  that  his 
co-operation  may  be  counted  upon  to  advance 
every  measure  for  the  general  good. 


ROBERT  J.    KICK. 


Robert  Jefferson  Rice,  whose  business  energy 
and  activity  are  important  factors  in  the  com- 
mercial life  of  Waggoner,  is  conducting  a 
hardware  and  implement  store,  of  which  he  has 
been  proprietor  for  five  years.  He  is  also  well 
known  in  connection  with  the  hotel  business, 
which  he  has  conducted  for  ten  years,  and  a 
genial,  pleasant  manner  and  unfaltering 
courtesy,  combined  with  his  sagacity,  perse- 
verance and  business  foresight,  have  led  to  his 
success  and  made  him  one  of  the  popular  resi- 
dents of  this  community. 

Mr.  Rice  was  born  in  Macoupin  county,  Illi- 
nois. May  1,  1856.  His  father.  William  A. 
Rice,  was  a  native  of  Green  county,  Kentucky, 
born  <>n  the  24th  of  April,  1826,  and  the  grand- 
father was  George  Rice,  who  was  a  native  of 
Virginia  and  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary 
war.  lie  followed  farming  nl  Kentucky  after 
his  removal  to  the  Old  Dominion,  and  subse- 
quently lie  took  up  his  abode  in  Illinois,  about 
1829.  He  opened  a  farm  in  Macoupin  county, 
near  Palmira,  and  upon  the  old  homestead 
tic  re.  in  the  midst  of  the  scenes  of  frontier  life, 
William  A.  Rice  was  reared.  The  hardships 
ami  difficulties  which  confront  the  pioneer  be- 
came familiar  to  him  and  lie  also  enjoved  pleas- 
ures which  are  known  only  in  the  new  settle- 
ments of  the  west.  He  was  married  in  that 
count}  to  Cynthia  Patton,  a  native  of  Ten- 
nessee and  a  daughter  of  Robert  Patton.  whose 
wife  was  an  own  cousin  of  Henry  Clay.  Mr. 
Rice  became  a  farmer  of  Macoupin  county, 
where  he  resided  for  many  years,  rearing  his 
family  upon  the  old  homestead  there.  lie  died, 
however,  in  Nebraska  at  the  home  of  his  daugh- 
ter in    180?  and  his  wife  passed   away   in   1800. 


The\  were  the  parents  of  three  sons  and  one 
daughter. 

Robert  J.  Rice  spent  his  boyhood  days  in 
the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  of  that  pe- 
riod, working  in  the  fields  through  the  sum- 
mer months  and  attending  school  in  the  winter 
seasons.  He  afterward  enjoyed  the  advantages 
of  a  course  in  the  Northern  Indiana  Normal 
school  at  Valparaiso  and  in  a  business  college 
at  Jacksonville  and  Later  he  became  a  teacher 
in  Macoupin  county.  Illinois,  where  he  fol- 
lowed that  profession  for  three  years,  while 
for  live  years  he  was  thus  connected  with  the 
schools  of  Morgan  county.  He  afterward  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Macoupin  county,  where  he 
owned  and  operated  a  good  tract  of  land  for 
about  seven  or  eight  years.  He  then  sold  out 
and  in  the  spring  of  1895  removed  to  Waggoner. 
where  he  purchased  a  hotel  ami  livery  stable, 
entering  upon  that  business  here.  In  1899  he 
sold  the  livery  stable,  hut  still  continues  as 
proprietor  of  a  hotel  and  in  this  same  year 
he  extended  his  efforts  to  other  lines  of  busi- 
ness activity  by  the  purchase  of  a  hardware 
store  on  the  1th  of  duly,  lie  has  since  been 
numbered  among  the  active  and  successful 
merchants  of  bhe  town,  having  built  up  a  good 
trade  by  fair  dealing,  earnest  desire  to  please 
his  customers  and  reasonable  prices. 

Mr.  Rice  was  married  in  Morgan  county, 
Illinois,  August  is.  1886,  to  Miss  Cora  Belle 
Copley,  who  was  born  in  Greene  county,  Illi- 
nois, but  was  reared  in  Morgan  county  near 
Waverlv.  Her  father.  Napoleon  Copley,  was  a 
native  of  England,  bom  in  Berkshire  on  the 
2d  of  February,  1835.  The  home  of  Air.  and 
All's.  Rice  has  been  blessed  with  live  children  : 
Verna,  Ward.  Benton,  Clinton  and  Robert  A. 
The  members  of  the  family  occupy  an  enviable 
position  in  social  circles  and  their  home  is 
noted  for  a  generous  and  attractive  hospitality. 
Mr.  Rice  proudly  east  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  .lames  A.  Garfield  and  has  supported  each 
nominee  at  the  bead  of  the  national  Republican 
ticket  since  that  time.  His  fellow  townsmen 
recognizing  his  worth  and  ability  and  his  deep 
mil  icst  in  the  welfare  of  his  community  have 
elected  him  to  public  office,  lie  has  served  as 
president  of  the  village  board  of  Waggoner  for 
four   Years,    was    assessor   in    1896   and    in    the 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


i:;; 


spring  of  L903  was  elected  county  supervisor, 
so  that  he  is  now  serving  on  the  county  board. 
He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  lodge  at  Raymond, 
having  joined  the  fraternity  at  Waverly,  Illi- 
nois, in  L883.  He  exercises  strong  influence  in 
local  political  and  public  affairs  and  his  public 
career  is  most  commendable,  having  been 
marked  by  the  faithful  performance  of  every 
duty  devolving  upon  him. 


ALEXANDER  C.  DURDY. 
Alexander  C.  Durdy,  who  is  justly  classed  with 

the  leading  business  men  of  (Jhlinan.  where  he 
is  engaged  in  dealing  in  grain  and  hay,  was 
horn  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  October  3,  1864, 
his  parents  being  Alexander  C.  and  Josephine 
(Burbach)  Durdy.  The  father,  who  was  born 
in  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  was  ol  Scotch-Irish 
descent  and  his  wife  was  of  German  lineage. 
He  removed  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  about  1854, 
and  there  reared  his  I'anily.  There  were  nine 
children:  Mrs.  William  Schaper,  of  Indianap- 
olis, Indiana;  Alexander  ( '. ;  .Mrs.  Ed  Rice,  of 
Litchfield,  Illinois,  whose  husband  is  represent- 
ing his  district  in  the  state  legislature;  Mrs. 
Ed  Umpley,  of  Nokomis,  whose  husband  con- 
duits a  machine  shop;  Mrs.  Ed  Sanders,  who 
lives  in  Chicago;  Mrs.  Charles  Laws,  of  No- 
komis; Mrs.  Charles  Singer,  of  Nokomis;  Louis, 
who  married  Louise  Waggoner,  of  Tana,  and 
lives  in  Ohlman;  and  Leon,  a  resident  of  In- 
dianapolis. Indiana. 

Alexander  ('.  Durdy  was  for  a  time  a  pupil 
of  the  schools  of  St.  Louis.  lie  afterward  at- 
tended the  schools  of  Montgomery  county,  sub- 
sequent to  his  parents'  removal  to  this  locality, 
pursuing  his  studies  in  Ohlman.  When  but 
sixteen  years  of  aire  he  put  aside  his  text  hooks 
and  gave  his  entire  attention  to  the  grain  trade, 
having  begun  the  purchase  of  grain  in  the 
previous  year.  For  almost  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury he  has  been  identified  with  this  business 
in  Ohlman.  purchasing  grain  and  haled  hay, 
which  is  shipped  to  the  city  markets.  He  first 
instituted  the  planters'  compress  business  and 
was  general  superintendent  nf  the  compresses  at 
Pana,  Nokomis  and  Ohlman.  After  occupy- 
ing that   position    for   some   time   he   resigned 


and  now  gives  his  entire  attention  to  the  grain 
and  hay  business,  being  a  member  of  the  iirm 
ol  Metzger,  Hill  Company,  a  commission  firm 
of  Cincinnati.  Ohio,  of  which  he  is  the  vice 
president. 

In  L890  Mr.  Durdy  wedded  -Miss  Anna  Rest, 
a  daughter  of  II.  A.  and  Margaret  (Powers) 
Rest,  who  resided  in  Rainier,  Illinois.  Mrs. 
Durdy  was  educated  in  Nokomis  and  is  now- 
well  known  in  the  social  circles  of  Ohlman, 
she  and  her  husband  receiving  hearty  welcome 
in  the  best  homes  of  the  town.  They  have 
become  the  parents  of  five  children:  Harry 
B.,  who  was  horn  September  13,  L891,  and  at- 
tends school  in  Ohlman;  Merrill,  horn  dune 
10,  1893;  Vivian  ()..  born  January  3,  1895; 
LaVonne,  born  April  23,  1896;  and  Alexander 
('.,  bom  March  13,  1899. 

Mr.  Durdy  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp.  His  po- 
litical views  are  in  accord  with  the  principles 
of  Democracy  and  he  has  served  as  supervisor, 
having  been  appointed  to  Jill  out  an  unex- 
pired term  of  his  father.  He  is  well  known 
in  Montgomery  county,  where  he  has  spent  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  and  where  he  has  so 
directed  his  efforts  as  not  only  to  win  a  com- 
petence, hut  also  gain  the  good  will  and  trust 
of  his  fellow  men. 


CHARLES  H.  LOCKHART,  M.  D. 

Among  the  younger  representatives  of  the 
medical  fraternity  in  Montgomery  county  is 
numbered  Charles  H.  Lockhart,  whose  success 
would  seem  to  indicate  that  he  had  advanced 
further  on  life's  journey  than  the  thirty-third 
milestone.  lie  was  born,  however,  in  Butler 
on  the  31st  of  August,  1871,  and  in  his  practice 
in  Witt  lie  has  secured  the  support  of  many  of  its 
leading  citizens.  His  parents  were  Henry  A. 
and  Elizabeth  (Dunbar)  Lockhart.  the  former  a 
native  of  Ohio  and  the  latter  of  Missouri.  The 
father  came  to  this  state  in  the  early  '40s  and 
was  engaged  in  merchandising.  He  was  also 
one  of  the  first  residents  of  Butler  and  was  well 
known  in  Montgomery  county  as  the  promoter 
of   business     activity    and    of     the     substantial 


4:38 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


growth  of  the  community.     His  death  occurred 
in  Alaska  about    1873. 

Dr.  Charles  H.  Loekhart  was  educated  in 
Hillsboro  and  entered  upon  his  business  career 
in  a  drug  stun'  in  that  city  owned  by  Dr.  E. 
Douglas.  He  was  thus  employed  for  eight 
years,  during  which  time  he  had  become  in- 
terested in  the  science  of  medicine  and  resolved 
to  make  its  practice  his  life  work.  Accordingly 
he  entered  the  Missouri  Medical  College  at  St. 
Louis  and  was  graduated  from  that  institution 
in  March,  L898.  On  the  10th  of  May  of  the 
same  year  he  located  for  practice  in  Witt.  He 
has  a  modern  office,  carries  his  own  Line  of 
drugs  and  has  built  up  an  excellent  practice, 
which  comes  from  the  best  people  of  the  town 
and  surrounding  district.  In  1902  he  took  a 
post-graduate  course  in  the  New  ^  ork  Poly- 
clinic, in  New  York  city,  and  he  lias  always 
read  and  studied  in  order  to  keep  in  touch  with 
tin'  advanced  thought  of  the  profession,  which 
has  made  him  a  well  informed  ami  capable 
physician,  lie  is  a  member  of  the  Montgomery 
County  Medical  Society,  the  Illinois  State 
Medical  Society,  the  District  Medical  Society  of 
Central  Illinois  and  the  American  Association. 
Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  camp,  Xo.  5628,  belongs  to  the 
Mutual  Protective  League,  No.  90,  and  is  ex- 
amining physician  for  a  number  of  the  old-line 
and    fraternal    insurance  companies. 


JOEL  C.  TRAYLOR. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  horn  in  Shel- 
by county,  Kentucky,  October  6,  181  1.  He 
was  the  second  of  a  family  of  four  -on-  horn 
to  James  and  Nancy  (Cardwell)  Traylor,  who 
had  emigrated  to  that  section  from  Virginia 
about  the  year  1810.  The  Traylor  family  are 
of  French  Huguenot  ancestry.  As  early  as 
]i;;i  William  Trounillard,  a  Huguenot,  lied 
before  the  persecution  of  Catholic  fanaticism, 
which  at  that  time  raged  in  France,  and  sought 
an  asylum  in  the  wilds  of  America.  He  set- 
tled near  Petersburg  ami  afterward  married 
Judith  Archer,  a  Virginia  girl,  and  the  records 
show  that  Peter  Jones,  the  founder  of  Peters- 
burs,  was  surety  on  his  marriage  bond.    James 


Traylor  married  Nancy  Cardwell.  daughter  of 
George  Cardwell  and  a  sister  to  Wyatt  and 
Peter  Cardwell,  men  well  known  in  Virginia 
history.  Wyatt  Cardwell,  a.  first  cousin  to 
John  Randolph,  of  Roanoke,  was  administrator 
of  that,  famous  statesman  and  carried  out  the 
peculiar  provisions  of  his  will.  The  sons  of 
James  Traylor  were  Caleb.  Joel  Cozens.  Wil- 
liam and  John.  Caleb,  the  elder  son,  accom- 
panied by  his  father,  removed  from  Kentucky 
to  Illinois  about  1835.  John  ami  William  came 
about    1840  and  Joel  in   1844. 

Previous  to  this  time  the  last  named  had 
been  in  business  in  a  small  way  in  the  city 
of  Louisville,  Kentucky.  When  he  came  to 
Illinois  hi'  at  once  embarked  in  merchandising 
in  the  smith  part  of  Montgomery  county. 
Within  a  few  years  he  had  established  a  very 
wide  trade,  as  his  was  the  only  store  kept 
within  a  radius  of  eight  or  ten  miles.  From 
his  early  youth  Joel  ('.  Traylor  had  been  se- 
verely crippled  by  disease,  and  through  all  his 
life  was  compelled  to  walk  with  the  assistance 
of  crutches  and  a  cane,  yet  he  possessed  a  spirit 
of  such  independence  that  physical  ailment  did 
not  stand  between  him  and  a  desire  to  succeed 
m  the  world.  b\-w  men  in  Montgomery  coun- 
ty have  influenced  the  community  in  which 
they  lived  in  an  educational  and  moral  way 
more  than  has  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

His  first  wife  was  a  Miss  Judith  Gibbs,  by 
whom  he  bad  three  children,  two  having  died 
in  infancy:  the  elder,  .lame-,  accompanied  his 
parents  to  Illinois.  In  the  autumn  of  1S44, 
when  Mr.  Traylor  had  been  but  a  U'\\  months 
in  his  new  home,  his  wife  died,  leaving  the 
latin  r  and  little  son  alone  In  i  home  some- 
what separated  from  neighbors  and  friends. 
In  1846  Mi-.  Traylor  took  for  a  second  wife 
Sarah  A.  Ohmart.  a  Pennsylvania  German 
girl  of  nineteen  summers.  To  this  helpmeet 
Mr.  Traylor  owed  much  of  his  since--.  By 
his  wife  Sarah  he  reared  a  large  family  of 
children,  seven  id'  whom  lived  to  reach  man- 
hood and  womanhood.  The  oldest  boy,  men- 
tioned as  a  child  by  his  first  wife,  was  drowned 
in  .Menard  county  while  visiting  with  Hm 
grandfather.  The  oldest  by  bis  wife  Sarah 
was  Margaret  E.,  wife  of  the  late  Thomas  H. 
Wilson.     She  was  a   very  popular  girl  and  for 


~4jS&|W 

K 

£                   f; 

g&m '             1 

t 

ME.    AND    MES.    JOEL    C.    TBAYLOB. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  IlLiNOtf 
URBANA 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


441 


many  years  was  chief  clerk  in  her  lather's  store. 
In  tins  way  her  acquaintance  was  as  wide  as 
the  extensive  business  which  be  carried  on. 
She  died  about  ten  years  ago.  leaving  a  son 
and  daughter,  lna  M.  and  Frank  K.  Wilson, 
of  Coii'een.  Illinois.  The  second  daughter, 
Harriet  E.,  Lives  with  her  widowed  mother  in 
the  same  village.  M.  B.  Traylor,  the  oldest 
son  and  formerly  a  merchant  of  Colleen,  is 
at  present  residing  in  the  city  of  Denver,  Colo- 
rado. He  has  a  family  consisting  of  a  wife, 
Dora,  nee  McDavid,  and  three  sons.  Joel, 
Frank  and  Edward.  Jacob  1...  second  son.  is 
a  resident  of  Coffeen.  The  greater  part  of  his 
life  since  a  hoy  of  seventeen  has  been  spent 
in  the  work  id'  teaching.  In  L890  he  was  elect- 
ed county  superintendent  of  schools,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  until  1SD4.  In  1895-97  he 
was  superintendent  of  the  village  schools  of 
Coffeen.  In  1898  he  established  the  Coffeen 
Normal  School  and  Academy  and  was  proprie- 
tor of  that  institution  until  1900.  He  has  been 
engaged  during  the  last  three  years  in  selling 
life  assurance  for  the  Equitable  Life  Assu- 
rance Society  of  Xew  York.  Jacoh  L.  Tray- 
lor was  married  in  1878  to  Miss  Mary  F  Hicks, 
and  to  them  three  sons  and  five  daughters  have 
been  horn.  The  eldest.  Lew  Randolph,  is  en- 
gaged in  real  estate  business  in  Coffeen.  Ly- 
man E..  second  son.  is  a  clerk  in  the  store  of 
0.  A.  Edwards.  Paul,  the  third  boy,  is  a  lad 
of  twelve,  at  present  in  the  public  school. 
Claire,  the  eldest  daughter,  died  March  .V  1004. 
Slu>  was  a  girl  of  unusual  prominence,  a 
thorough  scholar  in  the  academic  branches  and 
a-  a  musician  had  few  equals.  She  was  Latin 
teacher  during  the  last  year  of  the  Coffeen 
Normal  School  and  Academy,  after  which  she 
gave  private  lessons  in  music  to  some  of  her 
near  relatives  and  friends.  Her  death  was 
not  only  a  loss  to  her  immediate  family,  hut  to 
the  entire  community  in  which  she  lived.  The 
second  daughter.  Jessie,  is  al  present  a  teacher 
in  the  public  schools,  and  Alma,  the  third 
daughter,  will  complete  the  high  school  course 
in  the  village  schools  this  year.  Ruth,  a  girl 
of  twelve  and  twin  to  Paul,  before  mentioned, 
is  a  pupil  with  him  in  the  intermediate  depart- 
ment of  the  school.  Blanch,  the  baby  girl, 
entered  school   this   session    for  the   first    time. 


A.  E.  Traylor,  the  third  son  of  Joe]  C.  Tray- 
lor, lives  on  a  farm  near  the  old  homestead. 
II*'  married  Miss  Ollie  Hill  and  to  them  have 
come  two  sons  ami  two  daughters.  Chloe  and 
Maud  are  young  girls,  just  budding  into  wom- 
anhood, h'oss  and  Guy,  his  two  boys,  are  fine 
litth:  fellows,  just  beginning  school  life.  A.  E. 
Traylor  was  for  some  years  a  teacher  in  the 
public  schools  of  Montgomery  county,  hut  he 
lias  given  his  entire  attention  id'  late  to  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising.  Elora,  the  third  daugh- 
ter of  Joel  ('.  Traylor.  is  the  wife  .4'  Charles 
Laws,  whose  biography  and  portrait  appear  in 
this  volume.  They  have  one  son.  .loci,  who  is 
a  hoy  of  ten.  and  four  daughters.  The  eldest, 
Miss  Effie,  is  a  young  lady  of  seventeen;  Lena, 
tin-  second  girl,  is  about  twelve  years  old,  and 
Camilla,  is  a  little  tot  of  eight,  while  Marian 
is  the  baby.  Clement  A.  Traylor,  the  young- 
est son  id'  Joel  C.  Traylor.  is  at  present  en- 
gaged in  the  hardware  business  in  the  village 
of  Coffeen.  He  is  the  youngest  member  of 
his  father's  family  and  is  at  present  thirty-five 
years  old.  Some  eight  years  ago  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  lone  Sporry.  of  Xokomis.  and  to 
them  have  been  horn  two  >ons.  George  and 
Elmer.  George,  the  elder,  is  taking  his  first 
lesson-  in  the  public  school.  Elmer,  a  bright 
little  fellow,  wonders  why  he  can't  go,  too. 
Both  C  A.  Traylor  and  his  wife  were  for 
some  years  engaged  in  teaching  in  the  public 
schools  id'  the  county.  By  strict  adherence 
to  husiness  methods  Mr.  Traylor  is  regarded 
to-day  in  husiness  circles  as  a  safe  and  con- 
servative man.  lie  enjoys  a  large  patronage, 
and  by  fair  dealing  his  patrons  have  become 
his   friends. 


.lolIN    K.    BEAT. 


John  K.  Heal,  who  is  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock-raising,  conducting  his  busi- 
ness alone'  modern  lines  which  lead  to  success, 
was  horn  in  Butler  count  v.  Ohio,  near  Hamil- 
ton. February  6,  1865,  and  there  spent  the  first 
seven  years  of  his  life,  after  which  he  came 
to  "Montgomery  county.  Illinois,  with  his  par- 
ents, the  family  home  being  established  in 
North    Litchfield    township     in    1872.      After 


442 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


three  years  there  passed,  the  family  removed  to 
Eillsboro  township,  where  the  father  began 
farming,  and  upon  the  old  homestead  there 
John  K.  Beal  was  reared  to  manhood  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  of  the  period.  He 
attended  the  common  schools  and  assisted  in 
the  labors  of  field  and  meadow,  continuing  with 
his  father  until  twenty-four  years  of  age,  when 
he  began  farming  for  himself.  He  purchased 
forty  acres  of  land  in  1892  and  .-till  owns  that 
property.  To  his  original  purchase  he  has 
added,  however,  until  lie  now  has  a  valuable 
farm  ol  one  hundred  and  seventy-three  acres, 
of  which  eighty  acres  is  bottom  land.  In  addi- 
tion in  tin'  production  of  the  cereals  besl  adapt- 
ed tn  soil  and  climate,  he  is  engaged  in  the 
raising  of  horses,  mules  and  cattle,  and  has 
some  line  annual-  upon  his  place. 

On  the  l."dh  of  December.  1898,  Mr.  Beal  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jennie  McAdams. 
They  had  two  children,  hut  one  died  at  the  age 
of  two  and  a  half  years,  the  other  when  four 
years  of  age.  Mr.  Heal  takes  quite  an  active 
and  helpful  interest  in  community  affairs,  sup- 
porting every  movement  which  he  believes  will 
contribute  to  the  public  good  and  the  general 
progress.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political 
affiliation  and  has  served  as  highway  commis- 
sioner in  Hillsboro  township.  He  is  a  valued 
member  of  Montgomery  lodge.  No.  40,  I.  0.  0. 
F..  of  Hillsboro,  and  his  standing  among  his 
brethren  of  the  fraternity  is  indicated  by  the 
fact  that  he  has  been  called  to  fill  all  the  chairs 
in  the  lodge.  A  resident  of  the  county  through 
almost  a  third  of  a  century,  he  i?  well  known 
here  and  has  been  a  witness  of  much  of  the 
modern  growth  and  progress.  His  many  friends 
know  him  as  a  reliable  business  man  and  one 
worthy  their  regard  and  confidence. 


ZENO  J.  RIYES. 


Zeno  d.  Rives,  lawyer  and  congressman,  was 
horn  in  Hancock  county.  Indiana,  on  the  22nd 
of  February,  1874.  His  father.  Alfred  J. 
Rives,  who  is  now  living  in  Litchfield  at  the 
age  of  fifty-four  years,  was  a  native  of  North 
Carolina  and  came  to  Montgomery  county  in 
L880.       He    loeatel    in    the   citv    which    is    still 


his  home  and  for  a  time  carried  on  a  general 
contracting  business.  lie  has  taken  an  active 
and  belpful  part  in  community  interests;  serv- 
ing as  superintendent  of  streets  and  also  as 
superintendent  id'  waterworks  and  in  these 
capacities  has  labored  for  the  best  interests  of 
his  city.  His  political  views  are  in  accord  with 
the  principles  of  the  Republican  party  and  in 
his  fraternal  relations  he  is  a  Woodman.  lie 
married  Lettice  S.  Heath,  who  was  born  in 
North  Carolina  and  is  now  Living  at  the  age 
of  sixty-one  years.  She  is  a  member  of  the 
Baptist   church    and    an    estimable    lady    whose 

g 1  qualities  of  heart  and  mind  have  endeared 

her  to  many  friends.  In  the  family  were  four 
children,  of  whom  William  T.  and  Sarah  I. 
are  now  deceased.  The  others  are  Terry  and 
Zeno  J.,  both  residents  of  Litchfield. 

Zeno  J.  Rives  was  but  six  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  his  removal  to  Litchfield  and  obtained 
bis  education  in  the  public  schools  of.  this  city. 
After  putting  aside  his  text  book-  he  worked 
at  any  labor  that  would  yield  him  an  honest 
living,  but  soon  after  took  up  the  reading  of 
law.  lie  was  admitted  to  the  bar  on  the  12th 
of  October.  1901,  and  then  entered  into  part- 
nership with  the  late  P.  A.  Wilhite.  since  which 
time  he  has  keen  practicing  with  success.  In 
March.  1904,  his  partner  died  and  Mr.  Rives 
has  since  been  alone  in  the  practice.  He  was 
appointed  to  till  the  office  of  city  clerk  in  Au- 
gust, 1903,  and  served  in  that  position  with 
satisfaction    to    all    concerned. 

For  the  practice  of  law  Mr.  Rives  is  well 
titled  by  reason  of  his  natural  attributes  and 
his  thorough  preparation  and  research.  Real- 
izing that  in  this  calling  more  than  in  almost 
any  other,  success  depends  11)1011  the  efforts  of 
the  individual,  and  also  in  an  unusual  degree 
to  keenness,  power  of  analysis  and  logical  sum- 
marizing of  the  chief  points  in  a  case  are  essen- 
tial, he  has  attained  a  credible  position  which 
he  now  holds  as  a  representative  of  the  Mont- 
gomery county  bar.  He  entered  upon  practice 
in  1901  and  his  success  tame  soon  because  his 
equipments  were  unusually  good,  he  having 
been  a  close  and  earnesl  student  of  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  law.  Nature  endowed  him 
with  strong  mentality  and  he  has  acquired  that 
persistent   energy   and    close   application   with- 


JpLt^o-'tf      3-    VX^y—L^) 


PAST    AXD    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


445 


out  which  there  is  no  success.  Along  with  these 
qualities  he  also  possesses  the  rare  gift  of  ora- 
tory. His  advancement  has  been  continuous 
and  he  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leaders  in 
his  chosen  calling. 

In  the  summer  of  1904,  without  solicitation, 
Mr.  Rives  was  nominated  to  represent  the 
twenty-first  district  in  congress.  The  district 
was  supposed  to  be  hopelessly  Democratic. 
The  Democrats  nominated  the  strongest  man 
they  had  in  the  district,  Hon.  Ben  F.  Cald- 
well, who  had  been  elected  to  the  same  office 
by  a  plurality  of  three  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  seventy-six  in  the  same  district  two  years 
before.  The  mottling  of  November  9th  showed 
the  wisdom  of  the  nomination  and  that  Mr. 
Rives  had  been  elected  by  the  decided  majority 
of  one  thousand  and  seventy-seven  over  his 
strong  Democratic  opponent.  His  great  popu- 
larity at  home  was  manifested  a  few  days  after 
the  election  by  a  splendid  meeting  at  the  opera 
house  in  Litchfield  in  which  the  whole  people 
met.  irrespective  of  politics,  to  offer  Mr.  Rives 
their  congratulations. 

Mr.  Rives  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  is  also  a  very  active  and  consistent 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church;  in  fact 
his  labors  in  this  direction  have  been  far-reach- 
ing and  effective  in  the  various  departments  of 
church  work;  in  the  Sunday-school  and  else- 
where the  results  of  his  efforts  are  conspicuous. 


JACOB  E.   1 1  ALTER. 

Jacob  E.  Ilaller.  who  is  interested  in  general 
farming  and  stock-raising,  finding  in  this  de- 
partment of  business  activity  opportunity  for 
successful  accomplishment,  was  horn  September 
Ki.  1868,  in  Audubon  township,  Montgomery 
county.  'Idle  family  is  of  German  lineage  and 
his  parents.  Jacob  and  Annie  (Abrahamson) 
Hal ler.  are  still  living. 

Jacob  E.  Ilaller  pursued  his  education  in  the 
Si  hools  of  Audubon  township  and  Oak  Grove. 
south  of  Nokomis,  and  also  spent  three  years  in 
the  high  school  at  Nokomis.  He  was  reared 
upon  the  home  farm  in  the  usual  manner  of 
lads  of  the  period,  gaining  practical  knowledge 
of  the  work  of   field   and   meadow  through   the 


assistance  which  he  rendered  his  father.  In 
the  fall,  when  he  was  twent)  years  of  age,  he 
went,  to  Sacramento  and  to  San  Francisco,  Cali- 
fornia, greatly  enjoying  his  visit  upon  the  Pa- 
cific coast.  He  then  returned  home  and  en- 
gaged in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm  for 
two  years,  after  which  his  father  returned  to  the 
old  homestead,  but  Jacob  E.  Ilaller  continued 
to  operate  the  place  for  two  years  longer.  He 
then  removed  to  what  is  known  as  the  Best 
farm,  west  of  Nokomis.  comprising  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acre-,  which  his  father  owned. 
He  afterward  spent  two  years  upon  the  farm 
that  is  now  occupied  by  his  father,  later  lived 
upon  the  .lames  Scott  place  for  two  years,  and 
then  removed  to  the  Casselberry  farm,  where 
he  has  now  resided  for  three  years.  This  place 
comprises  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  but 
in  connection  with  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits he  is  engaging  successfully  and  extensive- 
ly in  the  raising  of  stock.  He  makes  a  spe- 
cialty of  thoroughbred  Duroc  hogs,  having  thir- 
ty head,  lie  and  his  brother-in-law  purchased 
a  very  fine  hog  in  Iowa,  which  they  will  keep 
for  breeding  purposes.  They  held  a  sale  of 
line  hogs  mi  the  28th  of  September,  1903,  and 
also  sold  a  number  of  horses.  Mr.  Ilaller  is 
equallv  successful  as  a  raiser  of  thoroughbred 
Jersey  cattle  with  Pedro  at  the  head  of  his 
herd.  The  sire  of  Pedro  was  a  very  valuable 
animal,  which  sold  for  fifteen  hundred  dollars. 
Mr.  Haller's  farm  is  well  equipped  with  all 
modern  conveniences  and  accessories,  and  every- 
thing about  the  place  indicates  his  careful  su- 
pervision and   progressive  spirit. 

On  the  23d  of  February,  1898,  was  cele- 
brated the  marriage  of  Mr.  Ilaller  and  Miss 
Maude  Ilarkev.  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Ilarkev, 
of  Witt  township.  Her  father  was  born  May 
5.  1850,  in  Montgomery  county,  while  her 
mother's  birth  occurred  near  Fairfield.  St. 
Clair  count  v.  September  23,  1855.  They  have 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Witt 
township  and  are  well  known  farming  people  of 
that  locality.  Mrs.  Haller  was  born  Decem- 
ber 10.  1877,  and  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth 
in  a  family  of  six  children.  The  others  are 
Charlie,  who  married  Ko-\  Nelson,  of  Win- 
side,  Nebraska,  where  he  now  makes  his  home; 
Nellie   May.    who    was    bom    March    27,    1881, 


i  Hi 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


ami  is  with  her  parents;  Edna  Grace,  born 
January  1,  1883;  Mattie  Blanche,  born  ( )ci<>- 
ber  11.  1885;  ami  Glenn  Martin,  born  June 
is.  1888.  .Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haller  have  one  child, 
Jai  nil.  born  January  8,  1901. 

In  In-  political  views  .Mr.  Haller  is  a  Demo- 
crat ami  filled  the  office  of  highway  commis- 
sioner for  six  years,  while  in  1903  he  was  elect- 
ed collector,  although  his  district  usually  has  a 
strong  Republican  majority.  He  has  been  a 
member  id'  the  Masonic  fraternity  since  1890, 
belonging  mm  to  lodge  No.  456,  and  he  also 
has  membership  relations  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 
With  a  full  realization  that  labor  is  the  only 
safe  foundation  upon  which  to  build  success,  he 
has  worked  perseveringly  and  untiringly  in  the 
conduct  id'  Ins  farming  interests  and  has  re- 
ceived a  good  financial  reward. 


EL]    CRESS. 


Eli  Cress,  deceased,  who  was  a  respected 
farmer  of  Montgomery  county,  living  a  quiet, 
uneventful  bin  honorable  life,  which  won  the 
esteem  of  all.  was  bom  February  25,  1838,  in 
what  is  now  Fillmore  township.  His  father. 
Peter  Cress,  came  to  this  country  at  an  early 
day  ami  settled  in  Fillmore  township,  where  he 
reared  his  family.  In  ls:!ii  he  married  Miss 
Catherine  Nusman,  theirs  being  the  first  re- 
corded marriage  in  Rountree  township,  and 
her  father.  John  Nusman,  was  the  first  white 
man  to  establish  bis  home  within  the  limits  of 
that  township.  Mrs.  Cress  died  about  1860. 
She  was  the  mother  of  four  children:  Eli, 
Harriet.  Jane  and  one  that  died  in  infancy. 

In  the  public  schools  near  his  borne  Eli 
Cress  acquired  bis  education,  and  under  his 
father'-;  direction  he  gained  intimate  knowl- 
edge of  farm  work  in  all  its  departments,  so 
that  practical  experience  qualified  him  to  man- 
age bis  a  If  airs  when  he  began  farming  on  his 
own  account.  He  continued  on  the  old  home- 
stead until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war, 
when,  in  response  to  his  country's  call,  he 
donned  the  blue  uniform  and  went  forth  to 
defend  the  nation's  starry  banner  and  the  cause 
it  represented.     He  became  a  member  of  Com- 


pany B,  One  Hundred  and  Seventeenth  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  enlisting  at  Hillsboro  in  Au- 
gust. 1862.  lie  went  with  his  command  to 
Meridian  and  hack  to  Yicksburg,  Mississippi, 
in  February,  1864,  this  being  General  Sher- 
man's first  "grand  march."  In  the  lied  River 
campaign  he  was  under  General  A.  J.  Smith, 
of  the  Sixteenth  Army  Corps,  in  March, 
April  and  .May  of  1864;  was  m  Arkansas  and 
Tennessee  in  June,  1864;  in  the  Tupelo  cam- 
paign in  August  of  the  same  year;  in  the 
Price  campaign  in  Missouri  in  September,  Oc- 
tober and  November:  against  Hood  in  middle 
Tennessee  in  December.  1864,  and  January, 
1865;  in  the  Mobile  campaign  in  March  and 
early  April.  1865;  and  thence  to  Montgomery, 
Alabama,  on  the  24th  of  April,  1865,  the  regi- 
ment being  stationed  there  at  the  time  of  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  carried  the  colors  in  the 
following  battles:  Fort  de  Russey,  March  14, 
L864;  Pleasant  Hill,  April  !> :  Tupelo,  July 
14;  Nashville,  December  15-16,  1864;  Blake- 
ley  and  Mobile.  Alabama.  April  lb  1865;  and 
thirty-three  skirmishes.  I  luring  its  term  of  serv- 
ice the  regiment  inarched  twenty-three  hun- 
dred and  seven  miles,  traveled  by  rail  seven 
hundred  and  se\ cut \ -eight  miles,  by  water 
sixty-one  hundred  and  ninety-one  miles,  mak- 
ing a  total  distance  of  nine  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy-six  miles.  They  captured 
two  stands  of  colors,  four  hundred  and  forty- 
two  prisoners  and  eight  pieces  of  artillery.  At 
tin1  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Cress  was  mustered 
out  at  Camp  Butler.  August  6.  1S65.  He  was 
a  faithful  soldier,  never  faltering  in  the  per- 
formance id'  any  task  assigned  him  and  on 
more  than  one  occasion  helped  carry  the  colors 
forward  to  victory. 

Returning  home  when  the  country  no  longer 
needed  his  aid.  Mi-.  Cress  again  took  up  the 
work  of  the  farm,  which  he  continued  to  carry 
mi  throughout  his  remaining  days.  He  made 
further  [(reparation  for  having  a  home  of  his 
own  by  marriage,  on  the  24th  of  May,  1866, 
to  Miss  S'ophronia  C.  McNitt,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  B.  and  Sarah  (Cress)  McNitt.  Mrs. 
Cress  was  born  on  the  old  home  farm  Septem- 
ber 17,  1842.  Her  father  died  in  1860.  but 
her  mother  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home 
with    her  daughter   at    the  advanced    age    of 


ELI    CRESS 


MRS'.    ELT    CRESS 


PETER    CRESS 


MRS.  SARAH  (McNITT)  CHAMBERS 


THOMAS    B.     McNITT 


H.    E.    CEESS    AND    FAMILY 


UNIVI  :  ILLINOIS 

.  ANA 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


451 


eighty-four  years.  She  is  a  woman  of  remark- 
able energy  for  one  of  her  years,  and  in  1903 
made  a  trip  to  California  alone.  She  is  the 
eldest  native  daughter  now  living  in  Mont- 
gomery county.  She  is  the  mother  o1  eleven 
children,  of  whom  seven  died  in  infancy.  Those 
still  living  are:  Francis  T..  who  is  living  in 
Centralia,  Washington ;  Helen,  wife  of  J.  P. 
Price;  Jennie,  wife  of  J.  C.  Jackson,  of  Gar- 
nett,   Kansas ;  and   M  rs.  ( iress. 

Eli  Cress  continued  to  follow  farming  on 
thf  old  family  homestead  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  January  28,  18?].  his  remains 
being  interred  ai  Bosi  Hill.  He  was  a  Re- 
publican in  politics  ami  a  loyal  citizen,  being 
as  true  to  his  country  in  days  of  peace  as  when 
he  valiantly  followed  the  old  flag  on  southern 
battlefields.  Men  respected  him  because  he 
was  true  to  his  honest  conviction,  because  of 
his  freedom  from  self-praise  and  ostentation, 
and  because  he  was  honorable  in  all  his  rela- 
tions with  his  IVIlow  men. 

He  is  survived  by  his  widow,  who  yet  re- 
sides on  the  homestead  farm,  and  their  son, 
Howard  E.  Cress,  who  was  born  October  '.'. 
1867.  IK'  was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
and  has  always  carried  en  agricultural  pursuits, 
havng  charge  of  the  home  farm,  comprising 
two  hundred  ami  seventy  acres  of  land,  located 
in  Fillmore  and  Fast  Fork  townships.  lie 
was  married  on  the  18th  of  September,  1896, 
to  Miss  Xora  E.  Opchurch,  a  daughter  of  A.  F. 
Upchurch,  who  has  been  a  resident  el'  Mont- 
gomery county  fiu-  forty-six  years.  His  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Yennv  and  is 
a  native  of  this  county.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Howard  F.  Cress  have  been  born  two  children: 
Estelle  and  Orin,  both  attending  school.  How- 
ard Cress  is  a  Republican  and  a  progressive  and 
public-spirited  citizen,  interested  in  affairs  of 
moment  to  the  community,  and  he  likewise 
enjoys  the  confidence  id'  the  business  commu- 
nity. 


JESSE  W.  OSBORX. 


Jesse  W.  Oshorn.  through  his  connection  with 
the  Hillsboro  Creamery,  is  identified  with  one 
of  the   leading  productive  industries  of  Mont- 


gomery county,  lie  was  born  mi  the  farm  on 
which  he  new  resides  on  section  14,  Butler 
Grove  township,  his  natal  day  being  November 
1!',  1865.  lie  is  a  son  of  Samuel  C.  Osborn, 
who  settled  upon  this  farm  in  the  early  "60s  ami 
who  was  a  native  of  Montgomerj  county.  The 
grandfather.  Levi  Osborn.  located  in  this  coun- 
try at  a  very  early  day.  arriving  here  about 
1830  from  Kentucky,  lie  was  accompanied  by 
his  wile  and  one  child,  making  the  journey  on 
horseback.  11  is  wife,  with  a  babj  in  her  arms, 
rode  one  horse  and  upon  another  horse  carried 
her  household  goods — as  much  as  they  brought 
with  them.  Mi-.  Osborn  walked  the  entire  dis- 
tance and  at  length  the  journey  was  completed 
and  be  undertook  the  task  of  establishing  a 
home  in  this  wild  region,  where  pioneer  con- 
ditions existed  and  where  the  work  of  im- 
provement and  progress  had  been  scarcely  be- 
gun. From  the  governmenl  s.  C.  Osborn  se- 
cured a  claim  covering  eighty  acres  of  land  on 
section  I  I.  Butler  drove  township,  and  on  this 
he  built  a  log  cabin,  containing  one  room.. 
Many  hardships  and  trials  were  to  he  borne 
in  those  early  days  and  with  characteristic  en- 
erg\  be  persevered  in  his  work  and  in  due 
course  of  time  his  farm  returned  to  him  a  good 
living.  Ili>  wife  boie  the  maiden  name  of 
Lydia  Kendrick  and  they  were  the  parents  of 
eighi  children:  I..  I).,  who  is  conducting  the 
creamery  at  Butler;  Charles  J.,  a  stockman  re- 
siding in  Nebraska;  .lesse  W. ;  Mary  E.,  the 
wife  of  George  Robinson,  who  is  residing  near 
bis  brother  in  Butler  Grove  township;  Etta, 
the  wife  of  Leslie  X.  Smith,  who  is  conducting 
the    Hillsboro   creamery;     Bertie,     Ilattie    and 

Sarah,  all  deceased.     At  the  tii if  the  Civil 

war  S.  ( '.  ((shorn  enlisted  in  1863,  serving  as 
a  private  for  about  a  year.  He  then  returned 
to  his  family  and  farm  in  Montgomerv  county 
and  continued  to  carry  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1876. 
His  wife  died  many  years  later,  passing  away  on 
the  1st  of  August.  1901,  when  sixty  years  of 
age. 

Upon  tin1  old  family  homestead  Jesse  W.  Os- 
horn speni  the  days  of  his  boyhood  arid  youth 
and  in  the  public  schools  acquired  his  education. 
He  took  charge  of  his  father's  farm  when  eigh- 
teen years  of  age  and  subsequeni  to  his  mother's 


I.V.' 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


death  hie  purchased  the  interesl  of  the  other 
heirs  in  the  old  homestead.  He  now  owns  one 
hundred  acres  of  land  and  farms  altogether 
three  hundred  acres,  raising  general  crops  and 
buying  and  selling  hay,  corn,  cattle  and  hogs. 
In  190]  he  established  the  Hillshoro  creamery 
and  in  1902  established  the  creamery  in  Butler, 
while  the  following  year  he  put  in  operation 
the  creamery  at  Witt.  All  of  these  are  under 
Ins  supervision.  He  receives  each  month  about 
twenty  thousand  pounds  of  milk  daily  and  ships 
cream  to  the  value  of  about  five  thousand  dol- 
lars monthly.  His  business  interests  are  ex- 
tensive and  important  and.  owing  to  his  capable 
control,  have  made  him  one  of  the  prosperous 
men  of  his  community.  In  all  of  his  business 
interests  he  is  practical,  far-sighted  and  ener- 
getii  and  upon  these  qualities  he  has  builded  his 
success. 

On  November  30,  1890,  Mr.  Osborn  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Emma  Ware,  a  daughter  of  David 
Ware,  one  of  the  honored  and  valued  pioneer 
settlers  of  Montgomery  county.  They  now 
have  an  interesting  family  of  four  children: 
Wesley  W..  (trace.  Clarence  A.  and  Harold  M. 
Politically  Mr.  Osborn  is  a  Republican  and  has 
three  times  been  elected  township  supervisor  of 
Butler  Grove  township.  He  is  also  a  school  direc- 
tor and  is  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  cemetery 
association.  Plis  interest  in  community  affairs 
has  been  manifest  by  active  co-operation  in 
many  measures  for  the  general  good  and  in 
tangible  support  of  different  movements  which 
have  for  their  object  the  upbuilding  of  the 
county. 


ALFRED  \.  BANES. 
Alfred  N.  Banes,  prominent  as  a  representa- 
tive of  fraternal  circles  and  a  leader  in  com- 
munity interests  in  Hillshoro.  having  for  Pour 
vears  been  a  member  of  the  board  of  education 
and  now  serving  as  its  secretary,  was  horn  in 
Hamilton  county.  Illinois.  July  1.  1866.  His 
father,  diaries  Edward  Italics,  was  a  native  of 
Tennessee,  and  is  now  living  in  McLeansboro, 
Illinois,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  He  came 
to  this  state  from  Tennessee  with  his  parents 
when  five  years  of  age.  the  family  home  being 


established  in  Hamilton  county,  where  he  was 
reared  amid  the  scenes  of  frontier  life.  He 
was  a  farmer  throughout  the  years  of  his  active 
business  career,  but  at  the  time  of  the  Civil 
war  he  put  aside  agricultural  pursuits  in  order 
to  espouse  the  cause  of  the  Hnion,  enlisting  in 

(' pany  A,  of  the  Fortieth  Illinois  Volunteer 

[nfantry.  He  was  enrolled  at  Springfield  in 
1861  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  par- 
ticipating in  many  important  engagements  and 
thus  displaying  his  valor  and  loyalty  on  many 
a  southern  battlefield.  In  his  political  allegi- 
ance he  is  a  Republican,  and  he  maintains 
pleasant  relations  with  his  old  army  comrades 
through  his  membership  in  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic.  In  early  manhood  he  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Perry,  who  was  born  in  Illinois 
and  died  September  6,  1872,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-six  years.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Leroy 
Jackson  Perry,  an  early  resilient  of  lliis  state. 

Alfred  X.  Bancs,  one  of  a  family  of  five 
children,  acquired  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  and  completed  his  preparation  for  life's 
practical  and  responsible  duties  by  pursuing  a 
course  of  study  in  the  business  college  at  Dixon, 
Illinois.     He    afterward    pursued    a    teacher's 

rse  at  Covington.  Indiana,  ami  then  engaged 

in  teaching  school  for  eight  years  in  Christian 
county.  Illinois.  During  the  last  three  wars 
of  that  period  he  was  principal  of  the  scloils 
at  Harvel.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  began  editing  the  Harvel  Era,  which  he 
conducted  for  three  years  and  at  the  same 
tunc  was  connected  with  J.  J.  Carey  in  the 
lumber  business  at  that  place.  In  December, 
L898,  he  was  appointed  deputy  county  clerk  of 
Montgomery  county  under  John  M.  Shoemaker 
and  has  served  in  that  capacity  to  the  present 
time,  proving  a  capable  and   faithful  officer. 

Tn  1895  Mr.  Banes  was  united  in  marriage 
in  Miss  Phoebe  A.  Carey,  a  daughter  of  Jes  e 
J.  and  Helen  (Ross)  Carey.  Her  father  was 
a  farmer  and  merchant  of  Harvel,  who  removed 
from  Pike  county  to  Christian  county  and 
thence  to  Montgomery  county.  His  political 
views  were  in  accord  with  the  principles  ,,f 
Democracy  and  he  served  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  supervisors  for  three  terms,  acting  as 
chairman  of  the  board  in  1898.  He  is  now 
engaged   in  the  lumber  business  at  Harvel  and 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTS 


153 


is  a  man  of  considerable  means,  having  directed 
his  business  interests  with  such  care  that  he 
has  acquired  a  handsome  competency.  Mrs. 
Bancs  was  bom  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  in 
1865,  ami  bas  become  the  mother  of  five  daugh- 
ters: Ada  E.,  Myra  F...  Havilla  J.,  Gladys 
ami  Eunice. 

The  parents  air  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  Mr.  Banes  belongs  to 
tbo  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  ami  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  lie  is  very  prominenl  in  these 
organizations  ami  has  represented  each  local 
lodge  in  the  grand  lodge.  In  his  political  views 
be  is  a  Democrat  ami  does  everything  in  his 
power  to  promote  the  growth  and  insure  the 
success  of  his  party.  His  entire  life  has  been 
passed  in  Illinois,  and  during  much  of  the  time 
he  has  lived  in  Montgomery  county,  where  he 
has  a  wide  acquaintance.  He  is  known  for  his 
reliability  in  business,  his  faithfulness  in  office, 
his  progressiveness  in  citizenship  and  bis  fidel- 
ity in  friendship,  and  these  qualities  have  made 
him  a  valued  resident  of  Ilillsboro  ami  Mont- 
gomery county. 


LEROY  F.  WOOD. 

Leroy  F.  Wood,  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Wood  Brothers,  real-estate  dealers  in  Litchfield, 
conducting  extensive  and  profitable  business 
operations  in  Land  and  improved  property,  was 
horn  en  tin'  25th  of  .lanuan  .  IS  I  1.  in  North 
Litchfield  township,  and  is  the  eldest  son  of 
Elder  John  and  Elizabeth  W.  (Williams) 
Wood,  the  former  a  Baptist  minister.  The 
paternal  grandfather  was  Bennett  Wood,  who 
was  born  in  Virginia,  ami  died  in  Montgomery 
county,  Illinois,  lie  had  a  family  of  ten  chil- 
dren, including  Elder  John  Wood,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Knox  county.  Tennessee,  in  1818, 
and  died  in  this  county  in  1883.  His  educa- 
tional privileges  were  very  limited,  lie  being 
unable  to  read  until  after  his  marriage,  when 
he  was  taught  by  his  wife.  He  came  to  Illinois 
with  his  parents  in  1828,  and  for  many  years 
he  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  the  work  of 
the  ministry,  being  a  Regular  Baptist  and  a 
local  elder  ordained  to  that  office  in  the  Regu- 


lar Baptisl  church,  lie  was  a  successful  busi- 
ness  man.  owing  to  his  enterprise  and  unfalter- 
ing perseverance  and  courage,  tie  worked  for 
one  man  at  leu  dollars  per  month  until  he  bad 
earned  enough  money  to  pay  for  eighty  acres 
of  land,  which  he  hail  entered  from  the  govern- 
ment and  lor  which  he  had  to  pay  the  usual 
price  of  one  dollar  and  a  quarter  per  acre.  He 
married  Elizabeth  W.  Williams,  March  25, 
1840,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  twelve 
children,  those  now  living  being  Leroy  F.,  Mrs. 
Namy  Bewley,  .Mrs.  Rachel  S.  Baker,  Mrs. 
Martha  M.  Post.  Francis  P..  McCurley,  Wil- 
liam S.  and  Thomas  1 1. 

Leroy  F.  Wood  was  reared  under  the  parental 
roof  and  in  his  early  manhood   was  married  to 
Luraney   E.   Ward,   a    native  of   Vigo   county, 
Indiana,  the  marriage  being  celebrated  on  the 
25th  id'   February,  ls:>s.     In  their  family  were 
five  children:     Mrs.   Sarah    P.  Roberts,   the  eld- 
est, whose  husband  is  a  farmer  and  resides  near 
Litchfield,    has    live   children,   one   of    whom    is 
married  ;  Rufus  P..  who  is  also  married,  is  em- 
ployed    by     the     Metropolitan     Life     Insurance 
Company  ami  resides  in  Litchfield;  Rettie,  who 
is  the  wife  of  K.  II.  CofVcy.  a  paperhanger,  and 
they  have  one  child;  John   S.,  thirty  years  of 
age.   is  now    in   his   father's   office;  .'esse  A.   is 
married   and    resides  in    Holiday,   Kansas,  where 
he  is  now  engaged  in   farming.     At  the  time  of 
the   Spanish-American    war   he   enlisted    in    the 
United   States   Army    for   three  years,   ami    for 
two  years  was  in  the  Philippines  with  Battery 
0  of  the  Sixth  United  States  Eeavy  Artillery. 
After    his    marriage    Leroy     F.    Wood    began 
farming  and    followed   thai    pursuit    until   after 
the  inauguration  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  re- 
sponded to  his  country's  call    for  aid.  enlisting 
on  the  llth  of  August.  1862,  a-  a  member  of 
Company  A.  Ninety-first  Illinois  Infantry.    He 
served  us  a   non-commissioned  officer  lor  three 
years   and    was   in    the   department    of   the    Rio 
Grande  in    the  southwest.      He   look    part    in   a 
number   of    important    battles   and    was    always 
faithful    to   the   cause    which    he   espoused,      lie 
was  wounded  at   Spanish  port.  Alabama.  March 
27,  1865,  and  discharged  June  19,  1865.    After 
the  war  he  relumed   to  his   family  and   resumed 
farming    in    Montgomery    county,   hut     suhse- 
quently  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which 


-1 5  I 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


he  followed  for  a  Eew  years.  At  a  later  date 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  insurance  busi- 
ness and  since  1882  has  been  a  representative 
of  this  field  of  activity,  lie  has  also  operated 
in  real  estate,  and  in  March,  1891,  he  was  joined 
by  his  brother  in  the  establishment  of  the  pres- 
en1  firm  of  Weed  Brothers.  They  have  dealt 
extensively  in  farm  and  city  property  and  have 
enjoyed  a  large  clientage. 

Mr.  Weed  became  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church  in  1858,  and  tor  twelve  years  was  con- 
nected with  the  ministry,  putting  forth  earnest 
ami  conscientious  effort  in  behalf  of  the  cause. 
He  was  elected  justice  id'  the  peace  in  1886  Eor 
a  term  of  four  years,  has  also  been  assistant 
suprevisor,  and  was  on  the  county  hoard  of 
supervisors  from  1  ss  I  until  1886,  being  elected 
to  these  various  positions  on  the  Democratic 
ticket. 


JUDGE  EDWARD  YOUNG   RICE. 

Judge  Edward  Young  Rice  was  born  in  Lo- 
gan county.  Kentucky.  February  8,  1820.  In 
his  native  state  he  remained  until  about  fifteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  removed  with  his  parents 
to  Macoupin  county.  Illinois.  His  lather. 
Francis  Rice,  was  a  native  of  Caswell  county. 
North  Carolina.  He  was  engaged  in  a  minis- 
terial Life,  and  identified  with  agricultural  and 
mercantile  pursuits.  His  death  occurred  in 
August,  1837,  aged  about  sixty-three  years. 
lli>  wife  was  Mary  Gooch,  also  a  native  of  Cas- 
well eounty.  North  Carolina,  and  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Mrs.  (Carr)  Gooch.  Both  were 
among  the  prominent  families  of  North  Caro- 
lina. The  parents  of  our  subject  had  seven 
sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom  the  Judge 
was  the  youngest. 

The  Judge  received  a  limited  education  in 
the  common  schools,  with  the  addition  id'  about 
two  years  at  Shurtleff  College.  He  then  taught 
school  and  studied  law  with  Governor  Palmer, 
at  Carlinville,  from  which  place  he  was  admit- 
ted to  the  bar  in  February,  1844.  In  Septem- 
ber of  the  following  year  be  came  to  Hillsboro, 
where  he  practiced  hi-  profession  until  in  Oc- 
tober. 1  SSI .  when  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  Judge  A.  X.  J.  Crook,  at  Springfield.  Illi- 


nois. While  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession he  has  always  been  honored  with  a 
large  and    lucrative  practice.      In   184?   he  was 

elected     to     the     ollice     of     recorder     of     deeds    of 

Montgomery  county.     In    November,    1848,  he 
was  honored  with  an  election  to  the  lower  house 
of  the  [llinois  legislature,  a  special  session  car- 
rving  him  to  the  year   1851,  and  in  that  year 
be   was   elected    to   the   ollice   of  county   judge 
to  fill   tin'  unexpired  term   caused  by  the  resig- 
nation of  Joseph  Ralston,  and  during  the  years 
1853  to   is:.;,  he  was  master  in  chancery.      In 
April,  1857,  be  was  elected  to  the  office  of  cir- 
cuit   judge    for   a   term    of    four  years,   but   by 
the    formation   of  a   new    circuit,   composed   of 
Sangamon,  Macoupin,  Montgomery  and  Chris- 
tian  counties,   he   was   re-elected    for  a   term   of 
six  years,  ami  in   1st;;    for  a  term  of  six  years 
longer,  but  before  the  term  expired  he  resigned 
his  office  to  accept  the  nomination  for  congress 
from  the  •'old  tenth  district."     In  that  position 
he   served    until    in    March,    is;:!,   and    it    was 
during  bis  term  that  the  state  was  re-districted. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  constitutional  conven- 
tion  which  assembled  in    December,  1869,  and 
completed  its  work  in  May,  1870.     In  this  con- 
vention be  served  upon  many  important  com- 
mittees.     In    the    early    part    of    1874,   he.    in 
connection    with   his   son-in-law,    Amos    Miller, 
, .peiied    their    present    law    ollice    in    Hillsboro, 
now   under   the  firm    name   of   Rice.   Miller  & 
McDavid.        He    was    married    November    29, 
1840,  to  Mr-.  Susan    I,'.    I  Allen  I    Coudy,  a  na- 
tive of  Clark  eounty,  Kentucky.     She  bad  one 
child— Isabella,   wile   of    F.    C.    Bolton,   a   rail- 
road operator  in  Indianapolis.     By  this  mar- 
riage, the  Judge  has  two  children  living — Mary, 
wife  of  Amos  Miller,  and  James  E.  Y.,  who  is 
attending  Blackburn  University.    He  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat   in    political    tenets,    and.   with   his    wife. 
belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  church. 


MOSES  E.  BERRY. 
Moses  F.  Berrv,  the  owivt  of  a  productive 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  acres  ,,„ 
section  '.'I.  r.utle"  Grove  township,  is  one  of 
the  worthy  citizens  that  Ohio  lias  furnished  to 
Montgomery  county,  his  birth  having  occurred 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


i.-.: 


in  the  city  of  Cincinnati  on  the  4th  <la\  of 
Deei  iiilier,  1855.  He  was  only  a  year  old,  how- 
ever, when  brought  by  his  parents  to  Illinois, 
ami  was  reared  in  this  comity  upon  a  farm,  his 
boyhood  days  being  passed  in  the  usual  manner 
of  farmer  lads.  He  acquired  a  common-school 
education  and  through  the  summer  months 
worked  in  the  fields.  Since  attaining  manhood 
he  has  Eollowed  the  pursuit  to  which  he  was 
reared,  and  he  is  now  the  owner  of  a  very  de- 
sirable property,  comprising  two  hundred  and 
seventy-five  acres  of  land,  which  is  very  pro- 
ductive. It  constitutes  a  valuable  farm,  which 
is  highly  cultivated  and  is  improved  with  all 
modern  equipments,  for  the  owner  is  abreast 
with  the  progressive  spirit  of  the  times. 

Mi-.  Berry  was  married  September  '.'1.  is", 
to  Miss  Tillie  S.  Schroeder,  ami  they  now  have 
four  children:  Chester,  Arthur.  Annetta  and 
Harry.  The  parents  hold  membership  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  Mr.  Berry 
belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp.  His 
position  mi  the  temperance  question  is  indicated 
by  the  fact  of  his  earnest  and  unfaltering  sup- 
port of  the  Prohibition  party.  He  is  thoroughly 
in  sympathy  with  all  that  is  tending  to  elevate 
mankind  and  to  advance  the  moral  condition 
of  the  people,  and  to  aid  in  a  substantial  and 
honorable  character  development,  ami  his  own 
career  is  guided  by  high  principles,  which  make 
him  a  respected  citizen  of  his  community. 


ELI  AS   X.   PRAY. 

Elias  N.  Pray,  interested  in  general  farm- 
ing, his  landed  possessions  embracing  three 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  choice  prairie  land 
in  Audubon  township,  is  also  well  known  be- 
cause of  the  active  and  helpful  interest  he  has 
taken  in  community  affairs.  He  was  born  mi 
the  25th  of  September,  Is.">T.  in  Uniondale, 
Dutchess  county.  New  York,  his  parents  bring 
George  D.  and  Nancy  (Baker)  Pray,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  the  Empire  state,  ami 
were  of  English  and  Scotch  lineage,  respect- 
ively, although  both  the  paternal  and  the  ma- 
ternal grandparents  were  likewise  horn  in  Xew 
York.  The  Pray  family  was  represented  in 
the   Colonial    Armv   during  the    Revolutionarv 


war.  two  of  the  great-unelcs  of  our  subject  he- 
me- killed  while  defending  the  interests  of  the 
colonists  in  that  lone'  struggle  with  Great  Brit- 
ain that  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  the 
Republic.  Their  remains  were  interred  in  the 
cemetery  of  Beekuian.    New  York. 

George  D.  Pray  had  three  sisters  ami  three 
brothers,  hul  all  are  now  decease, I.  lie  devoted 
his  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  was 
the  owner  of  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  ten 
acres,  which  he  conducted  with  excellenl  suc- 
cess, hut  since  his  death  it  has  been  sold.  He 
died  when  forty-five  years  of  age  ami  his  wife 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  forty-three  years, 
their  remains  being  interred  in  Verbank  ceme- 
tery in  Uniondale.  In  their  family  were  two 
sons  and  two  daughters  who  are  yet  living,  and 
one  son  who  is  deceased,  Elias  N.  being  the 
eldest  of  the  family.  George  died  in  Chicago 
in  August,  1883.  Ida  is  the  wife  of  Charley 
Duncan,  a  resident  of  Pleasant  Valley,  Dutch- 
ess county.  New  York.  Martha  resides  at 
Chestnutridge,  in  Dutchess  county.  Seward. 
the  youngest,  married  Cassie  Chase,  of  Rose- 
mond,  Illinois,  and  he  is  employed  as  baggage- 
man by  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company 
at   Chicago. 

To  the  public  school  system  of  his  native 
county  Elias  X.  Pray  is  indebted  for  the  early 
educational  privileges  which  he  enjoyed.  He 
afterward  spent  two  years  in  a  boarding  school 
and  one  year  in  a  military  school  at  Pough- 
keepsie,  Xew  York,  and  later  continued  his 
studies  for  a  year  in  DeGarmo  Institute  and 
one  year  at  Moore's  Male  Institute.  When  his 
education  was  completed  ami  his  text-hooks  laid 
as'de  he  entered  business  life  to  learn  its  prac- 
tical and  difficult  lessons.  He  began  farming 
in  eastern  Xew  York,  cultivating  a  tract  of 
land  in  Dutchess  county  which  belonged  to  an 
uncle,  ami  there  he  remained  for  six  years, 
after  which  he  operated  a  cousin's  farm  for  one 
year  and  later  rented  land  for  a  year.  This 
was  in  1879,  and  after  leaving  the  rented  farm 
lie  came  to  Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  in 
March,  lsso.  where  be  bad  previously  pur- 
chased two  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  The  boun- 
daries  '<(  bis  place  he  has  since  extended  until 
he  now  has  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and 
all   of   the   improvements   upon    the   farm    have 


458 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNT1 


been  made  by  him  and  stand  as  monuments  to 
his  thrift  and  enterprise.  He  planted  the  en- 
tir -chard  save  a  feu  trees,  and  has  been  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  horticultural  pursuits  as 
well  a*  agricultural  pursuits.  The  farm  is  well 
equipped  with  modern  accessories,  and  his  life 
has  been  one  of  unwearied  diligence,  which  lias 
formed  the  basis  of  his  richly  merited  prosper- 
ity, lie  is  likewise  the  \ue  president  of  the 
Audubon  Detective  Association. 

tin  the  22d  of  February,  L883,  Mr.  Pray 
was  married  to  Miss  Etta  Conant,  a  daughter 
of  P.  H.  Conant,  of  Springfield,  Illinois.  They 
became  the  parents  id'  nine  children:  Ida.  who 
died  December  11,  1896,  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
years;  Elmer  1!..  who  died  December  11.  1887, 
at  the  age  of  two  years;  Sadie  V..  who  died 
March  15,  1801.  when  two  years  old;  Nellie, 
horn  January  30,  1891  ;  Harry,  horn  July  2, 
1892;  Gladys,  horn  May  21,  1894;  Mabel,  hem 
January  1.  1896;  Pearl  Marie,  horn  September 
18,  1897;  and  Helen  Adelaide,  horn  December 
1<>.  1900.  The  parents  hold  membership  in 
the  Congregational  church  at  Rosemond,  and 
Mr.  Pray  is  a  recognized  leader  of  the  local 
ranks  of  the  Democracy,  taking  an  active  part 
in  its  work  and  doing  all  in  his  power  to  pro- 
mote thi'  growth  and  success  of  the  party.  He 
was  assessor  for  two  years,  collector  for  one 
year  and  is  township  treasurer  at  this  writing. 
His  otficial  service  has  always  been  acceptable 
to  his  fellow  townsmen,  being  characterized  by 
conscientious  and  capable  performance  of  dutv. 


EASTON    W.   WHITTEN. 

The  desirability  of  Montgomery  county  as  a 
place  of  residence  is  indicated  by  the  feci  thai 
man}-  of  her  native  sons  have  remained  to  be- 
come substantia]  residents  of  this  part  of  the 
stale.  Mr.  Whitten,  now  following  farming  in 
Fillmore  township,  was  born  September  23, 
1848,  near  the  present  place  of  his  residence, 
and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Kirk) 
Whitten,  who  were  early  settlers  of  the  county. 
The  father  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  came  to 
Illinois  with  his  parents  among  its  earliest 
residents.  He  was  then  hut  a  boy,  and  amid 
the  wild  Fcenes  of  frontier  life  he  was  reared. 


sharing  with  the  family  in  the  hardships  and 
trials  which  fall  to  the  lot  of  those  who  seek 
.oid  establish  homes  in  a  frontier  district,  lie 
assisted  in  the  arduous  task  of  developing  a 
new  farm,  and  throughout  his  entire  business 
career  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits, 
which  he  found  to  be  a  good  source  of  revenue. 
He  became  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  rich  land,  •  constituting  a  fine 
farm,  in  Fillmore  township,  and  thereon  he 
,-peiii  his  remaining  days.  In  his  family  were 
-imp  children,  of  whom  five  are  now  living, 
namely :  Cinor,  the  wife  of  John  Allen,  a 
resilient  of  Fillmore  township;  Willmuth,  wife 
of  Benjamin  Roberts,  of  the  same  township; 
Easton  W.,  of  this  review:  Thomas  J.,  also 
a  resident  of  Fillmore  township;  and  Eliz'a- 
beth,  wife  of  Thomas  Wilson,  of  Fillmore. 

Easton  W.  Whitten  remained  under  the 
parental  roof  during  the  period  of  his  minority 
and  acquired  his  education  in  the  public 
schools,  the  duties  of  the  school  room  and  the 
pleasures  of  the  playground  largely  occupying 
his  attention  until  he  became  his  father's 
active  assistant  in  the  labors  of  the  farm.  He 
continued  to  carry  on  agricultural  pursuits 
on  the  old  homestead  until  thirty  years  of  age. 
when  he  removed  to  his  present  place  of  resi- 
dence. Here  he  at  lirst  had  but  twenty  acres. 
but  as  opportunity  has  afforded  he  has  added 
to  his  possessions,  extending  the  boundaries 
of  his  farm  until  he  now  owns  six  hundred  and 
seventy-eight  acres.  He  raises  both  grain  and 
stock  for  the  market  and  he  has  a  well  devel- 
oped   place,    the    fields   being   carefully    tilled, 

while  in  his  pastures  are  found  g 1  grades  of 

cattle,  hogs  and  horses.  He  has  erected  a  good 
residence,  built  a  commodious  ham  and  other 
necessary  outbuildings  for  the  shelter  of  grain 
and  stock,  cleared  the  land,  has  planted  trees, 
and  now  has  a  farm  which  is  very  productive 
in  appearance  and  is  worthy  of  considerable 
mention. 

On  the  22d  of  April,  1880,  at  the  home  of 
the  bride,  Rev.  J.  Williford  performed  the 
wedding  ceremony  that  made  Easton  W.  Whit- 
leu  and  Oelestia  Wright  man  and  wife.  The 
lady  was  born  September  11.  1855,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Elijah  and  Druscilla  (Lynn) 
Wright,      nor   father   is   a   native   of   Fillmore 


UNIVE 


E.     \V.     WIIITTKX     AND     FAMILY 


ME.    AND    MBS.    THOMAS    \Y  KITTEN 


MB.    AND    MBS.    ELIJAH    WEIGHT 


.INOiS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


163 


township,  this  c unity,  his  parents  having  come 
here  at  an  early  day  from  Kentucky,  and  her 
mother  is  a  native  of  Knit  inky.  Mr.  Wright 
owned  a  valuable  farm  of  about  five  hundred 
acres  in  Fillmore  township  and  built  the  brick 
house  which  stands  on  a  part  of  our  subject's 
farm.  Jn  his  political  views  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat, but  has  never  cared  for  the  honors  or 
emoluments  of  public  office.  He  and  Ids  wife 
now  make  their  home  in  the  town  of  Fillmore. 
Of  their  seven  children  five  are  living,  namely: 
Camilla,  wife  of  Robert  Nelson,  of  Fillmore 
township;  Celestia,  new  Mrs.  Whitten;  Jo- 
seph .'..  a  resident  of  Ramsey;  Sarah  Eliza- 
beth, wife  el'  Frank  Blackburn,  who  lives  near 
Quincy,  Missouri;  and  Emerson,  a  resident  el' 
Eouston,  Texas.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whitten  have 
become  the  parents  of  five  children:  Perry  <>.. 
who  was  born  May  28,  L881,  and  new  lives  en 
a  farm  near  Quincy,  Missouri;  Elijah  0..  born 
December  L6,  1882;  Thomas  <)..  who  was  born 
August  '.'1.  1885,  and  died  September  23, 
L885 ;  Denver  G.,  born  June  20,  189]  ;  and 
[ma,  born  December  29,  1892.    All  are  at  heme 

with    the    exception    Of    the    eldest    -en. 

Mr.  Whitten  supports  the  Democratic  party, 
hut  political  positions  and  honors  have  no  at- 
traction for  him,  as  his  life  has  been  devoted 
to  farming  and  stock-raising  interests.  When 
he  came  into  possession  of  his  place  it  was 
largely  covered  with  timber,  and  to  clear  this 
and  make  the  fields  productive  has  been  his 
real  lifework. 


JOSEPH  ROBERT  GRANTHAM. 

J.  Rohert  Grantham,  new  living  in  Butler 
Grove  township,  was  born  in  Irving  township, 
Montgomery  county,  on  the  30th  of  November, 
L869.  His  father.  Joseph  Grantham,  died 
when  the  son  was  hut  seven  years  of  age,  leav- 
ing his  widow,  Mrs.  Alary  M.  Grantham,  with  a 
family  of  six  children,  the  youngest  being  hut 
six  months  old.  The  Grantham  family  is  one 
of  the  oldest  of  Montgomery  county,  having 
been  established  here  at  a  very  early  day  by  the 

grandfather,  .la s  Grantham,  who  settled  in 

Irving    township.      All    around    was    wild    and 
unimproved  ami  he  assisted  in  laying  the  foun- 


dation for  its  present  develppmenl  and  up- 
building. His  son,  Joseph  Grantham,  was 
horn  upon  the  eld  farm  place  in  [rving  town- 
ship. 

In  his  youth  •!.  Roberl  Grantham  of  this  re- 
new had  few  privileges  and  advantages.  He 
was  hut  ten  years  of  age  when  he  and  his  elder 
lu-otlier.    then    a    youth    of   twelve    years,    took 

charge    of    the    h e    farm     for    their    mother. 

They  worked  together  until  he  was  fifteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  assumed  the  entire  man- 
agement of  the  heme  place,  his  brother  hiring 
out  to  assist  in  caring  lor  the  family.  As  op- 
portunity afforded  he  attended  school,  remain- 
ing a  student  in  the  common  -e] Is  until  six- 
teen years  el'  age,  when  he  entered  the  Irving 
high  school.  All  this  time  hi'  continued  his 
farm  work.  When  twenty-three  years  of  age 
he  began  teaching  and  seen  afterward  he  en- 
tered the  Wesleyan  University,  where  he  spent 
one  term.  He  was  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools  of  I  r\  ing  for  one  t>  rm,  and  I  hus  he 
supplemented  the  income  derived  from  Ins 
farming  operations.  He  continued  to  carry  en 
agricultural  pursuits  there  until  1895,  covering 
a  long  period,  characterized  by  unfaltering  dili- 
gence and  perseverance. 

On  April  I.  1895,  Mr.  Grantham  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Grace  M.  Westcott,  of  Butler  Grove 
township,  and  with  her  started  one  week  later 
on  a  tour  of  California  and  the  west,  returning 
the  last  of  June  following,  when  they  took  up 
the  labors  of  building  and  improving  their 
home.  Their  landed  estate  consists  el'  two 
hundred  and  thirty-two  and  one-half  acres,  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  id'  which  is  in  thi-. 
heme  farm,  lie  has  made  all  of  the  improve- 
ments upon  the  place,  and  in  connection  with 
genera]  farming  has  carried  en  stock-raising, 
making  a  specialty  of  shorthorn  cattle.  He 
owns  some  line  cattle,  and  this  department  of 
his  business  has  proved  a  good  source  of  income 
to  him. 

In  politics  he  is  a  Prohibitionist  and  in  reli- 
gion a  Methodist,  and  has  served  as  superin- 
tendent of  the  Sunday-school  for  many  years 
and  taken  a  helpful  part  in  other  church  activi- 
ties. Hi-  life  has  been  one  of  continued  and 
persistent  industry  crowned  with  success.  The 
dutie-    which    generally    come    with    manhood 


464 


PAST    AND    PKESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


fell  upon  him  in  the  days  of  his  youth,  and 
as  the  years  advanced  he  made  the  most  of  his 
opportunities,  so  shaping  his  business  career 
as  to  win  \ rn  desirable  prosperitj . 


WILLIAM    ROBERT  BIVENS. 

William  Robert  Bivens,  who  is  freight  cash- 
ier on  the  Wabash  Railroad  at  Litchfield,  and  is 
popular  with  the  employes  of  that  road  as  well 
as  his  fellow  townsmen,  wis  born  in  Milledge- 
ville,  Georgia,  on  the  22d  of  June,  1850,  Ins 
parents  being  William  R.  and  Ann  A.  Bivens. 
William  R.  Bivens  spent  his  early  youth  in  his 
native  state  and  attended  school  there,  but  his 
educational  privileges  were  somewhat  limited, 
as  at  an  early  age  he  began  to  earn  his  own 
livelihood.  He  was  also  a  railroad  agent  in 
central  Georgia.  He  entered  the  railroad  ser- 
vice in  April,  1863,  as  check  clerk  during  the 
period  of  the  Civil  war.  In  1871  he  removed 
from  that  state  to  Texas,  where  he  engaged  in 
herding  horses  and  cattle  until  1872,  going 
over  the  prairie  to  Denver,  Colorado.  In  the 
latter  city  he  spent  the  winter  of  L872-73  and 
next  went  to  Pueblo,  but  in  the  spring  of  1873 
he  left  Colorado  for  Kansas,  where  he  remained 
until  the  succeeding  autumn,  going  thence  to 
Texas  in  the  latter  part  of  that  year.  In  the 
Lone  Star  state  he  was  engaged  in  fanning 
for  one  year,  and  afterward  engaged  in  freight- 
ing for  six  years,  owning  his  teams  and  outfit. 
From  1882  until  1894  he  was  again  in  Georgia 
in  the  employ  of  the  Central  Georgia  Railroad 
Company,  with  which  he  continued  for  eight 
years,  and  was  also  with  Stevens  Brothers  & 
Company,  extensive  manufacturers  of  sewer 
pipe,  tile  and  ether  clay  work.  With  that  corn- 
pan}  lie  occupied  the  position  of  bookkeeper 
and  cashier,  and  from  the  latter  office  he  came 
to  Litchfield,  Illinois,  arriving  in  this  cit\  en 
the  2d  of  September,  1894.  lie  lias  since  oc- 
cupied the  position  of  freight  cashier  with  the 
Wabash  Railroad  Company,  and  is  one  of  the 
popular  officials  in  that  line,  his  uniform  cour- 
tesy ami  obliging  manner  as  well  as  capability 
in  the  performance  of  his  duties  winning  him 
me  friendship  and  respeel  of  the  employers  as 
well   as  the   patrons  of  the  road. 


In  LST4  Mr.  Bivens  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Lydia  A.  Tomlinson,  who  was  horn 
near  Rome,  Georgia.  The]  became  the  parents 
of  six  children:  Nona,  now  the  wife  of  II.  B. 
Molyneaux,  of  Omaha.  Nebraska,  by  whom  she- 
has  one  chihl;  Louise,  at  home;  Mary,  the  wife 
of  John  Hendrickson,  of  Litchfield;  Joseph,  a 
druggist  residing  in  Uuldridge,  Nebraska; 
Henrietta,  at  home:  ami  Annette,  who  is  at- 
tending school. 

While  in  Georgia  Mr.  Bivens  was  a  standi 
supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  and  in  L896 
cast  his  ballot  for  McKinlcy.  hut  locally  he 
votes  independently  of  party  ties.  He  was 
appointed  a  member  of  the  school  hoard  of 
Litchfield,  and  in  1903  he  was  a  candidate  on 
the  Republican  ticket  for  alderman  for  the 
second  ward  of  Litchfield.  He  was  reared  in 
the  faith  of  the  Methodist  church  and  always 
took  an  active  part  in  its  work,  and  is  still  in- 
terested  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  moral 
development  of  his  community,  but  his  husiness 
cares  are  too  great  to  allow  him  to  become  a 
very  active  factor  in  such  work.  He  has  led 
an  extremely  busy  and  useful  life,  and  his 
present  responsible  position  is  t]vt  to  his  in- 
dustry  and   integrity. 


ABNER  SAMMONS. 
. Miner  Sammons,  well  known  in  his  neighbor- 
hood as  a  man   trustworthy   in  husiness  and  en- 
ergetic in  the  conduct  of  his  farming  interests, 

is  tl wner  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 

land  in  ButleT  drove  township,  lie  was  horn 
in  Morgan  county.  Illinois,  near  the  city  of 
Jacksonville,  on  the  Ith  of  April,  1829,  and 
there  he  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth.  When  he  luul  attained  to  man's  estate 
he  was  married  in  that  county  to  Miss  Nancy 
Keiner.  who  was  born  on  the  13th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1828,  and  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to 
him  in  1850.  lie  took-  his  bride  to  hi-  father',- 
farm  ami  continued  the  management  of  that 
property  and  the  cultivation  of  the  fields  until 
1853.  after  which  he  leased  a  farm  in  Morgan 
county  and  there  resided  until  1864.  In  the 
hitler  year  he  removed  to  the  farm  in  Butler 
Grove    township.    Montgomery    county,    upon 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


165 


which  he  mm  resides  and  which  has  been  his 
Inline  for  forty  years.  He  has  purchased  one 
hundred  and  forty  acres  on  section  ;,  Butler 
Grove  township,  and  he  owns  altogether  two 
hundred  and  fort;  acres  of  land,  on  which  he 
is  carrying  on  general  farming  and  stock-rais- 
ing, although  he  lias  passed  the  seventy-fifth 
milestone  on  life's  journey.  Such  a  record  of 
activity  and  continued  business  usefulness 
should  put  to  shame  many  a  man  of  younger 
years,  who,  tired  of  the  burdens  and  responsi- 
bilities of  business  life,  would  leave  to  others 
the  tasks  which  he  should  perform  for  himself. 
Mr.  Sammons  has  made  all  of  the  improve- 
ments upon  his  farm,  and  now  has  substantial 
buildings  upon  the  place,  well  tilled  Belds, 
modern  farm  machinery  and.  in  fact,  all  of  the 
equipments  found  upon  a  model  place  of  the 
twentieth  century. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sammons  have  been 
horn  seven  children:  John,  who  carries  on 
agricultural  pursuits  in  the  home  neighbor- 
hood; Ellen,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Briggs,  a 
resident  of  Idaho;  Mary  and  Albert,  who  are 
deceased;  William,  a  stock-buyer  of  Litchfield; 
dames,  a  stock-buyer  and  farmer:  and  Arthur. 
who  is  farming  near  the  old  home  place.  Mr. 
Sammons  has  served  as  a  school  director,  but 
has  never  sough!  or  desired  public  office,  pre- 
ferring to  give  his  attention  to  his  business 
affairs.  He  is  a  self-made  man  who,  without 
fortunate  environment  or  any  inheritance  in 
his  youth,  started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in 
the  world  and  has  steadily  progressed  by  reason 
of  Irs  determination  and    unfaltering   purpose. 


JOSEPH  HACKNEY. 

Joseph  Hackney,  who  owns  and  occupies  a 
part  of  the  old  homestead  farm  on  section  31, 
Pitman  township,  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  his 
birth  having  occurred  near  Delhi  City  in  Jer- 
sey county  on  the  6th  day  of  January,  1.S49. 
His  father.  William  Hackney,  was  born  in 
Tion.  Xew  York,  dune  30,  1820,  and  was  a 
son  of  William  Hackney,  Sr.,  a  native  of  Scot- 
land, who  in  the  year  1836  removed  from  the 
Empire  state  to  the  Mississippi,  there  taking 
up   his  home   in    Jersey  county.   Illinois,   where 


be  assisted  materially  in  the  substantial  devel- 
opment of  the  locality  in  which  he  made  his 
home.  His  miii.  William  Hackney,  dr.,  was 
then  a  youth  of  sixteen  years.  He  aided  in 
tin1  arduous  ta.sk  of  developing  a  new  farm  and 
after  arriving  at  man's  estate  be  was  married 
in  Delhi  to  Mi<~  Caroline  Wilkins,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Jersey  county,  Illinois.  They  set- 
tled upon  a  farm  in  that  county  and  during 
the  years  of  their  resilience  there  several  chil- 
dren were  horn  unto  them.  In  1873  they  re- 
moved to  Montgomery  county,  where  Mi-. 
Hackney  purchased  a  tract  of  land  upon  which 
his  son  Joseph  now  resides,  lie  became  the 
owner  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  which 
he  cultivated  and  further  improved,  cultivating 
the  soil  year  after  year  and  keeping  everything 
about  bis  place  in  good  repair.  lie  also  kept 
apace  with  the  progressive  spirit  of  the  times, 
using  modern  agricultural  methods  in  his  work 
ami  thus  gaining  success  in  his  well-managed 
affairs.  He  resided  upon  the  old  homestead 
here  until    his  death,  which   occurred   July   ".".', 

1895,  while  his  wife  passed  away   in  January, 

1896.  In  their  family  were  nine  children,  as 
follows:  Margaret,  the  wife  of  .1.  D.  Kendall, 
of  Zanesville  township,  who  is  serving  a-  town 
supervisor  ami  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this 
volume:  Sarah  .1..  the  wife  (if  \V.  1..  King,  of 
Irving,  Illinois:  Joseph,  of  this  review;  Ma- 
thew,  who  died  in  is;  I  in  early  manhood; 
John  W.,  who  resides  with  his  brother  Joseph; 
Carrie,  the  wife  of  I-].  P.  Michaels,  of  Carbon- 
dale.  Illinois:  Henry  I>..  a  farmer  of  Pitman 
township:  Udolpho,  who  died  when  twenty- 
eight  years  of  age;  ami  Kate  Gracia,  the  wife 
of  F.  O.  Rogers,  a  substantia]  farmer,  who 
owns  a  well  improved  tract  of  land,  adjoining 
the   Hackney   homestead. 

Joseph   Hackney  spent   his  boyhood   days   in 

the  usual   manner  of   far r  hols,  living  on  the 

old  homestead  and  attending  the  public  schools 
of  the  neighborhood.  He  remained  with  his 
father  until  about  thirty  years  of  age  and  as- 
sisted in  tin1  cultivation  of  the  farm,  hut  in 
1878  he  went  to  Nebraska,  where  he  pun-based 
land  and  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  for 
two  years.  He  next  went  to  Colorado,  anil  he 
spent  two  years  in  Idaho.  Returning  to  Mont- 
goinerv  county   in    1883   he  took  charge  of  the 


leu 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTS 


home  farm,  here  inherited  a  [.art  of  the  tract 
ami.  by  purchasing  the  interest  of  the  other 
heirs,  succeeded  in  the  ownership  of  the  home 
Farm,  winch  has  since  been  his  place  of  resi- 
dence. He  is  an  aetive;  energetic  farmer,  eon- 
ducting  his  business  affairs  in  a  capable  man- 
ner ami  deriving  therefrom  a  good  income.  In 
politics  he  is  a  stanch  Democrat,  lie  displays 
in  his  Life  many  of  the  sterling  characteristics 
lit  In-  Scutch  ancestry,  including  the  persever- 
ance, activity  ami  business  integrity. 


W.   SCOTT   ROMINE. 

W.  Scott  Romine,  interested  in  farming  and 
stock-raising  on  section  35,  Irving  township. 
was  born  m  Hamilton  county.  Illinois.  May  26, 
I  Slit,  his  parents  being  James  M.  and 
Catherine  (Shaw)  Romine,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio  ami  the  latter  of  Indiana.  They 
became  residents  of  Illinois  in  1856,  and  in 
L865  removed  to  Montgomery  county,  locating 
in  Irving  township,  where  the  father  carried 
on  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death,  own- 
ing one  hundred  and  forty  acres,  lie  died  in 
1882,  when  he  was  fifty-four  years  of  age.  and 
his  wife  passed  away  September  li,  190  1.  al 
the  age  of  seventy-four   year-. 

W.  Scott   1! me  began  his  education  in  the 

public  schools  of  Irving  ami  remained  at  home 

with    his    ther    until    twenty- four    years     of 

age.  when  he  removed  to  hi-  present  home  in 
Irving  township,  where  be  now  owns  a  valu- 
able farm  of  two  hundred  am!  twenty  acres. 
The  land  is  rich  and  productive,  and.  being 
carefully  cultivated  by  him.  returns  to  him 
large  harvests.  lie  labors  earnestly  for  the 
improvement  of  his  farm,  and  upon  his  place 
are  good  buildings  and  modern  equipments, 
which  indicate  to  the  passerby  thai  the  owner 
is  a   man  of  progressive  spirit. 

On  tin'  3d  of  May.  1885,  Mr.  Romine  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Mi^-s  Laura  .1.  Xeisler, 
a  daughter  of  Henry  Milton  and  Elizabeth 
(Lipe)  Noisier.  The  father  was  a  native  of 
North  Carolina  and  came  to  Illinois  at  an  early 
day.  1 1  is  wife  was  a  daughter  of  John  Lipe, 
also  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  who  removed 
to   Montgomery  cottntv    in    1S32.     Here  Henry 


Milton  Neisler  and  Elizabeth  Lipe  were  mar- 
ried in  1839.  They  had  little  with  which  to 
commence  housekeeping,  hut  they  possessed 
courage  and  determination.  Their  first  home 
was  a  log  cabin  of  two  rooms  that  stood  upon 
the  site  of  the  present  home  of  our  subject. 
Their  neighbors  were  separated  from  them  by 
long  distances  and  all  around  were  pioneer  con- 
ditions and  environments.  Mr.  Neisler  wn-  a 
millwright  by  trade,  hut  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  farming  and  entered  forty  acres  of  land. 
He  aiso  bought  eighty  acres  on  the  installment 
plan,  ami  as  the  years  passed  he  prospered  in 
his  undertakings  and  made  investment  in  prop- 
erty until  at  the  time  of  bis  death  he  owned 
nine  hundred  acres  of  land,  though  at  one  time 
lie  owned  over  twelve  hundred  acres.  1  mo 
him  and  his  wife  were  horn  fifteen  children. 
Mr.  Neisler  departed  this  life  in  1881  at  Ihe 
age  of  sixty-four  years,  and  in  1893  Mrs.  Neis- 
ler became  the  wife  of  Joseph  Davis,  who  died 
in  189!).  She  is  now  living  at  the  age  of 
eighty-one  years  and  is  enjoying  remarkably 
good  health  for  one  of  her  age. 

Into  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Romine  have  been  born 
two  children:  Doy  L.  and  Guy  E.  Mr.  Romine 
is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  ami  he 
belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp.  No. 
1498.  and  to  the  Mutual  Protective  League, 
No.  8.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Irving  town 
board  for  two  years  and  is  a  Republican  in  bis 
political  views.  In  his  business  affairs  be  is 
loyal  ami  enterprising,  watchful  of  opportunity 
and  making  the  most  of  bis  advantages,  so  that 
as  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  he  has  met  with  a 
fair  measure  of  success. 


WILLIAM  T.  THORP. 
William  T.  Thorp,  who  is  serving  for  the 
second  term  as  postmaster  of  Litchfield,  was 
horn  in  this  city  in  1869.  His  father.  Edwin 
C.  Thorp,  was  born  near  Woodburn,  Macoupin 
county.  Illinois,  and  is  now  living  in  Litchfield 
in  bis  sixty-firs!  year.  He  was  identified  with 
merchandising  for  a  long  period,  served  as 
postmaster  undi  r  President  Harrison's  admin- 
istration and  is  now  acting  as  an  assistant  to 
bis  son  in  the  Litchfield  postoffiee.     At  the  time 


W.    S.    UUMINE    AND    FAMILY 


UNIVi  1IN0IS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    <iF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


Kill 


of  the  Civil  war  he  proved  Ins  Loyalty  to  the 
government  by  enlisting  in  defense  of  the 
Union  cause  as  a  member  of  Company  D, 
Eightieth  Illinois  Infantry,  al  Alton.  He 
served  for  two  years  and  ten  months  and  par- 
ticipated in  twenty-three  important  engage- 
ments, including  the  battles  of  Missionary 
Ridge,  Chattanooga,  Lookout  Mountain,  Perry- 
ville,  Milton.  Franklin,  Resaea,  the  siege  of 
Atlanta  and  Joncshoro.  He  was  captured  near 
Rome,  Georgia,  at  which  tunc  his  command 
was  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  main 
line  in  the  heart  of  the  Confederacy  and  was 
surrounded  by  the  troops  under  General  Forest, 
General  Edmundson  and  others.  Mr.  Thorp 
was  taken  to  Rome  and  thence  to  Belle  Isle, 
but  after  a  few  days  spent  at  the  latter  place 
he  was  paroled.  Thirty  days  after  receiving 
the  parole  be  was  exchanged  and  then  went 
back  to  the  front,  after  which  he  continued  in 
active  service  until  mustered  out  after  the  close 
of  the  war  in  Tennessee  in  June,  1865.  In 
early  manhood  be  married  Rachel  L.  Tyler,  a 
daughter  of  Ezra  and  Maria  (Conway)  Tyler, 
the  former  a  farmer  by  occupation.  Mrs.  Thorp 
was  horn  in  Indiana  in  September,  1842,  and 
by  her  marriage  became  the  mother  of  six  chil- 
dren, of  whom  four  are  now  living:  Addison 
C,  who  is  in  the  postoffice  in  Litchfield;  Wil- 
liam T. :  Edwin  G.,  also  in  the  postoffice;  and 
Bertha  A.,  who  is  assistant    postmaster. 

William  T.  Thorp,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  a  student  in  the  public  schools  of  Litchfield 
from  the  age  of  six  years  until  he  put  aside  his 
text-books  to  become  a  clerk  in  his  father's 
store.  Tie  was  thus  employed  for  five  or  sis 
years  and  for  some  time  he  has  been  prominent 
in  official  life  in  the  city,  carefully  caring  for 
the  interests  of  bis  constituents  and  of  the  pub- 
lic in  general.  He  was  for  one  year  city  clerk. 
Later  be  was  appointed  to  a  clerical  position 
in  the  office  of  the  roadmaster  of  the  Big  Four 
Railroad  Company,  and  in  1899  he  was  chosen 
postmaster  at  Litchfield,  to  which  position  he 
has  since  been  reappointed,  so  that  he  is  now 
serving  for  his  second  term.  His  administra- 
tion of  the  office  is  characterized  by  business- 
like methods,  by  promptness  and  fidelity.  Mr. 
Thorp  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church   and   fraternally  is  connected   with   the 


Masons  and  the  Elks,  while  his  political  affilia- 
tion is  indicated  by  his  appointment  to  office 
under  Republican  administrations. 


HENRY  P.  KASTIKX. 

Henry  1'.  Kastien,  who  for  eighteen  years 
has  been  engaged  in  merchandising  in   Harvel, 

has  made  his  home  in  Montgomery  county  since 
the  spring  of  1883,  but  his  residence  in  llli- 
Qois  dates  from  1865,  at  which  time  he  took 
up  his  abode  in  Madison  county,  so  that  he 
has  long  been  familiar  with  this  portion  of  the 
-tale.  Pie  is  a  native  id'  Germany,  where  his 
birth  occurred  September  13,  1849.  His  father, 
Frank  J.  Kastien,  also  born  in  that  country, 
was  married  there  to  Louisa  Schreve.  a  native 
of  Germany.  They  became  the  parents  of  four 
sons  and  four  daughters,  who  reached  mature 
years,  and  three  sons  and  four  daughters  are 
yet  living.  The  second  oldest  son  came  to  the 
new  world,  locating  first  in  St.  Louis.  The 
father  spent  his  last  years  in  Madison  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  died  in  190]  at  the  age  of 
eighty-seven  years,  while  his  wife  passed  away 
in   1S74  at  the  age  of  sixty  years. 

Henry  I'.  Kastien  spent  the  first  seven  years 
of  his  life  in  his  native  country.  He  had  but 
limited  school  privileges  there  and.  aside  from 
a  short  course  at  a  private  German  school  in 
St.  Louis,  hi'  is  largely  a  self-educated  as  well 
as  self-made  man.  He  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
the  new  world  in  1855,  arriving  in  St.  Louis. 
Missouri,  on  the  31st  of  December  of  that  year. 
Subsequently  he  went  to  Madison  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  began  work  as  a  farm  band,  con- 
tinuing his  residence  in  that  locality  until  1883, 
when  he  came  to  Rountree  township.  Mont- 
gomery county.  Here  he  continued  to  engage 
in  agricultural  pursuits  for  four  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  purchased  a  mercantile 
establishment  in  Harvel,  containing  a  line  of 
dry  goods  ami  groceries.  This  he  afterward 
traded  for  a  stock  of  hardware,  and  is  now 
engaged  in  the  hardware  and  implement  busi- 
ness,  in   which   la'   lias   built    up  a   g 1    trade, 

which  is  constantly  increasing.  lie  is  well 
known  in  Harvel  and  the  surrounding  com- 
niuuitv.   is   thoroughly    identified   with   its  pro- 


470 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


gressive  interests,  and  in  his  business  career 
displays  the  sterling  traits  which  command  con- 
fidence and   respect. 

Mr.  Kastien  was  married  inMadison  county, 
Illinois,  Jul]  8,  is;  i.  to  Miss  Emma  Kjums- 
sik,  who  was  born  in  Madison  county,  Illinois, 
and  is  of  German  lineage.  They  have  throe 
children:  Delia,  the  wife  of  E.  \Y.  Boekewitz. 
of  Hanoi:  Frank,  who  follows  the  painter's 
i  rade :  and  Celia,  at  home-. 

Politically  Mr.  Kastien  is  independent  in  his 
voting  at  local  elections,  but  where  national 
issues  are  involved  he  supports  the  Democratic 
party.  He  has  been  elected  and  served  as 
president  of  the  village  hoard,  has  also  been 
alderman  and  tax  collector,  and  for  four  con- 
secutive years  filled  the  latter  office,  lie  be- 
longs to  Earvel  Lodge,  L  0.0.  1'"..  in  which  he 
has  filled  all  the  offices  and  is  a  past  grand,  and 
is  likewise  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  Camp  at 
Litchfield  and  the  Mutual  Protective  League. 
lli>  residence  in  Harvel  now  covers  more  than 
twenty  years,  during  which  time  he  has  made 
here  a  good  home,  developed  an  excellent  husi- 
ness  and  won  an  honored  name. 


MOSES  BERRY. 


Starting  out  in  life  lor  himself  as  a  farm 
hand  ami  working  at  ten  dollars  per  month. 
Moses  Berry  has  in  the  conrse  id'  years  gradu- 
ally advanced  in  financial  circles  until  he  is 
to-day  one  of  the  substantia]  citizens  of  the 
village  of  Butler,  possessing  a  handsome  eom- 
petenee  which  has  been  acquired  through  his 
own  labors.  He  was  born  in  Hamilton  county. 
Ohio.  March  IE  is-,1:;,  anil  when  three  years  of 
age  was  taken  by  his  father  to  Springdale  in 
the  same  county,  lie  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and 
Susan  Berry  and  the  latter  died  when  her  -on 
Moses  was  only  seven  months  old.  In  their 
family  were  eleven  children.  After  the  death 
of  his  first  wife  the  father  married  again  and 
there  were  four  children  hv  that  marriage. 

Moses  Berry  was  reared  upon  a  farm.  He 
remained  in  the  services  of  one  family  for 
three  years  ami  then  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
where  he  secured  employment  in  a  pork  pack- 
ing establishment.     He  was  tints  engaged  dur- 


ing loui-  winter  seasons,  while  in  the  summer 
months  he  was  employed  at  farm  labor.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  purchased 
teams  and  began  draying  in  Cincinnati,  follow- 
ing that  pursuil  for  ten  years.  In  1855  he 
came  by  way  of  the  river  to  Illinois,  landing 
at  Alton.  He  there  purchased  four  horses  and 
two  wagons  ami  continued  his  journey  to  But- 
ler. Montgomery  county,  lie  then  purchased 
his  farm,  at  first  becoming  the  owner  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  adjoining  his 
present  farm.  There  he  engaged  in  e.cneral 
agricultural  pursuits  and  also  bough!  stock 
and  fed  cattle.  In  the  course  of  time  he  sold 
the  original  property  hut  made  investment  in 
other  land  and  now  owns  three  hundred  acres, 
constituting  one  of  the  valuable  farms  of  the 
county,  upon  which  he  made  line  improvements. 
The  place  is  now  thoroughly  equipped  with  all 

i lern   accessories   and    the   income    from   his 

property  enables  him  to  live  in  partial  retire- 
ment from  labor. 

On  September  20,  1846,  Mr.  Berry  was  unit- 
ed in  marriage  to  Miss  Eliza  Van  Sant,  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  and  they  have  now  traveled 
life's  journey  together  for  over  fifty-eight  years. 
Unto  them  have  been  horn  four  children  who 
are  vet  living:  M.  E.,  who  resides  upon  the 
home  farm:  E.  Illinois,  the  wife  of  William 
Cannon,  of  But  lei- :  Ida  B.,  the  wife  of  Alonzo 
Beatty,  a  resident  of  Paisley;  and  Ann.  the 
wife  of  Jacob  Culler,  of  Raymond.  They  also 
lost  two  sons.  William  and  George. 

Mr.  Berry  now  has  in  his  possession  an  anvil 
upon  which  scythes  were  sharpened  ami  which 
was  used  by  his  father  and  grandfather  in  the 
days  before  grinding  stands  were  to  he  had 
for  that  purpose,  lie  started  out  in  life  a  poor 
hoy.  hut  has  worked  his  way  upward  undeterred 
by  obstacles  and  difficulties.  That  he  lias  pros- 
pered is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  lias  now 
a  very  valuable  farm  property  in  addition  to 
his  home  in  Butler.  He  contributed  gener- 
ously to  the  building  of  the  MethodisI  Episco- 
pal church  in  Butler,  to  which  he  belongs  and 
in  which  he  is  serving  as  a  trustee.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Prohibitionist,  taking  a  deep  interest  in 
the  temperance  question.  He  has  held  the 
office  of  supervisor  and  was  school  director 
for  thirty-six  years.     Mr.  Berry  has  now  passed 


LIBRARY 
UNlVEi  INOIS 


MOSES    BEERY 


_  - 


*•  -  \ 


MI!S.    MOSES    BERRY 


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UNIVERi 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


i ;  5 


the  eighty-first  milestone  on  the  journey  of 
life  and  lias,  therefore,  been  a  witness  of  many 
of  tlic  changes  which  have  occurred  anil  have 
shaped  the  history  of  the  country.  He  receives 
the  veneration  and  respeci  wieh  should  ever  be 
accorded  to  advanced  age  and  which  is  due 
liiin  because  of  his  upright,  honorable  life. 


EARL  lil.ACKMAN  TRUITT,  D.  V.  S. 

Dr.  Earl  Blaekman  Truitt  is  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  veterinary  surgery  in  Hillsboro  and 
is  also  proprietor  of  the  leading  livery  barn  of 
the  city.  Be  is  well  known  as  a  representative 
of  .in  old  and  prominent  family  and  as  one 
of  the  native  sons  of  the  city,  his  birth  having 
here  occurred  in  1875.  His  father,  James  M. 
Truitt,  was  a  distinguished  lawyer,  a  man  of 
rare  attainments  and  a  citizen  of  state-wide 
reputation.  He  was  born  in  Trimble  county. 
Kentucky,  on  the  28th  of  February.  L842,  and 
was  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Cynthia  A.  (Carr) 
Truitt,  the  former  born  in  Henry  county,  Ken- 
tucky, in  1818,  while  the  latter  was  horn  in  In- 
diana in  the  same  year.  Samuel  Truitt  was  of 
English  Lineage,  while  his  wife  was  supposed  to 
be  of  Scotch  descent.  He  followed  the  occu- 
pation of  farming  with  excellent  success  and 
was  thus  enabled  to  provide  a  comfortable  home 
for  his  family,  numbering  a  wife  and  seven 
children. 

James  M.  Truitt.  the  second  in  order  of 
birth,  was  but  three  years  of  age  when  his  pai« 
ents  removed  to  Greene  county,  Illinois,  and  lie 
began  his  education  in  the  old  time  subscrip- 
tion school  at  Fayette,  that  county.  He  re- 
mained upon  the  home  farm,  assisting  his  fa- 
ther in  its  development  and  cultivation  until 
1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  defense  of  the  old 
flag,  being  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Union 
cause.  He  was  assigned  to  duty  with  the  boys 
in  blue  of  Company  B,  One  hundred  and  Sev- 
enteenth Illinois  Infantry,  and  shortly  after- 
ward was  promoted  from  the  ranks  to  the  posi- 
tion of  orderly  sergeant.  Two  years  later  he 
was  commissioned  second  lieutenant  and  served 
in  that  capacity  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  part ieipated  in  many  severe  battles, including 
the  engagements  at  Fort  Blakeley,  and  he  was 
mustered  out  of  service  at  Springfield.   Illinois. 


on  the  5th  of  August,  1865.  Subsequently  he 
spenl  some  time  in  McKendree  College  ai 
Lebanon,  Illinois,  and  in  18G6  he  came  to 
Hillsboro,  where  he  entered  upon  the  study  of 
law  iii  the  office  of  Judge  .'esse  .1.  Phillips,  with 
whom  lie  remained  until  1ST".',  in  the  mean- 
time gaining  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the 
principles  of  jurisprudence  and  demonstrating 
his  ability  to  successfully  cope  with  the  in- 
tricate problems  of  the  law.  Se  practiced  his 
profession  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  and  in 
the  trial  of  a  ease  he  was  strong  and  was  recog- 
nized as  possessing  the  qualities  which  go  to 
make  up  the  successful  advocate.  In  manner 
he  was  forceful,  in  speech  was  eloquent  and 
with  his  strong  personality  and  strength  of 
character  he  won  friends  among  the  prominent 
members  of  the  bar  of  Illinois,  lie  was  logical 
iu  reason,  in  debate  forceful  ami  in  statement 
decisive.  His  marked  ability  for  leadership  led 
to  his  selection  for  positions  of  prominence  in 
connection  with  state  affairs.  In  ls;-.>  he  was 
elected  to  the  twenty-eighth  genera]  assembly 
and  served  as  a  member  of  the  house  for  two 
years,  lie  then  returned  to  Hillsboro,  where 
he  continued  ill  the  practice  of  law  up  to  'lie 
time  of  his  death,  having  a  distinctively  repre- 
sentative clientage  that  connected  him  with 
much  of  the  important  litigation  tried  in  the 
courts  in  central  Illinois.  He  was  the  owner  of 
one  of  the  finest  libraries  in  the  state  and  Ins 
studious  habits  made  him  largely  familiar  with 
it-  contents.  He  did  much  toward  molding  tin' 
policy  of  the  Republican  party  in  Illinois,  but 
sought  not  the  rewards  of  office  in  recognition 
of  party  fealty.  In  1876  he  was  one  of  the 
electors  id'  the  Republican  party  ami  in  L880 
was  a  Republican  elector  at  large  id'  the  -taie. 
while  in  the  same  year  and  again  in  1884  he 
was  a  delegate  to  the  Republican  national  con- 
vention. Mr.  Truitt  was  also  one  of  the  oldesl 
members  of  the  Grand  Army  of  Illinois,  belong- 
ing to  F.  D.  Hubbell  Post.  No.  403,  of  which 
he  served  as  commander.  He  likewise  held 
membership  relations  with  Hillsboro  Lodge. 
No.  .".1.  A.   F.  &  A.  M. 

on  the  l-t  of  October,  1m:;.  .lames  M.  Truitt 
married  Mi>s  Jennie  Blaekman,  a  native  of 
TTillshoro.  born  on  the  7th  of  May.  1847,  and  a 
daughter  of  George  and  Hannah  J.  Blaekman. 


i;t; 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


They  had  two  children:  Ear]  B.,  and  Ida.  who 
resides  with  her  mother  in  Hillsboro.  The  hus- 
band and  Father  died  July  25,  1900,  at  which 
time  he  was  serving  as  census  enumerator  of 
Montgomery  county.  With  a  capacity  and  ex- 
perience thai  would  have  enabled  him  to  ful- 
fill any  trust  to  which  he  might  have  been 
chosen,  he  never  sought  to  advance  himself  in 
office,  but  was  content  to  do  his  duty  where  he 
could  and  left  the  self-seeking  to  others.  He 
was  a  man  of  very  strong  convictions  and  his 
integrity  stood  as  an  unquestioned  fact  in  his 
career.  Tie  was  always  a  student  with  a  scope 
and  breadth  of  knowledge  which  rendered  him 
a  charming  conversationalist.  Full  of  sympathy 
with  tin1  greal  movements  of  the  world  about 
him.  he  watched   the   progress   of  events   with 

the     keenest      interest.         He     was      recognized     liv 

those  who  knew  him  well  as  a  man  of  most 
kindly  heart,  of  sterling  worth  and  integrity 
and  incorruptible  in  all  his  professional  and 
social  relations. 

Fail  B.  Truitt,  reared  in  his  parents'  home. 
acquired  hi?  literary  education  in  the  public 
schools  id'  Hillsboro  and  in  1896  entered  the 
Ontario  Veterinary  College,  where  lie  was  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1898.  IF  at  once  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession  and  the  follow- 
ing year  he  also  opened  a  livery  stable,  which 
he  is  conducting,  lie  has  just  erected  a  fine 
new  brick  stable,  three  stories  in  height  with  a 
basement,  in  which  are  the  Mails.  The  build- 
ing i-  fifty  by  one  hundred  feet  and  was  com- 
pleted at  a  cosi  of  six  thousand  dollars,  being 
the  finest  structure  of  the  kind  in  Montgomery 
county.  IF?  patronage  is  extensive  and  well 
merited,  because  of  hi-  reliable  business  prin- 
ciple- and  his  earnesl  efforts  to  please  his  cus- 
tomer-. 

In  September.  L902,  Mr.  Truitt  was  married 
to  Mis-  Maude  Sim.-,  a  daughter  of  Alexander 
Sims,  a  fanner  now  residing  in  Butler  Grove 
township.  Mrs.  Truitt  was  born  on  the  home 
farm  north  of  Hillsboro  in  1884,  i-  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  church  and  is  well  known  in 
this  city  and  county.  Mr.  TruitI  holds  mem- 
bership relations  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
and  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
and  he  gives  his  political  allegiance  lo  the 
Republican  party. 


PLEASANT  BEIGGS. 

Pleasanl    Briggs,  an   intelligent,  enterprising 

and  well  known  farmer  of  North  Litchfield 
township,  is  numbered  among  Montgomery 
county's  native  sons,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Zanesville  township.  March  15,  1851.  He 
is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Penelope  (  Petty  i 
Briggs,  the  former  a  native  of  Illinois  and  the 
latter  of  Tennessee.  .Mr.  Briggs  was  of  Scotch- 
Irish  lineage,  and  was  born  in  North  Litch- 
field township,  Montgomery  county,  on  the  11th 
of  May,  1824,  being  then  a  representative  of 
one  id'  the  oldesi  families  id'  this  portion  of 
the  state.  He  became  a  farmer  and  owned 
forty-one  acres  of  land  in  this  township.  He 
married  Miss  Petty,  whose  people  bad  come 
from  Tennessee  to  Illinois,  while  the  Briggs 
family  came  from  Ohio  to  Montgomery  county. 
Into  the  parents  of  our  subject  were  horn 
three  children,  but  one  died  in  infancy,  and 
Burd  Briggs  died  December  31,  1901,  in 
Wayne  county.  Missouri.  He  married  Lucy  J. 
Brandy,  and  after  her  death  wedded  Mrs.  Max- 
well, of   Missouri,  who  is  still  living. 

I'leasant  Briggs  largely  acquired  his  educa- 
tion in  the  Ritchie  school  near  his  home,  and 
he  afterward  engaged  in  teaching  school  for 
two  years  there.  He  then  turned  his  attention 
to  farming  ami  began  agricultural  pursuits  on 
hi.-  own  account  on  In-  pre-cnt  farm,  where  he 
owns  ninety  acres  of  as  fine  land  as  can  be 
found  in  Montgomery  county.  It  is  bottom 
land,  rich  and  productive,  and.  owing  to  his 
skillful  cultivation,  he  annually  harvests  good 
crops,  which  return  to  him  a  gratifying  income. 

On  the  loth  of  February,  1872,  Mr.  Briggs 
was  married  to  Mis-  Mary  Alice  Roberts,  a 
daughter   of   dames   ( '.    Roberts,    who   lived    in 

Xorth   Litchfield  township  and  belonged  t ie 

of  the  old  families  of  that  locality.  Two  chil- 
dren graced  this  union:  Harmon  E.,  who  at- 
tended the  Beacon  school,  and  spent  two  terms 
in  the  Ritchie  .school,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  engaged  in  farming;  ami  Anna,  who  died 
in  infancy. 

Mr.  Briggs'  father  was  a  Democrat  in  his 
early  life  and  afterward  joined  the  ranks  of 
i be  Republican  party,  and  Pleasant  Briggs  nas 
always  been  an  advocate  of  the  principles  of 
thai   greal   political  organization.     He  and   his 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


4*>  K 


wife  belong  to  Phillips  Chapel  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  and  arc  I  rue  to  its  teach- 
ings, exemplifying  in  their  lives  their  Chris- 
tian   faith. 


LEMUEL  DOYLE. 

Lemuel  Doyle  is  one  of  the  younger  repre- 
sentatives of  farming  interests  in  Montgomery 
county,  and  was  born  on  section  3,  Butler 
Grove  township,  where  he  yet  resides.  His 
birth  occurred  October  14,  1870,  his  parents 
being  [saac  and  Mary  ( Mnts)  Doyle.  The 
former  was  born  in  Greene  comity.  Illinois, 
January  14,  1842,  and  was  a  son  of  Thomas 
and  Mary  (Coates)  Doyle,  who  were  natives 
of  Kentucky,  whence  they  removed  to  Greene 
county  in  the  year  1832.  Isaac  Doyle  was 
reared  in  the  county  of  his  nativity  and  came 
to  Montgomery  county  in  the  '60s.  His 
father  purchased  this  farm  and  had  given  it  to 
him  several  years  before,  lie  began  the  cul- 
tivation of  the  land  and  continued  its  im- 
provement for  many  years,  erecting  excellent 
buildings  and  adding  all  modern  equipments. 
On  the  loth  of  September,  1869,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Mitts,  who  was  born 
in  Sangamon  county.  Illinois.  March  15,  1844, 
a  daughter  of  Jesse  ami  Zerelda  Mitts.  There 
were  two  children  born  of  this  union:  Lemuel 
and  Noah  E.,  the  latter  a  resident  of  Raymond 
township.  The  father  dad  July  29,  1S00.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being 
connected  with  the  lodge  at  Butler  for  many 
years.  In  politics  he  was  a  stalwart  Democrat 
aiul  he  held  the  office  of  township  supervisor 
for  three  terms.  Tie  was  also  trustee  for  many 
many  years.  His  time  and  attention,  however, 
were  chiefly  devoted  to  his  farm  and  the  stock- 
raising  interests  which  he  conducted  upon  the 
home  farm  about  four  miles  north  ami  one 
mile  east    id'    Butler. 

Lemuel  Doyle,  whose  name  introduces  this 
record,  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  under  the  parental  roof,  attended  the 
public  schools,  and  also  pursued  his  studies  in 
Carlinville  and  the  Danville  Normal  College. 
He  as<isted  his  father  in  early  boyhood  days 
and   together  they   carried    on   the    farm    until 


the  father's  death.  Mr.  Doyle.  Sr.,  was  the 
owner  of  three  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
valuable  land,  of  which  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  is  comprised   in  the  home  place 

On  the  6th  of  July,  1896,  Mr.  Doyle  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Clara  Molohon.  and 
tho\  have  one  son.  Edgar,  horn  September  8, 
1898.  Mr.  Doyle  belongs  to  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  fraternity  at  Raymond  and  enjoys  the 
warm  regard  of  his  brethren  of  that  order.  He 
is  a  young  man  possessing  the  enterprising 
spirit  of  the  age  and  of  the  middle  west,  and 
in  his  iiiisiness  affairs  is  found  to  he  energetic 
and  determined,  carrying  forward  with  strong 
purpose  and  by  honorable  methods  whatever 
he    undertakes. 


SAMUEL  A.   K1ME. 

Samuel  A.  Kime,  who  has  been  active  in 
community  affairs  and  is  the  supporter  of 
many  movements  for  the  general  good,  so  that 
he  is  numbered  among  the  valued  citizens  of 
Montgomery  county,  was  horn  in  Litchfield 
township  on  the  2d  of  November,  1857.  His 
father.  Joshua  Kime.  was  a  native  of  North 
Carolina,  and  in  early  manhood  removed  from 
that  state  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Montgomery 
county.  He  married  Miss  Cornelia  Wagner, 
ami  look  up  his  abode  in  Hillsboro  township 
about  1861.  There  he  rented  a  farm  for  two 
years,  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period 
purchased  the  farm  which  is  now  occupied  by 
George  Ferguson,  comprising  eighty  acres  of 
land.  To  the  further  development  and  culti- 
vation of  this  place  he  devoted  his  energies 
until  his  death,  and  was  one  of  the  enterpris- 
ing agriculturists  of  his  community — a  man 
very  reliable  in  husiness  affairs.  He  died  in 
October,  tssu,  when  but  sixty-seven  years  of 
age.  his  birth  having  occurred  in  1822.  His 
wife  survived  him  for  two  years  and  departed 
this  life  in  1891.  when  fifty-four  years  i.i  age. 
Both  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  church 
and  were  people  "(  the  highest  respectability, 
enjoying  the  confidence  and  warm  regard  of 
all  with  whom  they  were  associated.  They 
had  two  children,  the  daughter  being  Mary  F., 
now-   the  wife  of  George  L.   Fer<ruson. 


t> 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    .Mo.XTi  ;<).M  KI!V    riU'XTY 


Samuel  A.  Kime,  the  son  and  the  elder 
child,  acquired  a  common  school  education  and 
was  trained  to  habits  of  industry  and  economy 
upon  the  old  homestead.  When  he  had  arrived 
at  years  of  maturity  he  took  charge  of  the  farm, 
which  he  operated  on  shares,  and  there  re- 
mained until  bis  mother's  death.  He  was  mar- 
ried on  the  55th  of  February.  1891.  to  Miss 
Mary  Johnson  and  they  have  two  children: 
Mary  J.  and  Henry   Frederick. 

Mr.  Ivime  owns  altogether  one  hundred  and 
four  acres  of  land  and  his  property  is  valuable. 
His  house  stands  on  section  27,  Hillsboro  tov\  □- 
ship,  about  one  mile  west  and  four  and  a  half 
miles  south  of  the  city  of  Hillsboro.  There 
lie  carries  on  general  farming.  A  glance  at 
his  place  indicates  to  the  passerby  that  the 
owner  is  a  man  of  enterprise  and  thrift,  care- 
ful in  his  work  and  practical  in  his  methods. 
His  fellow  townsmen  have  called  him  to  pub- 
lic office  and  for  two  years  he  served  as  justice 
of  the  peace,  while  for  nine  years  he  has  been 
a  school  director.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republi- 
can; fraternally  is  connected  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America :  and  religiously  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which  his 
wife  is  also  a  member. 


GEORGE  W.  BATEMAN". 
George  W.  Bateman,  who  devotes  bis  time 
ami  energies  to  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising,  bis  home  being  cm  section  35,  Witt 
township,  was  born  upon  this  farm  October 
'.'I.  1851,  bis  parents  being  John  ami  Eliza- 
beth (White)  Bateman,  who  were  natives  of 
Delaware.  When  they  came  to  the  west,  set- 
tling in  Montgomery  county,  in  the  '40s,  there 
were  no   houses  in  their  immediate  neighbor- 

1 1    ami    many   of  the   conditions   of  pioneer 

life  existed.  They  spent  their  remaining  days 
here,  the  father  passing  away  en  the  23d  of 
March.  1 897.  when  be  bad  reached  the  age  of 
eighty-three  years,  three  months  and  twenty- 
three  days.  His  wife  died  en  tin1  17th  of 
September,  1886,  at  the  age  el'  seventy-seven 
years,  five  months  and  nine  days.  In  their 
family  were  six  children:  dames  A.,  who 
was  born  April    I.   is.",';,  and   is  now  living  in 


Indian  Territory;  William,  who  was  born  on 
the  Mb  of  August,  1839,  and  .lied  on  the  1st 
el'  November,  following;  Sarah  Ann,  who  was 
born  May  29,  1841,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
li  fly-nine  years;  John  W..  who  was  bom  Feb- 
ruary 19.  184.").  and  died  November  14.  1870; 
Henry,  who  was  born  July  1".\  1847.  and  died 
January   •").    1864;   George   \Y..   of  this  review. 

George  W.  Bateman  was  a  student  in  the 
district  schools  of  Witt  township,  the  duties 
of  the  school  room,  the  pleasures  of  the  play- 
ground and  the  work  of  the  home  farm  occu- 
pying his  time  and  attention  through  boy- 
hood ami  youth.  He  has  always  lived  :ipon  the 
home  farm  and  when  be  attained  bis  majority 
he  took  charge  of  the  property  and  has  since 
engaged  in  the  further  development  and  im- 
provement of  this  place.  He  is  an  enterpris- 
ing agriculturist  who  realizes  the  value  of  ro- 
tating crops  and  of  using  the  best  improved 
machinery  to  facilitate  bis  farm  work.  He 
has  made  good  improvements  upon  his  place 
and  in  its  appearance  it  is  neat  and  attrac- 
tive. 

On  the  14th  of  October.  1875,  Mr.  Bate- 
man was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah 
Lucinda  haws,  who  was  born  in  June,  1856. 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Laws,  who  was 
a  native  of  Illinois  and  is  now  deceased.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bateman  became  the  parents  of  four 
children,  but  their  first  born,  Dallas  B.,  born 
August  22,  1876,  died  on  the  1st  of  December. 
1876.  Lorenzo  Dow,  bom  July  22,  1878;  is 
now  engaged  in  farming  in  Fayette  county. 
Illinois.  Xoi  Essie,  bom  September  16.  1880, 
is  now  acting  as  her  father's  housekeeper. 
Kerna  Clement,  born  March  25,  1S82,  was 
married  September  is.  1904,  to  Dora  Casey. 
The  wile  and  mother  died  February  19.  1905. 
and  her  death  was  deeply  regretted  by  many 
friends.  Mr.  Bateman  belongs  to  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  and  has  lived  a  life  in 
consistent  harmony  with  his  professions,  lie 
lias  served  as  a  member  of  the  school  board 
for  a  number  of  years  and  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation finds  in  him  a  warm  friend.  He  is 
deeply  interested  in  everything  that  pertains 
to  the  intellectual  and  moral  development 
as  well  as  the  material  upbuilding  of  bis 
community  and   because  of  his  sterling  worth 


mi;,  and  mes.  geobge  w.  hatkmax 


RARY 
UMfV:  ■   INOIS 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


IM 


he  has  gained  the  warm   regard  of  many  with 
whom  lie  lias  been  associated. 


HIRAM    B.    SPERRY. 

Hiram  1!.  Sperry  is  the  owner  of  a  valuable 
and  well  improved  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  which  he  lias  developed  from  the 
wild  prairie.  A  native  of  Ohio,  his  birth  oc- 
curred November  27,  1833,  near  Chillicothe,  in 
Ross  county.  His  parents  were  John  and 
Catherine  (Snyder)  Sperry,  both  of  whom 
were  of  German  lineage,  the  father's  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  in  Virginia,  while  the  mother 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  John  Sperry 
spent  his  early  youth  in  Rockingham  county. 
The  grandfather  of  our  subject  served  in  the 
war  of  1812,  and  removed  from  Virginia  to 
Ohio  in  1815,  at  which  time  he  was  twenty 
years  of  age,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  1795. 
The  grandfather  purchased  land,  which  he  de- 
veloped into  a  good  farm,  making  it  the  family 
borne,  and  John  Sperry  afterward  purchased 
the  property,  on  which  he  lived  for  seventy 
years.  lie  then  sold  out  and  removed  to 
Greenfield,  Ohio,  where  he  died  in  1878  at  the 
age  of  eighty-three  years.  His  wife  passed 
away  in  1879  and  both  were  Laid  to  rest  in 
Ohio.  Throughout  his  entire  business  career 
John  Sperry  had  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  lived  an  upright,  honorable  life. 
His  political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  Dem- 
ocracy, but  later  he  voted  with  the  Abolition 
party,  subsequently  with  the  Free  Soil  party 
and  when  the  Republican  party  was  formed 
to  prevent  the  further  extension  of  slavery  he 
joined  its  ranks  and  continued  one  of  its  sup- 
poi iei-  nut d  in-  death,  lb1  \\ a-  a  member  of 
the  .Missionary  Baptisl  church.  In  the  I'amilv 
were  fourteen  children,  of  whom  Hiram  Sperry 
was  the  seventh  in  order  of  birth.  Eight  are 
still  living,  four  sons  and  four  daughters: 
Abraham,  the  eldest,  who  was  a  teacher,  is  de- 
ceased. Isaac,  also  a  teacher,  was  a  member 
of  the  Seventy-third  Ohio  Infantry  in  the  Civil 
war  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Gettys- 
burg, his  remains  being  interred  in  the  Na- 
tional cemetery  there.  Mary  has  also  passed 
awav.     Jacob   is  living   in    Koss  county,   Ohio. 


Elizabeth  and  John  are  deceased.  Hiram  B. 
is  the  next  younger.  Sarah,  who  was  a.  teacher, 
married  Steven  Whittaker  and  resides  in  Pike 
county.  Illinois.  .Martha  married  Isaac  Gray 
ami  lives  in  Nokomis.  Rebecca  and  Nancj 
wire  twin.-.  The  former,  who  was  also  a 
teacher,  is  now  the  wife  of  Samuel  Wilson  and 
resides  in  Greenfield,  while  Mrs.  Nancy  Baker 
is  living  al  Chalklevel,  Missouri.  William,  who 
al-o  followed  teaching,  was  a  member  of  an 
Illinois  regiment  in  the  Civil  war.  Janus,  a 
soldier  of  tin'  Seventy-third  Ohio  Infantry, 
was  wounded  at  Lookout  Mountain,  but  recov- 
ered and  is  living  in  Pike  county.  Illinois. 
Judson  is  living  at  Chalklevel. 

Hiram  II.  Sperry  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Ko^s  county,  Ohio,  where 
he  afterward  began  farming,  and  throughout 
In-  entire  lite  In'  has  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1857,  settling 
upon  a.  tract  of  land  in  Pike  county.  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A. 
Doran,  a  native  of  Ohio.  They  became  the 
parents  of  eleven  children.  Cicero  J.,  who 
was  educated  in  the  Danville,  Indiana.  Nor- 
mal school  and  who  taughl  for  five  years,  foui 
years  in  Illinois  ami  one  year  in  Florida,  mar- 
ried Gillie  A.  Caraway  and  is  now  living  at 
Apalachicola,  Florida.  He  is  engaged  in  busi- 
iii'--  as  a  ship  carpenter.  Normau  J.  died 
when  fourteen  years  of  age.  J.  Milo  married 
Margaret  Barber  and  lives  on  section  31,  Au- 
dubon township.  Minnie,  who  engaged  in 
teaching  for  seven  years  in  Illinois,  is  now  the 
wife  of  Emery  Pennypacker,  of  Nokomis. 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  Millard  Graden,  of  Audu- 
bon. Mallie.  who  was  a  successful  teacher  in 
Illinois  for  li\e  years,  is  the  wife  of  Wilson 
Huddleston,  living  in  Nokomis  township. 
lone,  who  was  a  teacher  for  seven  years,  is  the 
wife  of  Clem  Travlor,  of  Colleen.  J.  Clarence 
married  Hattie  Webber  and  is  living  in  Audu- 
bon. Edward  married  Carrie  Scott,  resides  in 
Nokomis  town-hip  and  is  engaged  in  school 
teaching.  Nettie  i-  the  wife  of  William  Louns- 
herry,  id'  Witt  township.  May,  who  has  en- 
gaged in  teaching  for  two  years,  resides  at 
home. 

Mr.  Sperry  is  tin'  owner  of  a  farm  of  one 
hundred   and  sixty  acre-,  which  he  has  devel- 


182 


PAST    AMi    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


oped  from  the  raw  prairie,  making  all  of  the 
improvements  thereon.  He  broke  this  land, 
ami  after  placing  it  under  the  plow  planted 
Ins  seed  and  in  due  season  reaped  good  har- 
vests. He  has  since  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  and  as  the  years  have  gone  by  he  has 
met  with  a  Fair  measure  of  prosperity.  He 
taughl  school  for  eleven  years,  following  the 
profession  in  Ohio  for  five  years  and  in  Illi- 
nois for  sis  years  and  was  thus  identified  with 
the  earl}  educational  interests  of  this  state, 
lie  has  lived  to  see  great  changes  here,  for 
at  the  time  of  his  arrival  wild  animal,-  were 
yet  found  upon  the  prairie,  deer  being  seen  in 
large  numbers  and  many  kinds  of  feathered 
game  were  to  be  seen.  As  time  has  passed  the 
pioneer  dwellings  have  been  replaced  by  large 
and  substantial  homes.  excellent  farms 
have  been  improved  and  modern  equipments 
have  made  Montgomery  county  one  of  the  leaci- 
ing  agricultural  districts  of  this  great  com- 
monwealth. Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sperry  arc 
members  of  the  Baptist  church,  and  he  is  a 
stanch  Republican.  He  has  now  reached  the 
age  of  seventy-one  years  and  is  a  hale  and 
hearty  man.  enjoying  life  and  maintaining  a 
keen  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his  county  and 
its  upbuilding. 


DANIEL  CRESS,  JR. 

Daniel  Cress,  Jr.,  living  in  Fillmore  town- 
ship, was  horn  on  the  old  homestead  farm 
which  he  now  occupies  April  29,  1846,  his  pa- 
rents being  Moses  and  Crissa  (Barringer) 
Cress,  both  natives  of  North  Carolina,  the  for- 
mer born  May  8,  1800,  and  the  latter  November 
1.  1804.  They  were  married  in  that  slate  May 
25,  L825,  and  in  1831  earn.'  to  Montgomery 
county,  Illinois,  being  among  the  early  resi- 
dents of  this  locality.  The  homes  of  tin'  set- 
tlers were  then  widely  scattered  and  the  work 
of  progress  and  improvement  seemed  scarceh 
begun.  The  cities  were  then  mere  h>w  ns  and 
many  of  the  villages  hail  not  vet  sprung  into 
existence.  Pioneer  conditions  existed  through- 
out the  county  and  there  were  many  difficulties 
and  trials  to  he  met  by  the  early  settlers.  Mr. 
('res-  purchased  his  land   from  Pleasant   Shep- 


herd, tin'  father  of  Hiram  Shepherd,  and  event- 
ually became  the  owner  of  seven  hundred  acres, 
earning  on  farming  on  an  extensive  scale. 
Ho  was  prominenl  ami  influential  in  commu- 
nity affairs  in  an  early  da\  and  his  name  should 
he  recorded  on  the  pages  of  history  devoted  to 
tin'  early  and  honored  pioneer  residents.  lie 
died  on  tin1  12th  of  September,  1850,  and  his 
wife,  who  long  survived  him.  passed  away  Sep- 
ieniher  6,  1883.  In  their  family  were  the 
following  children:  One.  who  was  horn  March 
5,  1826,  and  died  in  infancy:  Betsy  Louise, 
born  February  15,  1827:  Edward  C,  horn  April 
10,  1S29'.  Richard  !>..  who  was  horn  August 
li.  ts:it.  and  was  only  four  weeks  old  when  the 
family  came  to  Montgomery  county:  Peggy 
Maria,  born  December  8,  is:'.:;:  George  Henry, 
horn  January  26,  1836;  Caroline  C.  born  June 
3,1838;  Mary  Ann, born  duly  8,1840;  Sarah 
Catherine,  horn  March  •.':;.  1843;  and  Daniel, 
horn  April  29,  1846.  All  arc  now  deceased 
with  exception  of  our  subject. 

Daniel  Cress  attended  school  here  at  an  early 
day.  pursuing  his  studies  through  the  winter 
months,  while  in  the  summer  season  he  worked 
at  farm  labor.  After  the  age  of  sixteen  be 
never  attended  school,  but  gave  his  attention 
to  agricultural  pursuits  ami  has  remained  con- 
tinuously  upon  the  old  home  place.  The  Cress 
farm  is  now  one  of  the  largest  in  the  county 
and  is  also  one  of  the  best  developed.  Mr. 
Cress  started  with  four  hundred  aires  of  land 
and  now  has  over  sis  hundred  acre-.  Much  of 
bis  father's  old  homestead  has  been  sold,  while 
lie  retained  possession  of  the  home  and  also 
of  some  land  surrounding  il.  lie  has  made 
substantia]  improvements  upon  the  farm,  in- 
cluding the  erection  of  g 1  buildings  and  his 

property  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance. 
His  ham  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  entire  coun- 
ty ami  the  other  equipments  upon  the  place 
are  in  keeping  with  the  day.  He  gives  most  of 
his  attention  to  the  raising  of  stock  and  has 
never  sold  a  carload  of  corn  in  his  life.  Tie 
bears  a  national  reputation  as  a  breeder  of 
Percheron  horses  and  he  is  also  extensively  en- 
ea'jeil  in  raising  brown  Swiss  cattle.  Poland 
China  hogs  and  Shropshire  sheep.  He  owns 
four  stallions  all  black  Percherons  and  one 
jack   and   he   raised   three  of  the  stallions  him- 


UNIVf 


FRANK    CRESS 


DANIEL    CRESS,    JR. 


MRS.    DANIEL    CRESS,    JR. 


MRS.     CKISSA     CRESS' 


LEVI    WHITTEN 


MRS.    JANE    WHITTEN 


UNIVI 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OE    MONTGOMEEY    COUNTY 


-1ST 


self.  He  conducts  a  breeding  stable  in  seasons 
and  In'  has  many  registered  animals  upon  his 
farm,  including  horses,  cattle  and  sheep,  lie 
has  nut  a  cheap  horse  upon  the  place,  nearly 
all  being  pure  blooded,  while  thirty  are  pure 
bred.  He  also  keeps  a  supply  of  young  stock 
of  all  kinds  on  hand  and  he  owns  the  only  herd 
of  Swiss  cattle  in  the  county,  lie  has  built  up 
an  enviable  reputation  as  a  breeder  ami  has 
gained  success  by  unfaltering  perseverance  and 
earnest  labor. 

On  the  oil  of  October,  1867,  when  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  Mr.  Cress  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Jane  Whitten,  a  daughter  of  Levi 
ami  Priscilla  (Hill)  Whitten.  Her  father  was 
born  in  Kentucky,  February  1.  1822,  ami  died 
September  I.  L885,  while  her  mother  was  born 
in  this  county,  March  27,  1823,  and  died  De- 
cember  1,  1888.  The]  were  married  on  the 
15th  of  January,  1841.  ami  wore  the  parents 
of  the  following  named  children:  John  P.. 
who  was  born  December  31,  1841.  and  died 
August  24,  1851;  Henry  J.,  who  was  horn 
November  12,  1843,  and  also  died  on  the  24th 
of  August,  1851  :  Austin  F..  who  was  born 
March  '.',.  1846;  Keziah  .lane,  who  was  horn 
November  1  I.  1848,  and  is  now  the  wife  of 
our  subject;  one  who  was  horn  June  1.  1850, 
ami  died  the  following  day  unnamed;  Peter  W., 
who  was  horn  November  in.  is;.:',:  Chloe 
Louisa  who  was  horn  February  is.  1855,  and 
married  Elijah  Tackaberry;  Stephen  ('..  who 
was  horn  August  '.'I.  1S.~>7:  one  who  was  born 
and  died  on  the  24th  of  June,  1860;  Thomas, 
who  was  horn  August  21,  1861  ;  and  Mary 
Luvena,  who  was  horn  Augusl  '.'1.  1864,  and 
died  June  15,  1903.  Mr.  and  ^Irs.  Cress  have 
become  the  parents  of  three  children:  Clara 
Minnie,  born  Juh  27,  1868,  is  now  the  wife  of 
Alexander  Bost,  of  Fillmore  township,  and 
fa-  -i\  children,  four  sons  and  two  daughters. 
Myrtie  May,  born  January  7.  1879.  died  the 
following  April  Frank  Edward  born  Septem- 
ber s.   lssn.  is  al  home. 

Mr.  Cress  is  a  supporter  of  Democratic  prin- 
ciples and  in  religious  faith  his  wife  is  con- 
nected with  the  Lutheran  church.  Both  are 
widely  known  in  Montgomery  county  and  have 
a  large  number  of  friends  who  esteem  them 
highly  and  neeord  them  a  leading  position  in 


the  soeial  circles  of  the  community.  As  a 
business  man  Mr.  Cress  is  known  far  beyond 
the  limits  id'  Montgomery  county  ami  lie  has 
ever  enjoyed  the  reputation  I'm-  honorable  deal- 
ing that  is  indeed  commendable  and  gratifying. 


ALGY  F.  STEANGE,  D.  I  >.  S. 

Dr.  Algy  I'.  Strange,  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  dentistry  in  Litchfield  and  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  modern  methols  of  this  sci- 
ence, was  born  at  Walshville,  Illinois,  in  1871 
and  i>  a  son  of  Alexander  T.  Strange,  who  is 
represented  elsewhere  in  this  work.  To  the 
district  -el 1  system  of  the  count}  he  is  in- 
debted for  the  early  educational  privileges  he 
enjoyed,  lie  afterward  pursued  a  course  in 
the  Litchfield  high  school  and  was  engaged  in 
teaching  for  two  years,  lie  next  entered  the 
dental  department  of  Washington  University 
at  St.  Louis  in  1897,  spending  two  years  there 
ami  then  in  order  to  further  prepare  for  the 
profession  which  he  had  determined  to  make 
his  life  work  he  matriculated  in  the  Marion 
Sims  Dental  College  m  1900  ami  was  gradu- 
ated with  the  cdass  of  1901.  In  .May  of  the 
latter  year  he  opened  an  office,  remaining  in 
Litchfield  in  active  practice  until  1902,  when 
be  accepted  the  position  of  demonstrator  of 
operative  dentistr]  in  his  alma  mater,  there 
remaining  until  the  spring  of  1903,  when  he 
resumed  his  practice  in  Litchfield,  lie  has  a 
well  equipped  office  and  has  already  secured  a 
patronage  which  is  large  ami  profitable.  The 
lines  are  being  constantly  tightened  around  the 
professions  and  greater  ability  is  demanded  of 
the  men  who  enter  this  class  of  life.  The 
knowledge  is  being  continually  broadened,  and 
in  order  to  attain  success  one  musl  have  a 
comprehensive  understanding  of  important 
principles  and  methods  and  musl  apply  his 
learning  in  practical  manner  to  the  needs  of 
i hose  who  desire  professional  sen  ice.  I >r. 
Strange  is  accorded  a  leading  place  in  the  ranks 
of  the  dental  fraternity  in  Montgomery  coun- 
l\  and  the  work  which  he  has  done  has  given 
such  excellent  satisfaction  thai  bis  patronage 
-   continually    increasing. 

In  September,  is:i".  was  celebrated  the  mar- 
riage  of   Dr.   Strange  and   Miss   Lulu    Hope,  a 


1,88 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


daughter  of  James  and  .Man  (Chamberlin) 
Hope.  She  was  born  in  Hillsboro  township  and 
thej  now  have  two  children,  Russell  and  Ar- 
trude.  The  parents  arc  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church  ami  Dr.  Strange  is  identified 
with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  Benevolent 
Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  the  Delta  Sigma 
Delta.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Illinois  and  Missouri 
Dental  Associations,  the  Springfield  Society  and 
the  Southern  Illinois  Branch  of  the  Society. 
lie  has  been  named  as  a  delegate  to  the  fourth 
international  dental  convention  to  he  held  in 
St.  Louis  in  October,  1904,  and  he  is  certainly 
one  of  the  rising  young  members  of  the  pro- 
fession. 


DAVID  P.  ATTEBERY. 

David  P.  Attebery  is  one  of  the  active  and 
enterprising  business  men  of  Montgomery 
county.  He  has  been  closely  identified  with  in- 
dustrial interests,  has  taken  important  con- 
tracts in  connection  with  railroad  building, 
and  a-  a  farmer  and  stork  dealer  has  conducted 
an  extensive  and  prosperous  business.  He 
stands  as  a  representative  id'  one  of  the  lead- 
ing types  of  American  citizens— alert,  enter- 
prising and  progressive,  watchful  of  opportu- 
nities and  making  the  most  of  his  advantages. 
At  the  same  time  he  has  maintained  a  high 
reputation  for  honorable  dealing  and  has  come 
to  be  known  as  one  of  the  trustworthy  citizens 
of  Grisham  township. 

Born  in  Litchfield,  January  16,  1864,  Mr. 
Attebery  became  a  resident  of  Hillsboro  town- 
ship when  only  a  year  old.  hi-  parent-  locating 
upon  a  farm  at  that  time.  He  obtained  his 
education  in  the  public  schools,  assisted  in  the 
farm  work  through  the  periods  of  vacation, 
and  when  nineteen  years  of  age  joined  his 
brother,  W.  -T.  Attebery,  in  a  partnership. 
They  operated  their  father's  farm  on  the 
-hare-  for  three  years,  and  at  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-two  David  P.  Attebery  went  to  Kansas. 
where  lie  secured  a  homestead  claim,  upon 
which  lie  lived  for  two  years.  He  afterward 
-prni  one  year  upon  a  farm  in  Grisham  town- 
ship,   Montgomery    county,   and   then,   locating 


in  Litchfield,  became  a  buyer  for  Wilton  & 
Pierce,    stock    dealers,      lie   had    been   in   their 

employ  for  eight  years  when  he  was  admitted 
In  a  partnership  that  continued  for  two  years. 
(In  (he  expiration  of  that  period  Mr.  Attebery 
removed  to  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  re- 
sides, hut  engaged  in  buying  stock  and  grain 
at  Walshville  in  partner-hip  with  A.  I'..  Cope- 
land.  He  afterward  purchased  a  sawmill  in 
Grisham  township,  which  he  operated  for  three 
years,  ami  in  this  way  cleared  up  eight]  acres 
of  heavy  timber,  lie  has  since  engaged  in 
general  farming  and  in  trading  m  -lock,  al- 
though he  has  in  a  measure  extended  his  ef- 
forts to  other  Inn-  of  activity.  In  1903  he 
took  a  contract  to  furnish  rock  lor  thi  hridges 
on  the  railroad  lor  the  cutoff,  lie  hauled  iron 
for  sixteen  miles  of  the  cutoff,  to  he  used  in 
building  culvert.-  for  the  railroad.  Some  of 
these  pipes  weighed  as  much  as  ten  tons,  and 
.Mr.  Attebery  did  the  hauling  with  steam  en- 
gines. He  also  took  the  contract  for  cutting 
out  and  hauling  the  dirt  on  the  regular  Big 
Four  cutoff.  He  now  owns  two  hundred  acres 
of  land  mi  sections  5  and  6,  Grisham  township, 
and  has  his  farm  under  a  high  state  "f  culti- 
vation and  well  supplied  with  modem  equip- 
ments and  accessories  which  facilitate  farm- 
ing. 

Mr.  Attebery  has  been  married  twice,  in 
is-,;  he  wedded  Mi--  Essie  Davenport,  and 
they  had  three  children :  Bessie  E..  Nellie 
Pearl  and  David  E.,  aged  respectively  thir- 
teen, eleven  and  nine  years.  The  mother  died 
at  the  birth  of  her  youngest  child,  and  in  ls;i; 
Mr.  Attebery  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Cora  McAdams,  widow  of 
William  A.  slaughter,  who  by  her  first  mar- 
riage had  one  son.  Yornio  R.,  now  ten  years 
of  age.  By  the  second  marriage  there  are  two 
children:  Willie  otto,  lour  year-  of  age:  and 
( lharles   F...  two  years  old. 

Mr.  Attebery  does  n,,i  affiliate  with  any  po- 
litical party,  hut  votes  to  support  the  meas- 
ures which  he  believes  will  work  the  greatest 
good  for  the  majority,  and  for  the  men  whom 
he  thinks  best  qualified  for  office.  His  energy 
and  unremitting  industry  have  formed  the 
salient  features  of  Ids  life  history  and  have 
proven    the   basis  of   his   success.      IFving   al- 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


48!) 


ways  lived  in  Montgomery  county,  he  is  well 
known  here,  has  many  friends  and  enjoys  the 
confidence  of  the  business  public. 


lolIX  ('.  GEASSEL. 


John  ('.  Grassel,  whose  farm  of  two  hundred 
acres  on  section  32,  Butler  Grove  township,  is 
the  visible  evidence  of  his  life  of  thrifi  and 
industry,  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  Feb- 
ruary L5,  1852.  His  lather,  George  Grassel, 
was  a  native  of  Bavaria,  Germany,  bom  in 
1806.  In  early  life  he  learned  the  trade  of 
blacksmithing,  at  which  he  served  a  four  years' 
apprenticeship.  Thinking  that  better  business 
opportunities  were  afforded  in  America,  he 
crossed  the  Atlantic  tn  the  United  States  in 
ix:!i;  when  luil  thirty-six  years  of  age.  Land- 
ing at  New  York,  lie  afterward  worked  his  way 
in  the  west,  doing  blacksmithing  at  various 
places  along  the  way.  Finally  establishing  his 
his  home  in  Cincinnati.  Ohio,  he  there  con- 
ducted a  blacksmith  shop  for  thirty  years  and 
on  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  removed  to 
Kentucky,  settling  near  Covington,  where  he 
followed  gardening  for  seven  years.  lie  then 
came  in  Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  and  with 
the  proceeds  of  his  labor  in  former  wars  lie 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land 
in  Hillsboro  township,  upon  which  he  lived 
until  1887.  In  that  year  he  took  up  his  abode 
in  the  city  id'  Eillsboro,  where  he  remained  un- 
til his  death,  which  occurred  in  1894.  His  life 
was  crowned  with  a  high  measure  of  prosper- 
ity and  his  success  was  due  entirely  to  his  own 

efforts.     He    ca in    A rica    empty-handed 

save  that  he  had  a  good  knowledge  of  the  trade. 
He  worked  earnestly  and  persistently,  allowing 
nothing  to  interfere  with  his  labor,  and  as  the 
years  advanced  he  accumulated  a  handsome 
competence  which  he  judiciouslv  invested  in 
land  until  hewas  at  one  time  the  owner  of  eleven 
hundred  acres  in  Hillsboro  and  Butler  Grove 
townships.  This  he  afterward  divided  among 
his  children.  He  carried  on  general  farming 
and  stock-raising  and  his  practical  knowledge 
and  untiring  efforts  enabled  him  to  so  conduct 
his  business  affairs  a.-  to  gain  the  besi  possible 
return    for   his    labors.      In    communitv    affairs 


he    was     interested,    taking    an    active     part   in 
many  measures  and  movements  for  the  general 

g I-     He  served  as  a  .-clu.nl  director  and  both 

he  and  his  wife  were  devoted  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church.  Mrs.  Grassel  passed  away 
in  L901  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years.  She  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Catherine  Esperl  and  to 
her  husband  she  was  a  devoted  companion  and 
helpmate  on  the  journey  of  life,  ably  assist- 
ing him  in  his  efforts  to  secure  a  handsome 
competency.  There  was  little  resemblance  be- 
tween hi.-  condition  in  later  rears,  when  sur- 
rounded by  his  own  extensive  fanning  lands, 
and  Ins  financial  condition  when  he  arrived 
in  America  w  ith  only  a  dollar  and  a  half  and 
his  clothes  wrapped  up  in  a  handkerchief.  Un- 
to Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grassel  were  horn  ten  chil- 
dren: Barbara,  the  wife  of  Henry  Swartz; 
George  F.,  a  dry-goods  merchant  of  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio:  Margaret,  the  deceased  wife  of 
Fred  Fellner;  Mary,  tin  wife  of  Albert  Fore- 
man, of  Cincinnati.  Ohio;  Emma,  deceased; 
John  ( '. :  Edward,  who  is  living  in  Butler  Grove 
township;  Henry,  who  conducts  a  creamery  in 
Litchfield;  Carrie,  deceased;  and  Charles,  who 
reside,-  iii  II  illsboro. 

John  C.  Grassel,  of  this  review,  was  but  eight 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the  removal  of  his 
parents  to  Montgomery  county.  He  acquired 
his  education  in  the  common  schools  and  as- 
sisted his  father  in  the  farm  work,  being  early 
taught  the  lessons  of  honesty,  industry  and 
economy.  Two  years  prior  to  his  marriage  he 
located  upon  the  farm  which  he  vet  occupies, 
keeping  bachelor  hall  until  he  procured  a  com- 
panion and  helpmate  on  the  journey  of  life 
by  bis  marriage  in  1879  to  Miss  Mary  Lewej 
Their  home  has  been  blessed  with  five  children: 
Harry,  Albert.  Walter,  Etta  and  Frederick. 

Mr.  Grassel  owns  two  hundred  and  seventy 
acre,-  of  land,  of  which  two  hundred  acres  is 
comprised  within  Hie  home  farm  on  section  32, 
Butler  Grove  township,  where  he  is  engaged  in 
the  tilling  of  the  soil  and  in  the  raising  of 
stock.  Tie  makes  a  specialty  of  shorthorn 
cattle  and  he  is  also  engaged  in  the  dairy  busi- 
ness. His  active  business  career  has  made  bis 
I il'e  a  useful  one  and  be  has  now  a  well  im- 
proved property,  indicating  his  careful  super- 
vision    and     progressive    methods.       His    fellow 


I '.HI 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


townsmen,  recognizing  his  worth,  have  fre- 
quently called  him  to  office.  He  served  for  nine 
years  as  road  commissioner  and  then  after  an 
interval  of  six  years  was  again  elected  to  that 
office,  in  which  he  is  now  serving.  He  has  been 
school  director  at  different  times,  altogether 
covering  a  period  of  about  fifteen  years  and  no 
public  trust  reposed  in  him  has  ever  been  be- 
trayed in  the  slightest  degree.  He  feels  deeply 
interested  in  the  success  of  the  Republican  party 
and  in  the  promotion  of  conimunitv  interests, 
ami  fraternally  In1  is  connected  wit!',  the  Wood- 
men lodge.  Having  long  resided  in  Mont- 
gomery  county,  lie  is  well  known  to  its  citizens 
ami  tho  fact  that  those  who  have  known  him 
Longest  are  numbered  among  his  stanchest 
friends  is  indicative  of  an  honorable  career. 


JAMES  F.  M.   GREENE. 

James  F.  M.  Greene,  who  is  filling  the  posi- 
tion of  postmaster  at  Hillsboro.  takes  an  active 
part  in  community  interests  ami  i^  known  as 
an  advocate  of  progressive  measures  contrib- 
uting to  the  substantial  upbuilding  and  the  in- 
tellectual and  moral  development  of  the  city, 
llr  was  born  in  Circleville,  Ohio,  on  the  12th 
of  September,  1855.  His  father,  Daniel 
Greene,  also  a  native  of  Circleville,  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  at  the  time  of  the 
Civil  war  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Union, 
enlisting  in  his  native  city  in  1SC1  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  C.  Kightv-eighth  Ohio  In- 
fantry. He  was  mustered  out  at  Camp  Chase. 
Columbus,  July  8,  1865,  with  the  rank  of  first 
sergeant.  The  company  was  stationed  at  Camp 
Chase  during  the  war.  Subsequent  to  this  time 
Mr.  Greene  removed  to  Indianapolis.  Indiana, 
where  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  spend- 
ing his  remaining  days  in  that  city.  He  was 
very  prominent  and  influential  in  religious  cir- 
cles as  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  cause 
of  Christianity  were  far-reaching  and  bene- 
ficial, lie  died  in  1891  at  the  age  of  sixty-five 
years.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Ma iv  E.  McCoy,  was  born  in  Circleville,  Ohio, 
in  1832,  was  of  Scotch  lineage  and  died  in 
1888  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  vears.     Her  father, 


.lames  McCoy,  was  a  farmer.  Like  her  hus- 
band. Mrs.  Greene  held  membership  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  her  children, 
eight  in  number,  were  therefore  reared  amid 
the  refining  influences  of  a  good  Christian 
home.  The  family  numbered  three  sons  and 
five  daughters,  namely:  .lames  F. ;  Robert  E., 
who  is  engaged  in  the  poultry  business  in  Car- 
linville.  Illinois;  Martha  J.,  who  is  the  wife  of 
David  G.  Kennedy,  a  clerk  in  Litchfield  : 
Phoebe  Ellen,  deceased  ;  Sarah  E..  who  has  also 
passed  away;  Charles  M.,  who  is  superintendenl 
of  a  coal  mine  at  Atchison:  Carrie  May,  who  is 
a  trained  nurse  at  Hillsboro  and  a  graduate  of 
the  Chicago  School  for  Nurses:  and  Mary 
Olive,  who.  following  the  same  profession,  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Rebecca  Hospital  in  St.  Louis. 
Mr.  Greene  acquired  a  common  school  edu- 
cation and  after  completing  his  own  course 
engaged  in  teaching  in  Montgomery  ami  Ma- 
coupin counties,  following  the  profession  for 
eight  vears,  his  capability  securing  him  good 
positions  in  connection  with  educational  work. 
Subsequently  he  accepted  a  clerkship  in  the 
New  York  store  at  Litchfield,  where  he  re- 
mained for  five  years,  and  in  December.  1894, 
he  was  appointed  deputy  county  clerk  by  Wil- 
liam L.  Seymour,  holding  the  position  for  four 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
entered  the  hardware  store  of  George  W. 
Brown,  with  whom  he  remained  until  1902, 
when  he  was  appointed  postmaster  by  Presi- 
dent Roosevelt  and  is  now  occupying  that  posi- 
tion. J u  business  life  he  was  respected  for  his 
thorough  reliability  as  well  as  capable  service 
and  in  office  he  has  made  a  creditable  record 
as  one  who  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty  is  ever 
prompt  and  faithful.  He  had  come  to  Mont- 
gomery county  with  his  parents  on  the  12th 
of  September.  1865,  the  family  home  being 
located  at  Butler,  where  bis  father  engaged  in 
farming  for  twenty  years  aitd  then  took  up  his 
abode  in  Hillsboro.  Mr.  Greene,  of  this  re- 
view, has  therefore  long  been  a  resident  of  the 
county  and  has  a  wide  acquaintance  here. 

Tn  1897  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
James  F.  M.  Greene  and  Miss  Nellie  L.  Young, 
who  was  born  in  Greenville.  Illinois,  in  1872. 
Her  parents  were  .1.  II.  and  Louisa  (Cooper) 
Y'oung.     Her  mother  died   when   Mrs.   Greene 


J.    h\    M.    GREENE 


LIBRARY 


, 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


493 


was  liiii  three  weeks  nld  and  she  was  reared  by 
tier  grandmother,  Mrs.  Cooper,  the  mother  of 
Judge  Cooper.  Mr.  Young  was  identified  with 
educational  interests,  following  school  teach- 
ing in  his  later  years.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Greene  have  been  born  two  children:  .lames 
Cooper  and   Ruth  ( 'aniline. 

The  parents  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  take  a  very  active  and  help- 
ful pari  in  its  work  and  for  twenty  years  Mr. 
Greene  has  served  as  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday-school  and  is  a  member  of  the  official 
board.  He  is  identified  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  with  White  Cross  Lodge,  No.  66, 
K.  P.,  of  Litchfield.  His  political  allegiance 
is  given  to  the  Republican  part}',  and  in  addi- 
tion le  the  office  of  postmaster  he  served  as 
tax  collector  of  North  Litchfield  township  for 
two  years,  as  city  treasurer  of  Litchfield  for 
two  years  and  as  city  clerk  of  Hillsboro  for 
two  years.  In  office  he  has  given  undivided 
attention  to  the  duties  which  have  devolved 
upon  him  and  has  ever  been  reliable,  prompt 
and  trustworthy.  He  is  a  genial,  courteous 
gentleman,  pleasant  and  entertaining  compan- 
ion, and  has  many  stanch  and  admiring  friends 
among  all  classes.  As  an  energetic  and  consci- 
entious official  and  a  gentleman  of  attractive 
soeial  qualities  he  stands  high  in  the  estimation 
of  the  entire  community. 


WILLIAM   C.  GOODIN. 

William  C.  Goodin,  whose  record  for  fidel- 
ity and  capable  service  as  chief  of  police  of 
Litchfield  is  unsurpassed,  received  substantial 
evidence  of  the  trust  reposed  in  him  when  at 
his  re-election  he  was  given  the  largest  vote 
that  has  ever  been  east  for  any  incumbent  of 
that  office.  He  was  horn  in  Bond  county,  Illi- 
nois. July  3,  1866.  His  father.  Charles  M. 
Goodin,  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  was  of 
Irish  lineage,  his  parents  having  emigrated 
from  Ireland  at  an  early  day  and  established 
their  home  in  Ohio.  Charles  M.  Goodin  re- 
mained in  the  Buckeye  state  until  1857,  when 
lie  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Bond  county 
upon  a   farm  which  he  cultivated  and   improved 


until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war.  He  then 
enlisted  in  the  Third  Illinois  Cavalry  as  a  mem- 
ber of  C pany  D,  being  enrolled  at  Green- 
ville for  three  years'  service.  lie  took  part 
in  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge  and  other  en- 
gagements and  never  faltered  in  his  allegiance 
to  the  nation's  starry  banner  and  the  cause  it 
represented.  When  the  war  was  over  he  be- 
gan taking  contracts  lor  public  work  in  Louis- 
iana and  Mississippi,  building  levees  along  the 
Father  of  Water,  from  St.  Louis  to  Louisiana. 
Later  he  engaged  in  the  dairy  business  at 
Greenville  and  there  his  death  occurred  mi  the 
Fib  oi  March,  1894,  when  he  was  sixty-four 
years  of  age.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Green- 
ville Post,  G.  A.  R.  His  political  allegiance 
was  given  to  the  Democracy  until  the  outbreak 
o|'  lb.'  war.  when,  being  a  great  admirer  of 
John  A.  Logan,  he  voted  with  him  and  became 
a  Republican,  remaining  a  stanch  advocate 
of  tin  principles  of  the  party  until  his  demise. 
His  funeral  was  one  of  the  most  largely  at- 
tended in  Greenville  in  many  years,  a  fait 
which  indicated  his  personal  popularity  and  the 
high  regard  in  which  he  was  uniformly  held. 
lie  was  married  in  early  manhood  to  Miss 
Mary  E.  Gillespie,  who  was  born  in  Bond  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  ami  is  now  living  with  her  son, 
William  ('..  in  Litchfield  at  I  he  age  of  sixty- 
seven  years.  Her  father  was  .lames  E.  Gilles- 
pie, a  farmer  and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Bond  county,  who  served  as  the  first  constable 

there.      Mrs.    (J lin   in  her  younger  days  was 

a  school  teacher  in  Bond  county  and  took  a 
great  interest  in  her  work.  She  has  been  a 
life-long  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  a  most  earnest  and  consistent 
Christian  woman.  By  her  marriage  she  be- 
came the  mother  of  six  children  :  Jeanette, 
John.  Ella  and  Lee.  all  of  whom  have  passed 
away;  William  C. ;  and  Maggie,  the  wife  of 
Jonah   Dodson,  of  Mayfield,  Kentucky. 

William  ('.  Goodin  acquired  his  education 
partly  in  Tennessee  and  partly  in  Greenville, 
Illinois.  After  leaving  school  he  was  employed 
for  two  years  on  a  farm  and  in  1885  he  came 
to  Litchfield,  where  he  learned  the  bla<  ksmith's 
trade  following  that  pursuit  for  -eveiitecn 
years  in  the  employ  of  the  Litchfield  Foundry 
&    Machine    Company.      Tie    afterward    worked 


I'.M 


PAST    .VXD    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


for  a  year  for  the  Conneaul  &  Pittsburg  Dock 
( lompany  at  ( lonneaut,  <  >hio. 

Since  attaining  his  majority  Mi.  Goodin  has 
been  an  advocate  of  Republican  principles, 
stanch  in  his  support  of  the  party  and  its 
platform,  hi  the  spring  of  L903  he  was  elect- 
ed  chief  of  police  of  Litchfield  and  was  re- 
elected  in  the  spring  of  1904.  Me  has  made 
a  clean  record  and  won  a  notable  reputation  for 
fearlessness  and  fidelity.  Because  of  his  capa- 
ble service  lie  is  a  menace  to  all  lawbreakers, 
while  the  law  abiding  community  have  the  ut- 
most confidence  and  trust  in  him. 

On  the  nth  of  January.  1901,  Mr.  Goodin 
was  married  to  Miss  Lottie  E.  Trice,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Evan  and  Ann  Price,  the  former  a 
miner.  Mrs.  Goodin  was  horn  in  England  in 
1SG7.  Mr.  Goodin  holds  membership  with  the 
Catholic  church  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus 
and  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
lie  i-  popular  in  Litchfield  among  all  classes 
and  has  a  large  circle  of  friends  who  esteem 
him  highly. 


WILLIAM  F.  RAINEY. 

William  Franklin  Rainey,  who  for  many 
years  was  identified  with  agricultural  interests 
in  Montgomery  county  ami  has  long  been  very 
active  in  church  work,  is  now  living  in  Litch- 
field, lie  was  horn  in  Clinton  county.  Illinois, 
December  9,  1836.  His  father,  William  W. 
Rainey.  was  born  in  South  Carolina,  October  5. 
1805,  and  when  twelve  years  of  age  accom- 
panied his  father  mi  the  removal  to  Tennessee, 
the  family  home  being  established  near  Nash- 
ville. When  twenty-two  years  of  age  William 
W.  Rainey  was  married  to  Miss  Cynthia  Hicks, 
of  middle  Tennessee,  and  soon  afterward  they 
removed  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Clinton  county 
seven  miles  northwest  of  Carlisle,  the  county 
seat.  Ten  children,  five  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters, were  horn  unto  them.  The  father  was  a 
successful  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  keeping  and 
dealing  in  high  grade  stock,  lie  ami  his  wife 
were  charter  members  of  one  of  the  first  Bap- 
tist churches  of  Illinois.  Air.  Rainey  serving 
as   one  of  its   deacons.     The    maternal   erand- 


father  of  William  F.  Rainey  was  a  resident  of 

South  Carolina,  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
war  until  its  close  and  died  at  an  advanced 
age  in  middle  Tennessee  in  the  faith  of  the 
Baptist  church. 

William  F.  Rainey  was  reared  to  farm  life 
and  in  his  youth  enjoyed  hunting  deer  and 
turkey,  which  were  numerous  in  the  locality 
in  which  he  resided.  In  early  manhood  he 
was  given  a  farm  upon  which  he  resided  until 
the  period  of  the  Civil  war.  when  he  sold  that 
property  and  removed  to  Jefferson  county. 
There  he  again  engaged  in  farming  and  stock- 
raising  remaining  there  three  years.  lie  then 
disposed  of  that  farm  and  purchased  his  old 
home  in  Clinton  county.  Illinois.  When  about 
thirty-two  years  of  age  he  came  to  Montgomery 
county  and  for  a  time  worked  at  his  trade  of 
carpentering  and  building  in  Litchfield.  He 
then  bought  land  northwest  of  Raymond.  Illi- 
nois, but  sold  that  property  after  two  years 
and  removed  to  Shaws  Point,  Macoupin  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  rented  a  farm  for  a  time. 
He  then  bought  land  on  Shoal  creek  ten  miles 
southeast  id'  Litchfield,  upon  which  he  remained 
for  ten  years  and  on  the  expiration  of  that 
decade  lie  sold  his  farm  and  has  since  been  a 
resident  of  Litchfield. 

On  the  24th  of  December.  1859,  Mr.  Rainey 
married  Miss  Liny  T.  Thompson,  a  daughter 
of  Archibald  W.  and  Mary  Thompson,  formerly 
of  Virginia.  Her  father  enlisted  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  vears  and  served  through  the  war  oi 
1812.  He  was  with  General  Jackson  at  New 
Orleans,  assisted  in  building  the  breastworks 
there  of  cotton  bales  and  sand  from  which  he 
said  the  enemy's  cannon  balls  would  hound  hack 
toward  them.  He  was  there  when  the  English 
commander  sent  a  note  to  Jackson  that  he 
"would  breakfast  in  New  Orleans  or  hell  the 
next  morning."  Jackson  replied,  "Tell  your 
general  he  will  breakfast  in  hell  then."  Air. 
Thompson  removed  from  tin'  south  to  Illinois. 
His  first  wife,  a  Miss  James  of  Virginia,  was 
the  daughter  of  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  His 
second  wife  was  a  "Miss  Bennett,  the  mother 
of  Mrs.  Rainey.  By  his  two  marriages  Mr. 
Thompson  had  twenty-two  children.  He  was 
never  ill  a  day  in  his  life  and  he  reached  the 
advanced    age    of   eighty-eight    vears.     Pairing 


".RY 
UNIVE: 


Ml?.   AND   MRS.    W.    F.   RAINEY 


ME.    AND    MRS.    G.    W.    1JAINEY 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


499 


the  greater  part  of  his  life  he  was  a  faithful 
Baptist. 

By  his  first  wife  Mr.  Rainey  had  twelve  chil- 
dren, seven  sons  and  five  daughters.  The  moth- 
er was  a  devoted  Christian  woman,  belonging 
to  the  Baptist  church.  After  her  death  Mr. 
Rainey  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Israel  and 
Jane  (Corlew)  Fogleman,  and  they  had  five 
daughters  and  two  sons. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rainey  are  members  of 
the  Baptist  church,  he  having  been  actively 
identified  with  the  church  for  forty-eighl  years. 
and  during  thirty  years  of  that  time  in  the 
ministry,  doing  missionary  work,  according  to 
the  teachings  of  John  the  Baptist.  lie  was 
reared  in  the  Democratic  faith  and  for  some 
time  supported  that  party,  but  during  the  past 
twelve  years  has  voted  with  the  Prohibition 
part}  because  of  its  stanch  opposition  to  the 
liquor  traffic.  For  a  time  he  belonged  to  the 
American  Protective  Association  and  is  still 
strong  in  that  belief.  While  on  the  farm  he 
was  a  member  id'  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Benefit 
Association  and  was  chaplain  of  his  township 
and  county  lodges.  Ili^  has  been  an  honorable 
and  useful  career  and  he  to-day  commands  the 
respect  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  asso- 
ciated. 


GEORGE  W.   RAINEY. 

George  W.  Rainey,  whose  business  interests, 
carefully  conducted,  have  made  him  one  of  the 
prosperous  citizens  of  Hillsboro  township,  is 
now  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising,  also  following  horticultural  pursuits 
and  the  raising  of  sugar  cane  and  the  man- 
ufacture of  syrup.  A  native  of  Illinois,  he 
possesses  the  enterprising  spirit  so  character- 
istic of  the  middle  west.  He  was  born  in 
Clinton  county,  near  Carlisle,  November  8, 
1861,  and  is  a  son  of  William  F.  Rainey,  who 
is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

In  the  common  schools  George  W.  Rainey 
acquired  his  education  and  when  his  time  was 
no1  occupied  with  the  duties  of  the  schoolroom 
and  the  pleasures  of  the  playground,  he  as- 
sisted in  the  labors  of  the  fields  on  the  old 
home    place.     When    twenty-one   years   of   age 


he  began  working  by  the  month  as  a  farm 
hand,  and  when  two  years  hail  thus  passed  he 
purchased  teams  with  the  money  he  had  saved 
from  his  earnings  and  began  Earming  on  his 
own  account  on  rented  land  in  Macoupin 
county.  At  the  end  of  a  year  he  rented  his 
father's  farm  in  Hillsboro  township  for  a  year, 
and  afterward  operated  a  rented  farm  in  But- 
ler township  fur  a  year.  The  year  following 
his  marriage  he  moved  to  a  rented  farm  in 
Hillsboro  township,  where  he  lived  for  two 
years,  when  he  bought  eight}  acres  of  land  in 
Macoupin  county,  devoting  his  time  and  cn- 
ergies  to  Us  cultivation  ami  improvement  for 
five  years,  when  he  sold  that  property  at  a 
good  profit  ami  purchased  land  in  East  Fork 
township,  Montgomery  county,  which  he  after- 
wards disposed  of  at  a  profit,  investing  the 
amount  in  a  fine  ranch  of  four  hundred  and 
eighty  aires  in  Butler  county,  Kansas.  He 
never  lived  on  either  place,  however,  and  soon 
afterward  removed  to  his  present  home  on 
section  17,  Hillsboro  township,  where  he  now 
has  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  rich  and 
arable  land.  This  is  the  old  Attebery  home- 
stead, known  as  the  Wild  Wood  farm,  where 
the  Fanners  Mutual  Benefit  Association  has 
held  annual  picnics  for  the  past  seven  years. 
Mrs.  Rainey  was  only  two  years  old  when  her 
parents  located  there.  The  place  is  pleasantly 
located  five  miles  from  the  city  of  Hillsboro. 
and  here  Mr.  Rainey  follows  general  farming 
and  stock  raising.  He  also  lias  about  fifty 
acres  in  orchard-,  of  early  and  late  planting, 
and  for  about  fourteen  years  has  engaged  in 
the  raising  id'  fruit,  principally  apples  of  the 
winter  varieties.  He  also  has  from  thirty  to 
fifty  acres  planted  to  sugar  cane,  from  which 
he  makes  sorghum  molasses,  using  a  steam 
process  in  converting  this  into  syrup.  This 
was  the  first  mill  of  the  kind  in  the  county  and 
has  a  capacity  of  three  hundred  gallons  per 
day  or  thirty  gallons  per  hour.  The  product 
of  Mr.  Rainey's  sugar  cane  fields  and  orchards 
add  materially  to  his  income,  and  as  a  general 
farmer  and  stock-raiser  he  i-  also  meeting  with 
success. 

(in  the  l-.'th  of  April.  1888,  Mr.  Rainey  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  M.  Attebery. 
who  was  born  in  flu-  county,   April   10.   1866, 


.-,1)11 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  namely:  William  Walter,  born  in 
Butler  Grove  township,  February  7,  1889; 
Elmer  Edwin,  burn  in  Honey  Point  township, 
Macoupin  county.  June  22,  189]  ;  George  Leo, 
born  in  the  same  township,  September  1,  1893; 
Marshall  Truman,  also  bom  in  Macoupin 
county,  October  29,  1895;  Cleda  May,  who  was 
born  in  Montgomery  county,  December  11, 
L897,  ami  died  December  34.  1897;  Charles  P., 
burn  in  Montgomery  county.  September  11, 
1900;  and  Mabel  Marie,  bom  in  this  county, 
January  12,  1903.  The  family  is  well  known 
in  the  county  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rainey  have 
many  friends  who  esteem  them  highly.  The 
wife  and  mother  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  at  Woodboro,  Illinois,  which 
she  joined  March  I,  1877,  at  eleven  years  of 
age. 

Mr.  Rainey  is  connected  with  the  Mutual 
Protective  League  and  also  with  Enterprise 
Lodge,  No.  2,031,  P.  M,  R.  A.,  since  the  year 
1890.  and  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political  affilia- 
tions, lie  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Peoples  Mutual  Telephone  Company,  was  its 
first  secretary  and  is  now  one  of  its  directors 
and  treasurer.  There  are  now  over  one  thous- 
and members  and  the  line  has  been  of  the  ut- 
most benefit,  to  the  county,  connecting  its  rural 
population  with  the  cities.  Mr.  Rainey  is 
always  quick  to  adopt  progressive  ideas  of  a 
practical  nature,  and  he  endorses  all  measures 

for  the  public  g 1.  giving  his  active  support 

to  many  movements  which  have  for  their  ob- 
ject the  general  welfare. 


REV.    PATRICK    P.    CARROLL. 

Rev.    Patrick     F.    Carroll,     of     St.    Mary's 
Catholic   church    at   Litchfield,   was    born    in 

J: sville,  Wisconsin,  September  10,  1856.  1 1 1- 

father,  William  Carroll,  was  born  in  Ireland 
and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1845,  locating 
a1  Janesville,  Wisconsin,  where  he  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming.  He  married  Alice  Cas- 
siday,  also  a  native  of  Ireland.  She  came  to 
the  United  States  in  L853.  Both  were  members 
of  the  Catholic  church.  The  father  died  De- 
cember 26,  1876,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  vears, 


while  the  mother  passed  away  April  9,  1890, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years.  They  were 
the  parents  of  six  children,  of  whom  five  are 
now  living. 

Father  Carroll  acquired  bis  early  education 
m  the  public  schools  of  Janesville.  and  in  Sep- 
tember, 1862,  entered  St.  Francis  Seminary 
at  Milwaukee,  where  he  was  graduated  in  June, 
1881.  On  the  29th  of  .June  of  the  same  year 
he  was  ordained  by  Bishop  Baltes  and  for  a 
short  time  was  stationed  at  the  cathedral  at 
Alton.  Illinois,  lie  afterward  spent  a  brief  pe- 
riod at  Paris,  Illinois,  and  on  the  1st  of  August, 
188"?.  be  was  appointed  in  charge  of  St.  Mary's 
parish  at  Litchfield,  where  he  has  since  re- 
mained. 

This  charge  was  established  about  L859. 
Previous  to  the  organization  of  the  church  the 

spiritual   wants   of  the  people   bad    I n   cared 

for  by  visiting  priests.  The  regular  priests 
have  been  successively  Fathers  Colton,  Gonant, 
Vogt,  Moczygemba,  Meckel,  Cluse  and  Weis, 
the  last  named  remaining  in  charge  until  the 
appointment  of  the  present  pastor.  Father  Car- 
roll. The  first  services  were  held  in  the  houses 
of  the  members  and  afterward  in  the  city  hall. 
In  1860  a  brick  church  was  built  on  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  block  in  which  stands  the 
present,  house  of  worship.  It  was  sixty-five  by 
thirty  feet  and  served  until  1884,  when  the 
foundation  of  the  new  church  was  laid.  Two 
years  later  building  operations  were  begun, 
and  on  Christmas  day  of  the  same  year  the 
first  services  were  held  in  the  new  church.  The 
structure  is  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  by 
fifty-six  feet  and  is  built  of  brick  ami  stone. 
in  Gothic  style  of  architecture,  with  the  cen- 
ter nave  fifty  feet  in  height.  It  was  erected 
at  a  cost  id'  twenty-six  thousand  dollars,  and  in 
1903  the  congregation  spent  about  ten  thou- 
sand dollars  in  completing  and  decorating  the 
church.  Tbe  decorating  was  done  by  Leber 
Brothers,  of  Louisville.  Kentucky,  and  the 
work  is  on  a  par  with  that  of  am  church  in  the 
county,  having  cost  sixteen  hundred  dollars. 
The  high  altar  was  the  gift  of  C.  R.  Mundy. 
of  Litchfield,  and  is  of  pure  Gothic  design, 
richly  decorated  in  white  and  burnished  gold 
and  onyx.  It  is  illuminated  by  four  hundred 
and    twenty-six    electric    lights    and    cost   eigh- 


PAST    AND    PKESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


501 


teen  hundred  dollars.  The  altar  of  the  virgin 
was  the  gift  of  the  Sodality  and  the  St.  Jo- 
seph's altar  was  a  memorial  erected  in  memo- 
ry of  Simon  and  Margarei  Kniery.  The  Holy 
Family  group  was  donated  by  the  family  of 
John  and  Margaret  Doran;  St.  Anthony's  altar 
is  tin'  gift  of  Mrs.  1).  Wiegreffe;  the  Sacred 
Heart  statue  was  given  by  Mrs.  M.  Nolan;  St. 
Ann's  statue  by  Mr*.  C.  B.  Mundy.  The  in- 
terior of  the  church  is  most  beautiful,  and  in 
fact  is  one  of  the  finest  in  Illinois.  The  par- 
sonage is  a  commodious  brick  structure,  which 
was  erected  in  1890  at  a  cost  of  five  thousand 
dollars.  In  1870  St.  Mary's  parochial  school 
was  established  ami  a  sehoolhouse  built.  The 
teachers  at  that  time  were  the  Ursuline  Sisters 
of  Alton,  and  they  remained  in  charge  until 
June,  1890.  In  September  of  that  year  the 
Dominican  Sisters  of  Springfield  took  charge 
anil  have  since  conducted  the  school,  which  is 
an  efficient  one.  doing  the  various  work  of 
the  grade  and  high  schools.  There  are  now 
one  hundred  and  twenty-live  pupils.  St.  Fran- 
cis Hospital  was  established  in  1875  and  is 
conducted  by  the  Sisters  of  S't.  Francis  of 
Springfield.  The  church  has  a  membership 
nf  mic  hundred  ami  fifty  families,  and  its  va- 
rious societies  and  departments  of  church 
work  are  in  a  thriving  condition.  The  choir 
of  this  church  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being 
among  the  best  in  the  diocese,  rendering  masses 
of  the  best  authors,  as  well  as  the  Gregorian 
plain  chant. 


WILLIAM  A.  GRAY 


William  A.  Gray,  identified  with  farming  in- 
terests in  Montgomery  county,  is  filling  the  po- 
sition of  county  coroner  ami  makes  his  home 
in  Butler  Grove  township,  lie  was  born  on 
the  :;,|  of  April,  1855,  on  the  old  family  home- 
stead in  that  township,  his  parents  being  Alex- 
ander ami  Amanda  (Choate)  Gray,  the  former 
born  in  Virginia  and  the  latter  in  Kentucky. 
The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  thus 
providing  for  his  family  through  the  years  of 
an  active  business  career.  There  were,  however, 
smiie  chapters  in  his  life  history  which  were 
mere  eventful  than  the  period  covered  h\    ag- 


ricultural  pursuits.      He   served    in   the    Black 

Hawk  war.  and  after  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
California  he  made  an  overland  trip  to  the 
Pacific  cast  in  the  early  '50s.  Eventually, 
however,  he  located  in  Montgomery  county, 
Illinois.  In  Kentucky  he  had  married  Miss 
Amanda  Choate,  ami  they  became  the  parents 
uf  seven  children,  of  whom  time  are  now  liv- 
ing: William  A.,  of  this  review.  Dr.  II.  H. 
Gray,  a  physician  of  Keokuk.  Iowa:  ami  Susan 
L.,  wife  of   Dr.    M.   L.   Mover,  of    llillsln.ro. 

Mr.  Gray  of  this  review  was  reared  to  farm 
life,  pursuing  his  education  in  the  district 
schools  and  has  always  followed  the  occupation 
of  farming,  lie  now  resides  about  one  mile 
west  of  Butler,  on  a  farm  comprising  seventy- 
seven  acres,  and  devotes  Ins  energies  to  general 
agricultural  pursuits,  lie  has  placed  his  land 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  ami  the  well- 
tilled  fields  return  to  him  good  harvests,  while 
upon  the  market  his  crops  find  a  ready  sale. 

Mr.  Cray  has  been  married  twice.  In  1875 
he  wedded  Miss  Maggie  Aten,  a  daughter  of 
Jacob  C.  Aten,  a  resident  farmer  of  Montgom- 
ery county.  They  became  tin'  parents  of  five 
children:  Clara,  who  is  the  wife  of  Harry 
Brookman  and  resides  in  Butler;  George  A., 
who  married  Emma  Cockelnace  ami  lives  in 
Litchfield;  Myrtle,  at  home:  Albert  ('..  who 
is  attending  medical  college  in  Keokuk.  Iowa, 
and  resides  with  his  uncle:  anil  Essie,  at  home. 
It  was  in  IS'.):;  that  Mr.  Gray  was  called  upon 
to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  first  wife.  He  after- 
ward married  olive  J.  Chaney,  of  Litchfield, 
a  daughter  of  Mrs.  Jane  Chaney,  of  thai  city. 
Her  father  had  died  during  her  early  girlhood. 
The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Gray  was  cele- 
brated in  1897,  and  he  and  his  wife  now  have 
a  pleasant  home  near  Butler  and  enjoy  the 
warm  regard  of  many  friends. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Gray  is  a 
stanch  Democrat  and  has  been  prominent  in 
local    political    circles.      In    1900   be   «;h   elected 

coroner  of  Montgomery  county  for  a  term  of 
four  years,  and  mi  the  expiration  of  that  pe- 
riod he  was  renominated  in  1904.  He  has  also 
keen  assessor  of  Butler  Crow  township  for 
two  terms,  and  his  public  duties  have  been  dis- 
charged with  a  fidelity  and  ability  that  are 
above   question.      Fraternally   he    is   connected 


502 


PAST    A\H    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


wiili   the    Modem    Woodmen   of   America,  and 

his  religious  faith   is  indicated  by  his  member- 
ship in  the  Methodist  church. 


JOHN    GOSHEN*    WILSON. 

More  than  half  a  century  lias  passed  since 
John  Goshen  Wilson  came  to  Montgomery 
county,  for  he  dales  his  residence  here  from 
the  spring  of  1853.  For  many  years  he  car- 
ried on  agricultural  pursuits,  while  the  county 
advanced  in  progress  and  upbuilding,  and 
while  carefully  managing'  his  individual  in- 
terests, he  has  always  manifested  a  public-spir- 
ited interest  in  what  has  been  accomplished  in 
the  county,  as  conditions  of  frontier  life  have 
been  replaced  by  (hose  of  the  most  modern 
ci\  ilization. 

Mr.  Wilson  lias  now  passed  the  seventy-sev- 
enth milestone  on  life's  journey.  He  was  horn 
in  North  Carolina.  March  ".'.  1827,  a  son  of 
William  and  Elizabeth  (Keller)  Wilson,  the 
former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  lat- 
ter of  North  Carolina.  His  youth  was  passed 
in  Jersey  county.  Illinois,  and  in  April,  1851, 
he  was  married  in  thai  county  to  Miss  Mary 
Jane  Mclntyre.  Turning  his  attention  to 
tanning,  he  entered  land  from  the  government, 
securing  two  hundred  acres  in  Walshville 
township,  Montgomery  county.  Illinois.  This 
was  still  in  its  primitive  condition,  but  he  soon 
transformed  the  raw  trait  into  productive  fields 
which  he  placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. This  he  eventually  sold  and  then  bought 
one  hundred  and  fifty-three  acres  in  the  same 
township,  also  placing  this  under  cultivation. 
When  he  had  disposed  of  that  propert}  he 
bought  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  North 
Litchfield  township  and  his  next  purchase  cov- 
ered one  hundred  and  ten  acres  adjoining 
Litchfield.  The  sale  of  that  farm  was  followed 
by  the  purchase  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  in  Hillsboro  township  and  in  L898  he 
took  up  his  abode  in  the  city  of  Hillsboro,  where 
he  has  since  made  his  home. 

Mr.  Wilson,  by  his  first  marriage,  had  thir- 
teen children:  Silas  Riley.  George  Luther; 
Ellen  E. ;  Jennie  A.;  Alice:  William  Douglas; 
dames   Commodore;    Martha   L :  John   G.,   de- 


ceased; Charles,  who  has  also  passed  away; 
Emma  and  Edward,  twins,  both  deceased;  and 
Cora,  deceased.  The  mother  died  in  1876  and 
Mr.  Wilson  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Alice  Kelso,  who  died  six 
week-  later.  His  present  wife  was  formerly 
Mrs.  Chloe  Fellers,  widow  of  Dr.  Feller-,  of 
Nokomis.  Her  maiden  name  was  Hill.  By 
their  marriage  there  is  a  daughter.  Vesta 
Mabel. 

Mr.  Wilson  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  has 
voted  with  that  party  since  age  gave  to  him 
the  right  of  franchise,  lie  served  as  assistant 
supervisor,  hut  has  never  been  a  politician  in 
the  sense  of  otlice  seeking.  He  has  long  been 
a  resident  of  Montgomery  county,  has  been  an 
active  factor  in  its  agricultural  development, 
and  is  one  of  the  valued  citizens,  well  deserving 
rd'  mention  among  the  representative  men  of 
this   part  of  the  state. 


STEPHEN  DAVID  CANADAY. 

Stephen  David  Canaday,  whose  business 
activity  and  success  classes  him  with  the  repre- 
sentative citizens  of  Montgomery  county,  is 
an  abstractor  and  real  estate  and  loan  agent. 
Hillsboro  claims  him  as  one  of  its  progres  ive 
and  influential  citizens  and  he  is  numbered 
among  the  native  sons  of  the  county,  his  birth 
having  occurred  four  miles  east  of  Litchfield, 
on  the  3d  of  March,  1865.  His  father.  Caleb 
Warren  Canaday,  was  born  in  Casey  county, 
Kentucky.  January  5,  1833,  and  in  1835  was 
brought  to  Montgomery  county  by  bis  parents, 
John  and  1'ina  M.  (Sapp)  Canaday.  also  of 
( 'a-e\  county.  Kentucky.  The  mother  was  a 
sister  of  Warren  Sapp.  who  with  Ahart  Tierce 
entered  from  the  government  the  land  upon 
which  the  city  of  Litchfield  is  built.  The 
grandfather  secured  a  tract  of  two  hundred 
and  eighty  acres,  lying  in  North  Litchfield  and 
Butler  drove  townships,  and  this  tract  lie  de- 
veloped into  a  well  improved  and  highly  culti- 
vated   farm. 

Caleb  W.  Canaday  was  reared  on  the  old 
family  homestead  and  was  early  inured  to  the 
arduous  labor  of  developing  a  farm  in  the 
midst  of  a  sparsely  settled  district  offering  few 


LfBRARY 
UNI 


JOHN    G.    WILSON 


C.    W.    CANADAY 


MES.    C.    W.    CANADAY 


S.    D.    CAN  A  DAY    AND    FAMILY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OE    MoXTCOMLl.'Y    COl'XTY 


:,n; 


advantages  to  its  people.  The  occupation  which 
claimed  bis  attention  in  early  youth  he  also 
made  his  Life  work  and  became  the  ow  iier  of  one 
hundred  acres  of  land  in  North  Litchfield  and 
Butler  Grove  townships.  He  married  Martha 
L.  II.  Starr,  a  daughter  of  David  B.  Starr.  She 
was  born  three  miles  west  of  Hillsboro  on  i lie 
27th  of  March,  1842,  and  is  of  German  and 
French  lineage,  while  her  husband  was  of 
Scotch-Irish  descent.  Her  grandfather,  James 
Street,  was  a  Baptist  minister,  who  preached 
the  first  sermon  ever  delivered  in  Montgomery 
county,  this  event  taking  place  soon  after  the 
organization  of  the  county.  He  also  married 
the  couple  that  obtained  the  first  marriage 
License  issued  in  this  county  and  he  was  actively 
identified  with  the  moral  development  and  with 
the  growth  of  religious  sentiment  in  this  part 
of  the  county.  Caleb  W.  Canaday  gave  his 
political  allegiance  to  the  Democracy,  but  he 
sough!  no  official  positions,  preferring  to  de- 
vote his  undivided  attention  to  his  business 
affairs.  He  remained  a  resident  of  Mont- 
gomery county  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
October  '.'•">.  I'.Hil.  when  he  was  sixty-eight  years 
of  age.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  yet 
resides  on  the  old  homestead.  They  were  the 
parents  of  eleven  children :  James  M.,  who 
died  October  25,  1880,  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years;  Stephen  D. :  John  Sidney,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  butchering  business  in  Litchfield; 
E.  Franklin,  a  dealer  in  live  stock  and  hay  at 
Coffeen;  Julia  Alice,  the  wife  of  Dayton  D. 
Garver,  a  farmer  residing  at  Republican,  Ne- 
braska: William  L.,  who  makes  his  home  m  a 
farm  at  Butler,  Illinois;  Lewis  W., who  is  liv- 
ing on  the  old  homstead :  Robert  N.,  a  prac- 
ticing physician  at  Butler;  Otic,  who  died  in 
infancy:  Harriet  C.,  who  is  living  on  the  old 
homestead  farm  ;  and  Martha  J.,  the  wife  of 
John  Nail,  a  farmer  living  six  miles  northwest 
of  Litchfield.  All  are  married  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Hattie. 

Stephen  D.  Canaday  acquired  his  education 
in  the  country  school  and  the  public  schools  of 
Butler  and  Litchfield  and  was  graduated  from 
the  Litchfield  high  school  with  the  class  of 
1886.  He  afterward  obtained  a  position  in  (lie 
Litchfield  Planet  Mill  as  shipping  clerk,  con- 
tinuing there  until   December  24.  1887.     Two 


days  later  be  came  to  Hillsboro  and  accepted 
the  position  of  deputy  county  clerk  under 
Brewer  A.  Hendricks,  continuing  in  that  of- 
fice until  May.  1892,  when,  accompanied  by  his 
wife,  be  went  t<>  Portland,  Oregon.  Not  liking 
that  country,  however,  he  returned  in  a  short 
time  and  again  entered  the  office  of  the  countv 
clerk,  where  be  remained  for  several  months, 
when  he  opened  a  real  estate,  abstract  and  loan 

office    111   the  office  with   Judge  Jess.'  J.    Phillips. 

This  was  in  1893  and  he  has  since  conducted 
the  business  with  very  gratifying  success,  hav- 
ing gained  a  large  clientage.  II.'  was  also  one 
of  the  organizers  of  the  People's  Mutual  Tele- 
phone Company,  of  which  he  was  at  one  tine 
the  treasurer  and  a  director. 

On  the  27th  of  July.  1890.  Mr.  ('ami. lav  was 
married  to  Miss  Mattie  I.  Wilson,  a  daughter 
of  John  G.  and  Jane  (Mclntyre)  Wilson.  Hot- 
father  was  a  farmer  win.  removed  from  North 
Carolina  to  this  state  in  1830  and  settled  in 
G tie  county,  while  in  1853  be  came  to  Mont- 
gomery county,  lie  makes  his  home  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  ('ana. lay.  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven 
years,  and  is  >till  a  hale  and  hearty  man.  He 
followed  farming  in  this  county  for  a  number 
of  years  and  at  one  time  owned  two  hundred 
and  forty  acre-  north  of  Litchfield.  His  wife 
was  of  Irish  lineage.  Mrs.  Canaday  was  horn 
near  Litchfield,  December  6.  L868,  ami  1>\  her 
marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  four  chil- 
dren, but  Amos  and  Wayne  are  now  deceased. 
Those  still  living  are  Warren  and   Raymond. 

Mr.  Canaday  was  one  of  the  charter  members 
and  organizers  of  the  Mutual  Protection 
League  of  Litchfield,  acted  as  supreme  director 
of  the  league  for  four  and  a  half  years  and  was 
supreme  treasurer  for  a  year  and  a  half.  He 
also  belongs  to  the  Court  of  Honor.  His 
political  allegiance  i>  given  the  Democracy  and 
he  served  twice  as  clerk  of  his  township.  Tn 
1894  he  was  candidate  for  count}  treasurer  on 
the  Democratic  ticket,  but  thai  was  the  year 
of  the  Republican  landslide  and  not  a  Democrat 
was  elected  in  Montgomery  county  on  the  en- 
tire ticket.  lie  was  elected,  however,  to  repre- 
sent the  thirty-eighth  district  of  Illinois  in  the 
slate  legislature,  November  S.  1904.  His  ad- 
vancement in  the  business  world  is  due  entirely 
to   the    careful    husbanding    of    his    resources. 


508 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


keen  discrimination  and  executive  force.  He 
has  won  success  in  this  way  and  is  to-day  num- 
bered among  the  leading,  influential  and  hon- 
ored citizens  of  Hillsboro.  The  greater  part 
of  his  life  has  been  passed  within  the  borders 
of  this  county  and  many  of  his  stanchest 
friends  are  those  who  have  known  him  from 
bovhood. 


JOSEPH  McLEAN    BAKER. 

The  true  measure  of  success   is  determined 

by  what  one  has  accomplished,  and,  as  taken 
in  contradistinction  to  the  old  adage  that  a 
prophet  is  not  without  honor  save  in  his  own 
country,  there  is  particular  interest  attach- 
ing to  the  career  of  the  subject  of  (his  review. 
since  he  is  a.  native  son  of  the  place  where  he 
has  passed  his  active  lite  and  so  directed  his 
ability  and  efforts  as  to  gain  recognition  as  one 
of  tin'  representative  citizens  of  Montgomery 
county.  lie  is  actively  connected  with  a  pro- 
fession which  has  important  bearing  upon  the 
progress  and  stable  prosperity  of  any  section 
or  community,  and  one  which  has  long  been 
considered  as  conserving  the  public  welfare 
by  furthering  the  ends  of  justice  and  maintain- 
ing individual  rights. 

Mr.  Baker,  a  native  son  of  Montgomery 
county,  was  born  in  Grisham  township  on  the 
5th  of  October,  1 860.  His  paternal  grandfather 
was  William  I).  Baker,  a  native  of  North 
Carolina  and  later  a  resident  of  Macon 
county.  Illinois.  His  father,  Rev.  William  P. 
Baker,  was  horn  in  Macon  county.  Illinois,  near 
Decatur,  and  is  now  Living  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
eight  years.  After  his  marriage  hi'  lived  at 
Mirious  places  and  engaged  in  preaching  the 
gospel  as  a  minister  of  the  Cumberland  Pres- 
byterian church.  At  one  time  he  had  charge 
in  Alton  and  is  now  pastor  at  Witt.     He  came 

to  Montgomery  county  to  make  his  hi i  about 

L878  and  is  now  living  in  Hillsboro.  His  in- 
terest in  the  church  and  its  upbuilding,  how- 
ever, has  never  abated,  ami  he  is  the  staled 
clerk  of  the  Vandalia  Presbytery,  lie  owns  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  ami  seventy  acres  in 
Grisham  township,  and  to  the  improvement  and 
cultivation  of  the  land  he  gave  his  supervision, 


luit  now  rents  the  property.  In  matter-  of  citi- 
zenship lie  is  public-spirited  and  progressive, 
and  believing  that  the  Republican  party  eon- 
tains  the  best  elements  id'  good  government  he 
gives  to  it  an  earnest  and  unfaltering  alle- 
giance. He  first  married  Mis-  .lane  McLean, 
who  was  born  in  Grisham  township.  Montgom- 
ery county,  and  for  his  second  wife  married 
Margaret  McLean,  who  is  now  sixty-seven  years 
of  age.  Her  father  was  Joseph  McLean,  who 
removed  from  North  Carolina  to  Montgomery 
county  at  a  very  early  period  iu  the  settlement 
and  development  of  this  portion  of  the  state. 
Rev.  William  P.  Baker  was  twice  married  and 
by  his  first  wife.  Mrs.  Mary  Baker,  had  two 
children:  William  C,  now  deceased;  and  Ora 
I).,  the  wii'e  of  George  Donnell,  who  is  living 
in  Snohomish.  Washington.  The  two  chil- 
dren id'  the  second  marriage  are  Joseph  Mc- 
Lean and  Mary  J.,  the  latter  at  home.  William 
E.  Baker,  a  nephew  id'  mir  subject,  was  a  mem- 
ber of  General  Funston's  celebrated  Twentieth 
Kansas  Regimen!  and  was  with  that  command 
in  the  Philippines,  where  he  was  detailed  most 
of  the  time  to  ad  as  a  clerk  at  the  regimental 
headquarters. 

Mr.  Baker  is  a  graduate  of  the  Hillsboro 
high  school  and  for  three  year-  after  his  gradu- 
ation he  wa-  successfully  engaged  in  teach- 
ing, hut,  determining  to  enter  other  profes- 
sional lines  of  labor,  he  became  a  student  in 
the  law  office  of  .lame-  M.  Truitt,  of  Hillsboro, 
in  1886.  He  read  law  through  the  summer 
months  and  in  the  winter  season-  engaged  in 
teaching  school  until  his  study  had  prepared 
him  for  admission  to  the  bar.  and  he  success- 
fully passed  an  examination  in  the  fall  of 
1889.  He  then  entered  upon  the  practice  of 
In-  profession  in  the  same  office  that  he  now 
occupies,  and  success  has  continuously  attended 
his  efforts.  An  earnest  manner,  marked 
strength  of  character,  a  thorough  grasp  of  the 
law  and  the  ability  to  accurately  apply  its 
principles  have  made  him  an  effective  and  sttc- 
cessful  advocate,  and  he  has  been  connected 
with  much  of  the  most  important  litigation 
tried  in  the  courts  of  his  county  for  eighteen 
vears.  He  served  as  city  attorney  of  Hillsboro 
I'm-  three  terms,  being  first  elected  in  189.3  and 
re-elected  in  1895.     Tn  1899  he  was  appointed 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


509 


to  fill  a  vacancy,  for  his  previous  public  service 
had  wel]  evidenced  his  ability  to  Faithfully  and 
promptly  discharge  the  duties  of  the  office.  He 
was  a  delegate  to  the  state  Republican  conven- 
tion in  1900  and  is  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the 
party,  doing  everything  in  his  power  to  pro- 
Diote  it-  growth  and  insure  its  success.  At 
present  he  is  ehairnian  of  the  county  Repub- 
lican committee. 

Aside  from  his  legal  interests  Mr.  Baker  has 
business  affairs  of  importance.  He  is  the  vice- 
president  of  the  Hillsboro  Building  &  Im- 
provement Association  and  is  a  stockholder  in 
the  Hillsboro  Hotel  Company.  He  likewise 
has  other  interests  in  property  in  a  mining 
location  nearby,  known  as  Kortkamp.  Spend- 
ing his  entire  life  in  Montgomery  county,  he 
has  a  wide  acquaintance,  which  is  also  a  fa- 
vorable one  because  of  his  public-spirited  in- 
terest in  community  affairs  and  because  of  his 
capability  and  reliability  in  the  profession 
which  he  lias  chosen  as  a  life-work.  He  is  a 
prominent  and  active  member  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian church  and  is  now  serving  as  elder  and 
chorister. 


A.    L.    ELLINGTON. 

Almost  every  state  in  the  Union  has  fur- 
nished its  representatives  to  Montgomery  coun- 
ty, and  among  those  who  have  come  from 
North  Carolina  is  A.  L.  Ellington,  who  was 
horn  in  Rockingham  county,  in  that  state, 
near  Wentworth,  December  ;.  1852.  His  par- 
ents were  Charles  \V.  and  Ellen  (Allen) 
Ellington,  and  the  father,  also  a  native 
of  Rockingham  county,  died  in  prison  at 
Point  Lookout.  Maryland,  in  18G5,  when 
a  Confederate  prisoner  of  war.  He  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  following  that  pursuit 
throughout  his  entire  business  career.  His 
wiilnw  passed  away  in  1874.  They  were  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  of  whom  eight  are 
yet  living. 

A.  L.  Ellington  remained  a  resident  of  Rock- 
ingham county  until  1867,  when,  at  the  age 
of  fifteen  years,  he  came  with  hi-  mother  and 
other  members  of  the  family  to  Illinois,  set- 
tling in  Montgomery  county,  ami  when  twenty- 
one  vcars  of  ace  he  started  out   in   life  on  his 


nun  account,  being' employed  by  Ins  mother, 
with  whom  he  remained  until  1873.  The  fain- 
tly was  very  poor  ami  he  had  no  advantages 
to  assist  him  at  the  outset  of  his  career.  He 
began  farming  lor  himself  in  Fillmore  town- 
ship, where  he  remained  for  four  years,  and 
-line  that  time  he  has  lived  in  East  Fork  town- 
ship. For  fifteen  years  he  has  resided  upon 
the  farm  which  is  now  his  home.  He  con- 
tinued to  rent  land  lor  sixteen  years  and  then 
purchased  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  where 
he  now  resides.  This  is  a  valuable  property 
and  he  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  raising  of 
stock,  making  a  specialty  of  high  grade  hogs. 
He  has  won  a  good  reputation  throughoul  the 
county  for  his  success  in  this  direction,  and 
his  stock  always  commands  the  highesl  market 
prices.  In  his  business  affairs  he  is  discrimi- 
nating and  his  sound  judgment  has  been  one 
of  the  salient  features  in  his  success.  All  of 
the  improvements  upon  bis  farm  have  been 
made  by  him  with  the  exception  of  the  house, 
and  the  attractive  appearance  of  the  place  is 
an  indication  of  his  careful  supervision  and 
progressive  modern   methods. 

(in  the  8th  of  January,  1874,  Mr.  Ellington 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lamira  C. 
Campbell,  who  was  horn  in  Perry  county.  Mis- 
souri. October  22,  1855,  a  daughter  of  George 
C.  and  Mary  (Smith)  Campbell.  In  1863  her 
family  moved  to  Montgomery  county,  Illinois, 
ami  located  live  miles  north  of  Coffeen.  Mr. 
Campbell  died  in  1891  and  his  widow  now 
makes  her  home  in  Coffeen.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ellington  have  been  horn  seven  children, 
of  whom  six  are  living:  Clement  L.,  who  is 
married  and  resides  in  Alton,  Illinois;  01  He 
1'...  the  wife  of  0.  B.  Root,  of  Charleston,  Illi- 
nois; Esther  May,  Ellen.  Joseph  Perry  and 
Opal,  all  at  home.  They  lost  their  third  child. 
George  C,  who  died  in   infamy. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ellington  hold  membership  re- 
lations in  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  church 
at  Donnellson,  having  always  been  identified 
with  that  organization,  and  its  teachings  and 
principles  form  a  strong  motive  element  in 
their  lives.  Mr.  Ellington  is  also  connected 
with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and 
the  Court  of  Honor.  In  politics  be  has  always 
been    a    Democrat,   but    has   strong   prohibition 


510 


PAST    .VXD    PRESENT    OE    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


tendencies  and  lias  ever  been  an  advocate  of 
temperance  principles.  He  stands  to-day  among 
the  successful  men  of  his  community,  who,  as 
the  architect  of  Ins  own  fortunes,  lias  builded 
wisely  and  well.  Without  any  special  family 
or  pecuniary  advantages  to  aid  him  at  the  out- 
set of  his  career,  he  has  labored  energetically 
and  persistently  and  Ins  course  has  been  char- 
acterized by  continued  and  laudable  advance- 
ment. 


JACOB    J.    PREY. 


Jacob  J.  Erey,  for  a  number  of  years  num- 
bered among  the  prominent  and  progressive 
citizens  of  Hillsboro,  may  well  be  termed  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  city,  for  he  has  been 
the  promoter  of  many  leading  business  enter- 
prises, and  the  growth  and  development  of  a 
city  depend  upon  its  commercial  and  industrial 
activity.  His  connection  with  any  undertak- 
ing insures  a.  prosperous  outcome  of  the  same, 
for  it  is  in  his  nature  to  carry  forward  to  suc- 
cessful completion  whatever  he  is  associated 
with.  He  has  earned  for  himself  an  enviable 
reputation  as  a  careful  man  of  business,  and 
in  his  dealings  is  known  for  hi-  prompt  and 
honorable  methods,  which  have  won  him  the 
deserved  confidence  of  his   fellow  men. 

A  native  of  Ohio.  Mr.  Erey  was  born  in  the 
city  of  Cincinnati.  February  16,  1866.  His 
father,  George  A.  Frey,  also  born  in  that  city. 
died  at  the  age  of  thirty-eighi  years.  He  con- 
ducted a  cigar  manufactory  and  was  also  a 
trunk  manufacturer.  In  1860  he  removed 
from  Ohio  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  he  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Missouri 
Cavalry  as  a  member  of  Company  1.  thus  serv- 
ing until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  joined  the 
army  as  a    private,  hut  was  promoted  through 

- ssive    ranks    until     he    attained    that     of 

major.  He  participated  in  the  battle  of  Mis- 
sionan  Ridge  and  other  important  engage- 
ments ami  was  mustered  out  at  the  close  of 
tic  war  at  St.  Louis.  In  one  battle  be  received 
a  gunshol  wound,  which  caused  him  to  lose 
part  of  his  hand.  Tn  1864  he  was  captured  by 
the  rebel  troops,  spent  eleven  months  in  An- 
dersonville    prison    and     came    out     almost     a 


physical  wreck,  but  by  careful  nursing  and 
attention  he  finally  recovered  his  health.  When 
the  war  was  ended  and  he  was  mustered  out 
of  the  service  he  turned  his  attention  to  the 
manufacture  of  cigars  in  St.  Louis,  where  he 
remained  until  1866,  when  he  removed  to  Cin- 
cinnati. Ohio,  spending  about  a  year  there. 
He  then  returned  to  St.  Louis,  and  in  1870  he 
came  to  Hillsboro,  where  he  established  a  cigar 
factory  which  he  conducted  with  good  success 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1876.  In  his  fraternal  relations  he  was  an 
t)t\i\  fellow  and  politically  was  a  Republican. 
lie  married  Miss  Clara  Benkler,  a.  daughter 
of  John  Benkler,  a  native  of  Germany^  in 
which  country  he  served  as  a  judge.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  died  in  the  fatherland.  Mrs. 
Frey  was  horn  near  Bremen.  Germany,  in 
1839,  and  is  now  living  in  Hillsboro  with  a 
daughter.  She  was  a  most  devoted  wife  and 
mother  and  made  many  sacrifices  for  her  chil- 
dren after  her  husband's  death.  She  holds 
membership  with  the  Lutheran  church  and  her 
entire  life  has  been  in  consistent  harmony  with 
her  profession.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George 
A.  Frey  were  born  four  children:  Jacob,  of 
this  review;  Katie,  the  wife  of  John  0.  Mil- 
ler; George,  who  was  a  member  of  Company 
E,  Fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  served  in  the 
Spanish-American  war.  after  which  he  re- 
turned home  and  re-enlisted  for  service  in  the 
Philippines,  where  his  death  occurred  in  Au- 
gust, 100?.  when  he  was  twenty-four  years  of 
age,  his  remains,  however,  being  interred  in 
the  cemetery  at  Hillsboro;  and  Tda  F.,  who  is 
the  wile  of  George  Dunn,  who  is  in  the  office 
with  Mr.  Frew  of  this  review. 

Jacob  J.  Frey  was  brought  to  Hillsboro  by 
his  parents  in  1870  and  his  early  education 
was  acquired  in  the  public  school-  here.  He 
was  only  about  ten  year-  of  age  at  the  time  of 
his  father's  death.  His  mother  afterward  met 
with  financial  reverses  and  found  it  very  diffi- 
cult to  provide  for  her  children,  of  whom  Ja- 
cob is  the  eldest.  She  then  found  it  necessary 
to  do  laundry  work  in  order  to  keep  the  larder 
supplied.  She  received  able  and  willing  as- 
sistance, however,  from  her  son  Jacob,  who 
did  chores  for  Mi-.  Stewart  in  order  to  help 
pay  the  rent,  and  he  also  did  any  other  honest 


JACOB    J.    FEEY 


UNSVE  LINOiS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


513 


work  that  he  could  secure  that  would  help  his 
mother.  At  one  time  the  school  board  passed 
a  rule  that  children  having  no  books  should  be 
prohibited  from  attending  school.  A  kind 
friend,  knowing  that  Mr.  Frey  had  to  leave 
school  because  of  the  measure  passed,  told  him 

to  get  what  I ks  he  i led, and  if  ever  able  to 

pay  him  hack  he  could  do  so.  The  years  passed 
and  Mr.  Frey.  because  of  his  unflagging  indus- 
try and  perseverance,  prospered  and  long  since 
he  has  discharged  the  indebtedness  to  his  bene- 
factor and  also  assisted  him  at  a  time  when 
business  difficulties  pressed  him  hard.  This 
instance  is  another  proof  of  the  old  saying  that 
"bread  east  upon  the  waters  will  return  after 
many  days."  Mr.  Frey  was  very  desirous  of 
obtaining  an  education,  realizing  its  value  as  a 
preparation  for  life's  practical  and  responsible 
duties  and  after  leaving  public  schools  he  and 
three  other  young  men  employed  a  teacher  who 
instructed  them  for  two  years.  In  the  mean- 
time he  clerked  Eot  C.  B.  Rhoades  in  a  dry- 
g Is  store  and  on  leaving  that  employ  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  salesman  in  the  hardware 
store  of  Stewart  &  Linxwiler,  continuing  there 
for  about  a  year,  lmt  the  work  proved  too 
severe  a  -train  upon  his  health  and  he  returned 
to  tin1  employ  of  Mr.  Rhoades,  remaining  there 
until  L885.  He  then  concluded  that  he  would 
learn  the  real  estate  business  and  obtained  a 
leave  of  absence  from  the  store  for  a  year 
with  the  privilege  of  returning  at  the  end 
of  that  time  if  he  desired  to  do  so.  lie  then 
went  to  Topeka,  Kansas,  where  he  spent  a  year 
and  was  employed  .as  a  clerk  in  a  real  estate 
office  of  that  city.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  returned  to  Hillsboro,  when'  he 
opened  an  office.  He  had  been  quite  successful 
in  Kansas,  lmt  sickness  compelled  him  to  use 
most  of  his  good  money,  lie  had  lmt  little 
capital  upon  his  return  to  Hillsboro,  hut  the 
determination  and  enterprise  which  have  been 
noticeable  among  his  strongest  characteristics 
from  his  early  boyhood  were  again  manifest 
and  his  labors  as  a  real  estate  agent  have  met 
with  marked  success.  In  fact,  he  i-  now  doing 
tin1  largest  business  of  his  kind  in  the  county 
and  his  business  activity  has  been  an  important 
factor  in  the  upbuildinsr,  progress  and  improve- 
ment   of    this    portion    of    the    state.     TTe    lias 


taken  an  active  part  in  laying  out  Prairie 
Eeights  and  his  efforts  have  been  very  effective 
in  promoting  the  substantia]  improvement  of 
Hillsboro.  During  hi.-  business  career  he  has 
made  no  foreclosure  of  a  mortgage  that  has  not 
been  what  is  known  as  a  "friendly  foreclosure." 

To  man;  other  lines  of  business  activity  Mr. 
Frey  has  extended  his  energy  with  good  result, 
lie  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Hills- 
boro Brick  &  Tile  Company  and  in  connection 
with  C.  A.  Ramsey  he  incorporated  the  Mont- 
gomery County  Telephone  Company.  In  con- 
nection with  W.  A.  Ilowett  he  secured  the  fran- 
chise lor  an  electric  light  plant  in  Hillsboro, 
costing  thirty  thousand  dollars  and  in  the  pres- 
ent year,  1904,  he  secured  a  franchise  for  an 
electric  light  plant  for  Raymond  and  rebuilt  the 
plant  there,  which  is  now  in  operation.  He 
has  just  received  a  franchise  from  Montgom- 
ery county  for  the  use  of  the  roads  and  streets 
for  stringing  wires  with  the  intention  of  fur- 
nishing lighl  and  power  for  the  county  from 
one  central  station.  In  connection  with  oth- 
ers In-  laid  out  lots  in  the  vicinity  of  the  new 
radiator  plant  at  Litchfield  and  was  one  of 
the  incorporators  of  the  new  organization  of 
the  electric  light  company  at  Litchfield.  Mr. 
Frey  is  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Hills- 
boro Hotel  and  was  one  of  the  promoters  and 
developers  of  the  Kortkamp  Coal  Company  and 
helped  lay  out  the  village  of  Kortkamp. 

Mi.  Frey  was  married  June  \'i.  1891,  to  Miss 
Minnie  II.  Witherspoon,  a  daughter  of  William 
aiul  Sarah  .1.  Witherspoon,  who  was  born  in 
Hillsboro  in  1866.  Her  father  was  a  merchant 
of   this    place    and    died    during   the    Civil    war. 

Unto    Mr.    and    Mrs.   Frey   has   1 n   born   one 

child.  Ahline.  The  parents  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church,  take  a  very  active  part  in 
church  work"  and  Mr.  Frey  is  serving  as  deacon 
and  treasurer.  lie  was  also  a  member  of  and 
treasurer  of  the  building  committee  at  the  time 
of  the  erection  of  the  new  house  of  worship 
Socialh  he  is  connected  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  fraternity  and  in  politic-  he  i=  a  Re- 
publican. His  success  in  all  bis  undertakings 
has  been  so  marked  that  his  methods  are  of 
interest  to  the  commercial  world.  He  has  based 
his  business  principles  and  actions  upon  strict 
adherence  to  the  rules   which   govern   industry, 


514 


PAST    AMi    PBESEJSTT    OF    MONTGOMEKY    COUNTY 


economy  and  strict  unswerving  integrity.  11  it- 
enterprise  and  progressive  spirit  have  made  him 
a  typical  American  in  every  sense  of  the  word 
and  lie  well  deserves  mention  in  history.  What 
he  is  to-ila\  lie  has  made  himself,  for  he  began 
in  the  world  with  nothing  but  his  own  energy 
ami  willing  hands  to  aid  him.  By  constant  exer- 
tion, associated  with  good  judgment,  he  lias 
raised  himself  to  the  prominent  position  which 
he  now  holds,  having  the  friendship  of  many 
and  the  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 


WILLIAM  NEECE. 

William  Neece,  who  carries  on  general  tann- 
ing on  sections  Hi  and  21,  Audubon  township, 
was  horn  June  24.  1841,  in  Guilford  county, 
North  Carolina,  near  the  town  of  Greensboro. 
Hi-  parents,  Cornelius  and  Ruth  (Pike)  Neece, 
were  also  natives  of  thai  state.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  Jacob  Neeee,  and  great-grandfa- 
ther were  natives  of  Germany  and  were  sol- 
diers of  the  Revolutionary  war.  going  through 
that  long-continued  struggle  without  sustaining 
a  wound.  Jacob  Neece  was  also  in  tin-  Mexican 
war  and  drew  a  pension  in  recognition  of  his 
services,  lie  married  Jennie  Eague,  of  North 
Carolina,  a  relative  of  Madison  Hague,  who  was 
one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Montgomery 
county.  Illinois,  living  at  Hillsboro  ai  an  early 
day.  Jacob  Neeee  also  came  to  [llinois  in  the 
'Mis.  hut  after  residing  tor  about  two  years  in 
Tana  he  returned  to  North  Carolina,  where  he 
died  two  years  later  ami  his  wife  about  six  years 
later.  lie  received  a  good  education  in  the 
German  language,  but  could  also  speak  English, 
and  ho  was  a  wealthy  ami  influential  man  of  his 
community.  J'>\  occupation  he  was  both  a 
farmer  and  blacksmith,  and  in  political  senti- 
ment was  a  Whig.  While  bunting  hi'  was  crip- 
pled in  a  tight  with  a  deer. 

Cornelius  Neece,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  a  guard  in  Salisbury  prison  in  the  service 
of  the-  Confederate  States  for  six  months  during 
the  Civil  war.  having  been  conscripted  as  was 
also  William  Neece,  who  was  detailed  to  make 
hats  for  the  Southern  Army.  Tie  was  in  the 
Service  for  three  years  anil  had  to  deliver  one 
hundred  and  fifty  hats  every  month,  carrying 


tin  m  a  distance  of  sixty  miles.  Because  hi* 
entire  time  was  taken  up  with  this  work  the 
ladies  of  the  family  had  to  do  the  work  in  the 
fields  andsupport  the  children.  General  Wheeler 
first  laid  waste  to  his  property  and  that  of  his 
neighbors  and  afterward  Sherman's  army  de- 
vastated tin-  same  district.  William  Neece  was 
not  loyal  to  the  south,  for  he  believed  that  the 
Union  should  be  preserved  intact  and  because  of 
this  he  left  North  Carolina  and  made  his  way 
northward  to  Indiana,  where  he  worked  one 
si  ason. 

After  being  released  from  his  position  as 
guard  in  tin-  Salisbury  prison,  Cornelius  Neece 
returned  to  bis  home  m  North  Carolina  and 
two  years  later  removed  to  Pana,  Illinois,  where 
he  operated  a  rented  farm  in  connection  with 
his  son.  In  ISM  be  bought  a  farm  of  eighty 
acres  in  Audubon  township.  Montgomi  ry 
county,  and  afterward  added  to  it  an  adjoining 
eighty-acre  tract,  which  was  wild  and  unim- 
proved, 1ml  he  converted  it  into  a  good  farm. 
making  bis  home  thereon  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  January  1".'.  1901.  His  first  wife  died 
in  1868,  ami  In-  subsequently  married  Eliza 
Williams,  of  North  Carolina,  who  departed  this 
life  in  1887.  Politically  he  was  identified  with 
the  Republican  party  and  religiously  was  first 
connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  later  with  the  Free  Methodist  church. 

Coming  to  Illinois.  William  Neece  settled  at 
Pana  mi  tin-  24th  of  December,  1865.  When  he 
hail  spent  four  years  as  an  employe  in  a  brick- 
yard he  rented  a  farm  of  three  hundred  acres 
and  in  this  was  more  successful,  making  monej 
quite  rapidly.  Tie  raised  ten  thousand  bushels 
of  corn  which  he  sold  for  forty-two  cents  per 
bushel,  and  with  the  proceeds  of  this  large  crop 
be  paid  for  the  nucleus  of  his  present  farm 
in  1871.  To  his  first  purchase  he  has  added 
from  time  to  time  as  his  financial  resources 
have  permitted  until  he  now  has  over  live  hiin- 
'I red  a-  res  ami  i In-  im  ome  from  his  property 
is  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  now  live  retired 
from  business  cares.  IK-  leaves  the  active  work 
of  the  fields  to  others,  merely  giving  his  super- 
vision  In  the    farm  labor. 

Mr.  Neece  was  married  in  early  manhood  to 
Pyrena  F.  Williams,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  eight    children,   five  pons  and    three 


UN1VL  !LL!riC!3 

URL 


ME.    AND    MBS.    WILLIAM    NEECB 


JACOB  NEECE 


MRS.  JACOB  NEECE 


CORNELIUS  NEECE 


MRS.  SILAS  PRESNELL 


SILAS  PRESNELL 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


519 


daughters,  but  two  arc  deceased,  twins,  a  boy 
and  a  girl,  having  died  in  infancy.  Those  liv- 
ing arc  as  follows:  Minnie  married  Henry 
Tabor,  residing  in  Audubon  near  the  old  gov- 
ernment grant,  and  they  have  four  children. 
(icurgc  married  Lola  Sanders  and  resides  with 
his  father  on  the  old  homestead.  John  1).  mar- 
ried Norma  Wilson  and  they  reside  south  of 
Nokomis  in  Witt  township.  Lodusca  is  the  wife 
of  Douglas  Young  and  with  their  three  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  a  daughter,  they  reside 
south  of  Hillsboro,  on  section  7,  East  Fork 
township.  Bert  married  Jessie  Brown,  by 
whom  he  lias  a  daughter,  and  they  reside  a 
mile  south  of  the  Christian  county  line,  on  sec- 
tion 3,  Audubon  township,  near  the  Prairie 
Chape]  church.  Fred  married  Flattie  Price, 
of  Donnellson.  and  lives  in  Witt  township. 
For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Xmr  chose  Miss  Molly 
Presnell,  a  daughter  of  Silas  and  Dica  Diana 
(Sowel)   Presnell. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neece  hold  membership  in  the 
Free  Methodist  or  Holiness  church.  When  a 
young  man  he  was  identified  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  but  has  not  continued  his  active  con- 
nection therewith.  He  spent  one  winter  in 
North  Carolina  teaching  the  doctrine  of  Holi- 
ness and  he  has  labored  untiringly  to  advance 
the  cause  of  his  church.  His  business  career 
has  been  very  successful  and  all  that  he  pos- 
sesses has  been  acquired  through  his  own  per- 
sistent and  honorable  effort.  In  politics  he 
was  Formerly  a  Republican  hut  is  now  a  Prohi- 
bitionist. 


AMOS   S.    BARRY. 


The  birthplace  of  Amos  S.  Barry  was  the  old 
homestead  Farm  on  which  his  grandfather 
Richard  Barry,  located  in  pioneeT  inner-,  lie 
arrived  in  Montgomery  county  about  1826. 
when  this  portion  of  the  state  was  very  sparsely 
settled,  and  since  that  time  representatives  of 
tin'  name  have  carried  forward  the  work  which 
he  begun  of  developing  the  county  along  sub- 
stantial lines.  Here  be  reared  his  family  of 
seven  children.  Michael  S.  Barry,  the  father 
of    our    subject,    was    horn    in    Barren     county. 


Kentucky,  in  1818.  He  made  the  journey  by 
team  to  Illinois,  for  the  date  of  his  arrival  ante- 
dated the  period  of  railroad  building  here, 
and  with  the  early  agricultural  development 
of  Montgomery  county  he  was  identified.  Ha 
married  Elizabeth  Clot  feller  and  they  had 
three  children:  Emily,  the  widow  of  George 
Beck,  of  Hillsboro ;  John  Richard,  deceased; 
and  Amos  S.  By  his  second  wife.  Clara  Dale, 
the  father  had  five  children,  but  all  are  now 
deceased.  By  bis  third  wife  be  had  one  child. 
Carrie.  Michael  Barry  lived  to  be  mere  than 
eighty  years  of  age,  and  as  one  of  the  hon- 
ored pioneers  and  revered  patriarchs  of  the 
county  is  yet  well  remembered  by  many  citizens 
of  this  part-  id'  the  state. 

Tin'  natal  day  of  Amos  S.  Barry  was  Janu- 
ary 11,  1848.  He  was  reared  to  farm  life,  edu- 
cated principally  in  the  public  schools  and  was 
graduated  at  Bryant  &  Stratton  Business  <  al- 
lege of  Chicago.  When  twenty-one  years  of 
age  be  started  out  for  himself,  going  to  Texas 
ami  the  southwest,  where  he  spent  the  greater 
part  of  two  years.  He  afterward  located  in 
St.  Louis  and  Kansas  City.  Missouri,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  the  commission  business  until 
Is;  I.  when  he  was  married  and  returned  to 
Montgomery  county,  settling  in  East  fork 
township,  where  he  remained  for  four  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  thai  period  he  came  to  the 
farm  which  he  now  owns  and  occupies,  com- 
prising  about  three  hundred  acres  of  land  in 
Hillsboro  township.  The  place  is  well  im- 
proved and  highly  cultivated,  and  the  accesso- 
ries and  conveniences  of  tin-  model  farm  of 
the   twentieth   century   are    found   thereon.      He 

,- nally    harvests    good    crops    and    also    raises 

high-grade  stock  for  market. 

On  December  31.  1874,  Mr.  Barry  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Alice  B.  Richards, 
a  daughter  of  George  H.  Richards,  who  is  rep- 
resented elsewhere  in  this  work.  They  have 
live  children:  Ccorge  I,'..  who  graduated  at 
the  State  University  and  is  now  assistant  en- 
gineer for  the  Pittsburg,  Cincinnati.  Chicago 
&  St.  Louis  Railroad  at  Columbus,  Ohio;  Har- 
old B.,  who  was  also  educated  at  the  State 
University  and  is  a  civil  engineer  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad,  residing 
at   Dudleyville,    Arizona:   Irene    A.,   who   is    a 


5  a  0 


PAST    AND    PKESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


graduate    of    the    Hillsboro    high    school;    and 
Arthur  A.  and  Edward  II..  both  at  home. 

For  aiuiii  a  quarter  of  a  century  .Mi'.  Barry 
has  resided  upon  his  present  farm  and  is 
known  as  a  reliable  and  enterprising  business 
man.  and  as  a  worthy  representative  of  an  hon- 
ored pioneer  family  lie  also  deserves  mention 
in  tins  volume. 


LEWIS    II.    THOMAS. 

Lewis  H.  Thomas,  Living  on  section  10. 
Bois  d'Arc  township,  is  one  of  the  well-known 
agriculturists  of  Montgomery  county,  and  his 
farm  of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  is  one 
of  the  best  improved  places  in  this  part  of  the 
state.  He  was  born  in  Greene  county,  Illinois, 
May    '.'I.    is-.':,    and    was    reared    to     manhood 

ther i  tin'  home  farm  and  enjoyed  excellent 

educational  advantages,  his  preliminary  train- 
ing, received  iii  the  district  schools,  being  sup- 
plemented by  study  in  Carrollton  Academy. 

Mr.  Thomas  was  united  in  marriage,  on  the 
11th  id'  November,  1863,  in  Greene  county,  to 
Miss  Ann  Linder,  who  was  born  in  that  coun- 
ty, March  ."..  1842.  lie  bad  previously  entered 
land  from  the  government  and  begun  the  devel- 
opment of  the  farm  upon  which  be  now  resides 
By  claiming  purchase  he  became  the  owner  of 
seventeen  hundred  acres,  and  upon  this  farm 
be  settled  in  1855,  beginning  its  development 
and  improvement  with  characteristic  energy. 
He  has  added  all  modern  equipments  and  ac- 
cessories, erected  a  large  two-story  brick  resi- 
dence, which  was  afterward  destroyed  by  tire, 
and  later  he  built  bis  present  line  home,  which 
is  also  a  two-story  brick  residence.  The  ma- 
terial for  the  brick  in  the  first  residence  and 
the  fuel  for  making  them  were  products  of  the 
farm.  In  IS.".:!  Mr.  Thomas  planted  ten  acres 
of  locust  «eed  and  two  years  later  this  was 
supplemented  by  the  planting  of  fifteen  acres 

mere   of   the   same    kind    of   seed.      The    oldest    of 

this  weed  was.  therefore,  but  thirteen  years 
when  Mr.  Thomas  began  to  burn  bis  first  kiln 
of  brick,  yet  the  twenty-five  acres  of  locust 
furnished  all  the  necessary  fuel  for  the  three 
hundred  ami  ten  thousand  brick  that  were 
used    in    the    const  met  imi    of     the    first    brick' 


bouse.  The  present  house  is  heated  by  furnace", 
secures  its  water  supply  from  waterworks,  and 
is    most     beautifully     furnished,    having     many 

modern  conveniences  which  go  t akc  up  the 

model  home  of  the  twentieth  century.  Around 
the  house  is  a  well-kept  lawn,  shaded  k\  forest 
ami  evergreen  tree-  and  adorned  with  flowers 
and  shrubbery.  In  the  rear  of  the  bouse  is  a 
large  barn  and  other  necessan  outbuildings  for 
the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock.  Ther.'  is  also 
a  grove  of  walnut,  chestnut,  pecan,  hickory, 
ode,  ash,  cottonwood.  hack!  errv.  elm.  honey- 
locust,  mulberry  and  soft  maple  of  seventeen 
acres,  which  was  planted  and  cultivated  by  Mr. 
Thomas.  This  took  the  coveted  prize  of  the 
gold  medal  from  the  Slate  Agricultural  Society 
in  1858  as  being  "the  best  grove  of  cultivated 
timber  in  the  state."  For  fourteen  consecutive 
years  annual  Sunday-school  picnics  gathered 
here,  and  they  were  abandoned  because  an  un- 
precedented heavy  sleet  caused  such  dam- 
age to  the  timber  as  to  make  the  clearing-up  a 
herculean  task.  Of  trees  and  shrubs  there  are 
sixty-three  varieties  on  the  place.  There  is 
also  a  good  orchard  and  considerable  small 
fruit.  In  connection  with  his  Earming  inter- 
ests Mr.  Thomas  has  engaged  in  raising  high- 
graded  stock.  Be  has  sold  a  part  of  bis  origi- 
nal tract  of  land,  but  he  still  owns  over  six 
hundred  acres,  constituting  a  valuable  farm. 

Mr.  Thomas  lost  his  wife  in  Montgomery 
county.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren :  Etta,  the  wife  of  Edward  L.  Kendrick, 
of  Buffalo,  New  York;  John  1..  who  is  en- 
gaged in  ranching  in  Colorado;  Mary  L.,  the 
wife  of  Robert  0.  Scott,  who  carries  on  mer- 
ehandising  in  Colorado;  Samuel,  al  home;  and 
Minerva  C,  who  is  attending  Illinois  College 
at  Jacksonville.  On  the  3d  of  October,  1889, 
Mr.  Thomas  wedded  Miss  Agnes  E.  Ball,  a 
sister  of  John  Ball,  a  prominent  banker  and 
agriculturist,  conducting  business  in  Fann- 
ersville.  Mrs.  Thomas  is  a  native  of  Wales, 
was  brought  to  America  during  her  childhood 
days  and  was  reared  in  Yirden,  Macoupin 
county.  She  is  a  lady  of  superior  educational 
attainments  and  was  successfully  engaged  in 
teaching  for  a  number  of  years,  being  con- 
nected with  the  Washington  school  in  Chicago 
Illinois,    for   seven    years. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


52  1 


Politically  Mr.  Thomas  has  been  a  lifelong 
Democrat,  but  has  never  aspired  to  office,  al- 
though he  has  supported  each  presidential 
nominee  on  the  national  ticket  for  fifty-six 
years.  He  served  on  the  honorable  county 
board  as  supervisor  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  several  importani  committees,  lit1  has 
also  been  township  school  treasurer  for  some 
years.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
being  affiliated  with  the  blue  lodge  at  Virden, 
with  Girard  chapter  and  the  commandery  at 
Springfield.  He  holds  membership  in  the  Bap- 
tist church  and  lias  been  one  of  its  officers  for 
many  years.  His  life  lias  been  in  harmon\ 
with  Ms  professions  and  he  is  numbered  among 

the  In 'I'd   pioneer  residents  of  Montgomery 

county,  having  for  more  than  a  half  century 
resided  upon  his  present  farm.  He  has  aidud 
materially  in  opening  up  and  developing  the 
county  and  is  one  of  the  few  remaining  early 
settlers.  He  is  widely  known  throughout  cen- 
tral Illinois  as  a  man  of  sterling  character  and 
worth,  a  public-spirited  citizen,  having  the  con- 
fidence and  good  will  of  all.  and  he  and  his 
estimable  wife  are  greatly  esteemed  in  the  com- 
munity in  which  they  make  their  home. 


GUILFORD    BAS'S. 


Guilford  Bass,  whose  very  successful  ca- 
reer indicates  what  may  be  accomplished  by  a 
man  of  strong  purpose  and  honorable  business 
principles,  is  now  the  owner  of  valuable  farm- 
ing interests  in  Audubon  township.  He  was 
born  September  26,  1835,  in  Fayette  county 
near  Vandalia,  four  miles  south  of  Ramsey. 
His  parents  were  Guilford  and  Mary  (Proctor) 
Bass,  natives  of  Kentucky  and  of  English 
descent.  The  father  was  horn  in  1794  and  re- 
mained a  resident  of  Kentucky  until  after  his 
marriage,  when  he  removed  with  his  young 
wife  to  the  vicinity  of  Nashville.  Tennessee, 
there  living  for  three  or  four  years.  On  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  went  to  Fayette 
county,  Illinois,  in  the  fall  of  1827,  and  se- 
cured land  from  the  government.  Few  settle- 
ments had  been  made  in  that  part  of  the  state 
and  the  wild  and  unimproved  condition  of  the 
country  afforded  ample  opportunity  to  the  am- 


bitious and  industrious  agriculturists.  Mr. 
Bass  secured  forty  acres  and  at  once  began  the 
development  of  a  farm.  Throughout  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  he  carried  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  although  he  had  learned  the 
cooper's  trade  in  early  life.  He  served  his 
country  in  the  war  of  1812,  participating  in 
the  battle  of  New  Orleans  on  the  8th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1S1."].  and  he  was  never  wounded  nor  cap- 
tured during  the  second  war  with  England.  He 
died  in  is  I  I.  and  his  wife  long  surviving  him, 
passed  away  in  1873  and  was  buried  in  the 
Tennessee  cemetery  southwest  of  Oconee,  while 
Mr.  liass  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  cemetery  on 
the  old  family  homestead  in  Fayette  county. 
They  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  ten 
-on-  ami  two  daughters:  John  died  in  Marion 
county,  where  he  had  followed  farming  and 
reared  his  family  of  two  children.  Jacob,  who 
was  a  farmer  and  hail  a  family  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, died  and  was  buried  near  Kinmundy. 
Illinois.  William,  who  was  the  owner  of  land 
in  Clinton  and  Bond  counties  and  had  a  fam- 
ily ,,f  live  children,  who  are  vet  living,  made 
his  home  in  Wisetown,  Illinois.  James  W., 
who  was  married  and  had  >ix  children,  lived 
in  Montgomery  county  and  was  also  the  owner 
of  farm  property  in  Shelby  county.  David, 
wdio  had  a  family  of  nine  children,  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  died  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri.  Henry,  whose  family  numbered  ten 
children,  resided  in  Bond  county  and  his  re- 
mains were  interred  at  Camp  Ground,  (inil- 
ford  is  the  next  of  the  family.  Elijah,  who 
follows  fanning  in  Shelby  county,  Illinois,  has 
a  family  of  five  children,  four  sons  and  a 
daughter.  Francis,  who  follows  farming  in 
Newton  county,  near  Grangeville,  Missouri, 
lias  a  family  of  six  children.  Josiah.  now  de- 
ceased, was  a  resident  of  Montgomery  county 
and  his  remains  were  interred  in  Tennessee 
cemetery.  He  had  a  family  of  nine  children. 
Mary  died  when  thirteen  years  of  age.  and 
Martha  died  when  eight  years  of  age.  being 
buried  in  the  old  homestead  cemetery  in  Fay- 
ette county. 

Guilford  Bass  was  reared  in  the  usual  man- 
ner of  farmer  lads  and  was  early  trained  to 
habits  of  industry  and  integrity.  He  was 
married  October   1.  1855,  to  Keziah  Jane  Hill, 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Nancy  (Massey) 
Hill,  natives  of  North  Carolina,  who  removed 
to  -Illinois  prior  to  tin-  birth  of  their  daughter 
and  settled  in  Shelby  county,  their  home  being 
mi  a  farm  east  of  Oconee.  They  had  ten  chil- 
dren: Senry,  who  served  under  General  Scott 
and  died  in  the  Mexican  war:  Sarah,  the  de- 
ceased wile  iif  Lewis  Scribner,  a  farmer  of 
Shelby  county;  Joel  Hill,  a  farmer  residing 
north  hi'  Bingham,  in  Fayette  county,  Illinois; 
John,  deceased,  who  resided  southwest  of  Ram- 
sey and  hail  a  wife  and  one  child;  Elizabeth, 
who  is  now  Mrs.  S'eago  and  is  living  in  Audu- 
bon; Jackson  Hill,  a  stock-dealer  of  Irving, 
who  has  eight  children;  Thomas,  a  farmer  of 
this  county,  who  has  one  child;  .Mrs.  Bass; 
Amanda,  who  is  the  widow  of  Basil  Prater,  of 
Edinburg,  and  has  six  children;  and  William 
I-'.,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Guilford  Bass  has  at  different  times  pur- 
chased land  in  Montgomery  county.  He  first 
bought  forty  acres  of  William  Smith  in  1856 
and  his  next  forty  was  purchased  from  the 
father  of  Joseph  Whitmore.  His  third  forty 
acre  tract  was  bought  at  twelve  dollars  and  a 
half  per  acre,  and  he  next  purchased  eighty 
acres  at  sixteen  dollars  per  acre.  Hater  be 
bought  another  forty  acre  tract  and  at  other 
(inn's  made  purchases  until  bis  landed  posses- 
sions now  aggregate  three  hundred  and  six- 
teen and  a  half  acres.  As  he  had  no  assist- 
ance in  starting  out  in  HIV.  bis  success  indi- 
cates clearly  that  he  has  worked  industriously 
and  persistently  to  acquire  a  competence 
overcoming  all  difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his 
path  by  determined  purpose.  The  homo  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bass  has  been  blessed  with 
twelve  children:  William  Franklin,  the  eldest- 
died  in  infancy.  Henry  M.  married  Susan 
MeNiehols  and  has  one  child  living,  Roy  S. 
Amanda  F.  is  the  wife  of  Jacob  Layman  and 
has  one  son.  Edgar.  Joseph  M.  married  Flora 
Piddle  and  has  one  daughter,  Mabel.  Mary  is 
the  wife  of  Oscar  Thompson  and  has  four 
children:  Vernon,  Burleigh.  Eulalia  and  Veda, 
Martha  is  the  wife  of  Funnel  Whitmer.  Nancy 
1..  and  Ella  are  at  home.  Emma  is  the  wife 
of  Edward  Walker  and  has  one  child.  Veda. 
Albert  died  September  22,  190:i.  Nettie  is 
the  wife  of  Samuel   Jollv   and  has   three  living 


children:  Ruth,  (ail  and  Paul.     Edgar  married 
( !lara  Neathery. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bass  are  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist church  and  are  people  of  the  highest  re- 
spectability, commanding  the  warm  regard  of 
many  friends.  In  polities  he  has  ever  been 
a  standi  Democrat  since  casting  bis  first  presi- 
dential ballot  lor  dames  Buchanan,  but  he  has 
never  sought  or  desired  office,  preferring  to  give 
his  time  and  energies  to  bis  business  affairs, 
and  by  reason  of  bis  close  application  and  un- 
faltering diligence  be  has  become  the  possessor 
of  a  farm  which  is  extensive  and  valuable. 


HENRY  II  AY  NFS. 


Henry  Eayhes,  who  is  a  representative  of  the 
farming  interest.-  of  Pitman  township,  where 
he  owns  and  operates  a  tract  of  land  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  was  born  upon  this 
farm.  July  12,  1857.  He  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Harriet  (Seymour)  Haynes  and  a  grand- 
son of  William  Baynes,  who  was  one  of  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  Illinois,  establishing  his 
home  in  t'ass  county  when  the  work  of  improve- 
ment and  progress  bad  scarcely  been  begun  in 
that  part  of  the  state. 

John  Haynes  was  born  in  Indiana  and  was 
reared  in  Cass  county.  Illinois.  Later  be  re- 
moved to  Morgan  county,  where  he  met  and 
married  Miss  Harriet  Seymour,  a  native  of 
North  Carolina.  Subsequently  they  removed  to 
Montgomery  county,  establishing  their  home 
within  its  borders  about  1854.  Mr.  Haynes 
purchased  the  land  upon  which  his  son  Henry 
now  resides  and  al  once  began  to  (dear  the  place, 
which  was  then  largely  covered  with  timber 
and  brush.  He  also  fenced  the  tields  and  when 
the  plowing  was  done  he  planted  the  seed  which 
in  due  time  produced  good  crops.  He  also  put 
good  buildings  upon  the  place  and  other  sub- 
stantial improvements  and  there  he  reared  his 
family,  spending  his  last  years  upon  the  old 
homestead.  His  death  occurred  January  16, 
1891.  His  wife  si  ill  survives  him  and  is  now 
keeping  bouse  for  her  son  Greene,  enjoying  good 
health  al  the  age  of  eighty-five  years  and  doing 
all  her  own  house  work.  In  their  family  were 
seven  children,  as  follows:     Hreene.  who  owns 


UM 


iirjois 


HENRY  HAYNES  AND  FAMILY 


MR.    AND    MRS'.    JOHN    HAYNES 


UNIV. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OK    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


527 


and  operates  a  part  of  the  old  home  farm  ; 
Mary,  the  wife  of  S.  T.  Caldwell,  of  Edgar, 
Nebraska;  Alexander,  who  is  living  near  Hoxie, 
Kansas;  Henry,  of  tins  review;  John,  of  Colo- 
rado; James,  who  died  in  March,  1893;  and 
Sarah,  who  was  the  wife  of  \V.  L.  King  and 
died  January  30,  1873. 

Henry  Haynes  was  reared  upon  the  old 
homestead  and  continued  to  assist  his  father  in 
its  cultivation  and  improvement  until  lie  at- 
tained his  majority,  lie  attended  the  common 
schools  in  early  life  and  no  event  of  special  im- 
portance occurred  to  vary  the  routine  of  farm 
life  tor  him  in  his  youth.  He  was  married  in 
Macoupin  county.  April  3,  1879.  to  Miss  Ella 
Seymour,  a  daughter  of  W.  B.  and  Elizabeth 
(Bull)  Seymour.  She  was  horn  in  Morgan 
county.  Illinois.  July  7.  IS.jS.  and  spent  her 
girlhood  days  in  that  county  and  in  Macoupin 
county. 

The  young  couple  began  housekeeping  upon 
a  rented  farm,  which  he  continued  to  culti- 
vate for  a  few  years.  After  his  father's  death 
Mr.  Haynes  purchased  the  interest  of  some  of 
the  other  heirs  of  the  family  and  succeeded  to 
a  part  of  the  old  farm,  including  that  portion 
upon  which  stands  the  family  residence.  To 
the  further  development  and  cultivation  of  the 
place  he  has  devoted  his  time  and  energies.  He 
has  repaired  and  remodeled  the  house  and  now 
has    a   neat    and    comfortable    residence,    while 

in  the  rear  stand  g I  barns  and  outbuildings. 

giving  ample  shelter  for  grain  and  stock.  There 
is  an  orchard  with  a  large  variety  of  fruit,  and 
modern  farm  machinery  facilitate  bis  work  in 
the  fields.  In  connection  with  the  raising  of 
grain  he  makes  a  business  of  raising  good 
graded  stock  and  is  successful  in  bis  production 
of  both  grain  and  stock. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haynes  has  been 
blessed  with  two  children  :  William  Herman, 
born  August  28,  1883;  and  Hattie  Evelyn, horn 
December  22,  1895.  The  parents  are  well 
known  in  this  county  and  the  hospitality  of 
many  of  the  best  homes  of  Pitman  township  is 
extended  to  them.  Mr.  Haynes  exercises  bis 
right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and 
measures  of  the  Democracy.  He  is  accounted 
one  of  the  leaders  of  bis  party  in  this  locality 
and  has  been  honored  with  several  positions  of 


political  preferment,  having  served  for  three 
terms  as  highway  commissioner,  being  now  in 
the  seventh  year  of  bis  incumbency  in  that 
office.  Be  has  also  been  school  director  for  a 
number  of  years  and  he  believes  in  the  em- 
ployment of  capable  teachers  and  the  establish- 
ment of  good  schools.  Fraternally  he  is  con- 
nected wiib  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  at 
Raymond,  lie  has  always  lived  within  the  bor- 
ders lit  Montgomery  county  and  the  old  home- 
stead, which  was  the  place  of  his  birth,  is  still 

the   place  of  his   residence.  -<>  that  it  is  endeared 

to  him  through  the  association  of  his  boyhood 

as  well  as  of  later  vears. 


HENRY  ABSALOM   CRESS. 

Henry  Absalom  Cress,  who  is  engaged  in 
general  farming  and  stock-raising  in  Hillsboro 
townshipj.  was  born  on  the  farm  where  he  now 
resides,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  August  12, 
L859.  'His  father,  George  H.  Cress,  was  also 
born  in  Butler  Grove  township,  where  his 
father  located  at  an  early  day.  George  H. 
Cress  was  married  to  Miss  Jane  E.  Corey  and 
Henry  A.  Cress  was  the  only  child  of  that  mar- 
riage. From  the  government  the  father  entered 
the  homestead  farm  and  at  once  began  trans- 
forming the  wild  and  uncultivated  prairie  into 
productive  fields.  He  continued  to  make  that 
place  his  boiiie  from  the  time  of  his  marriage 
until  bis  death,  and  passed  away  at  a  compara- 
tively eai]\  age  of  twenty-four  years.  His 
widow  afterward  became  the  wife  of  William 
W.  Keeley,  and  now  resides  in  Pueblo.  Colo- 
rado. 

Henry  A.  Cress  speni  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  the  county  of  his  nativity 
and  attended  the  public  schools,  thus  laying 
the  foundation  fur  bis  successful  career  by  pre- 
paration that  fitted  him  to  cope  with  the  re- 
sponsible duties  that  came  in  later  life.  He 
was  married  on  the  19th  of  March,  1882,  to 
Miss  Annie  Clotfelter,  a  daughter  of  J.  W. 
Clotfelter,  and  they  have  three  children,  Henry 
A..  Jr..  Eubert  and  James  W.  The  family 
reside  in  Hillsboro  township,  where  the  farm 
now  owned  by  Henry  A.  Cress  comprises  a 
valuable    tract    of    land    of    Eour    hundred    and 


528 


PAST    AXI'    PRESENT    OE    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


forty  acres,  all  in  one  body,  aboul  a  mile  from 
Hillsboro.  He  carries  on  general  farming, 
feeds  both  cattle  ami  hogs  ami  engages  in  the 
(lain  business,  having  a  herd  of  Hereford  cat- 
tle lei-  that  purpose.  The  various  branches  of 
his  business  have  brought  to  him  a  good  in- 
come and  his  life  of  intense  ami  well  directed 
activity  has  made  him  one  of  the  representa- 
tive agriculturists  of  his  community.  He  is  a 
director  of  the  Hillsboro  Farmers'  Insurance 
Company.  He  has  held  the  office  of  school 
director  for  fifteen  years,  has  been  highway 
commissioner,  ami  in  polities  is  a  Democrat. 
Mr.  Cress  is  widely  ami  favorablj  known  in 
the  county  where  his  entire  life  lias  been  passed 
and  his  strength  of  purpose  and  unfaltering 
diligence  in  his  business  interests  have  been 
notable  elements  in  his  career. 


JAMES  S.  BONK. 

James  S.  Hone  is  numbered  among  the  pion- 
eer settlers  and  honored  dead  whose  life  work 
proved  a  benefit  to  his  community  through 
the  practical  assistance  which  he  rendered  in 
promoting  the  upbuilding  ami  progress  id'  his 
community  during  the  long  years  of  his  resi- 
dence in  Montgomery  county,  lie  was  horn 
in  Lebanon.  Ohio.  September  1<>.  1815,  his  par- 
ents being  David  and  Prudence  Bone.  The 
father  was  a  farmer  and  lawyer,  following  his 
profession  with  success  and  at  the  same  time 
carrying  on  agricultural  interests.  He  served 
his  country  as  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812. 
When  the  government  became  involved  in  mili- 
tary difficulties  with  Mexico  he  again  offered 
his  services  ami  was  commissioned  colonel  of 
an  Ohio  regiment  in  the  Mexican  war.  lie 
afterward  exerted  strong  and  beneficial  influ- 
ence in  securing  the  passage  of  all  the  Mexican 
claims  through  congress  in  1850  and  1853.  In 
his  family   were   thirteen  children. 

dames  S.  Bone  was  ri  ared  in  Ohio  in  the  usual 
manner  of  farmer  lads  of  that  early  period,  the 
state  presenting  the  same  pioneer  conditions 
which  have  always  been  features  of  the  west 
in  the  early  period  of  its  colonization  and  im- 
provement. He  came  to  Illinois  in  1864,  bring- 
ing with  him   live  stock  and   a  wagon.      Here 


he  engaged  in  farming  and  he  also  in  186?  built 
the  Prairie  House  in  Nokomis,  which  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1881.  He  purchased  four 
hundred  acres  of  land  on  sections  20  and  21, 
Nokomis  township,  hut  later  sold  two  hundred 
acres  to  Mr.  Argo.  and  this  is  now  known  as 
the  Casselberry  place.  When  it  came  into  Mr. 
Bone's  possession  it  was  all  wild  and  unim- 
proved, lie  purchased  it  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Company  for  eight  dollars  per  acre 
and  with  characteristic  energy  he  began  its  de- 
velopment, making  excellent  improvements 
thereon. 

In  1839  Mr.  Bone  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Mary  Jane  Miller,  a  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Catherina  Miller,  of  Lebanon.  Ohio.  She 
died  in  1852  and  in  1854  he  wedded  Mary  L. 
Boss,  a  daughter  of  Mathias  Boss,  who  was 
chief  clerk  in  the  dead  Letter  office  at  Washing- 
ton through  the  administrations  of  Presidents 
Madison,   Jackson,   Van    Buren   and    Harrison. 

He  was  a  close  and  intimate  friend  of  Th as 

Corwin  and  was  well  known  to  prominent  po- 
litical leaders.  He  also  served  as  collector  of 
revenue  in  the  war  of  1812.  Her  grandfather. 
Colonel  Benjamin  Boss,  commanded  a  regiment 
in  tin'  Revolutionary  war  and  Mrs.  Bone  is  now 
eligible  to  membership  in  the  society  known  as 
Laughters  of  the  American  Revolution.  She 
was  horn  in  Lebanon,  Ohio,  in  1815,  was  edu- 
cated in  Cincinnati,  that  state,  and  resided  in 
Washington  during  her  father's  connection  with 
official  service  there.  During  that  time  she 
attended  many  important  receptions,  balls  and 
parties  given  by  the  leading  members  of  the 
highest  social  circles  of  the  city.  She  passed 
the  eighty-ninth  mile-stone  on  life's  journey  on 
the  loth  of  March.  1904,  hut  she  has  not  a 
gray  hair — which  has  been  a  characteristic 
throughout  her  entire  family — and  only  recent- 
ly she  has  used  glasses  in  reading.  [Into  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bone  were  horn  four  children,  two  sons 
and  two  daughters.  Alice  P..  the  eldest,  mar- 
ried Madison  T.  Stuekev.  who  was  assessor  and 
treasurer  of  St.  Clair  county,  Illinois,  and  was 
president  of  the  Electric  Light  Company,  at  the 
time  of  his  death.  They  had  one  child  that  died 
in  infancy;  Virginia  married  Cassius  Shotwell, 
who  lives  in  Chicago,  being  connected  with 
Lav  id    K utter,  a  coal   dealer  of  that  eitv.    Thev 


UNiVi  :^o;s 


JAMES    S.    BONE 


MRS.  JAMES  S.  BONE. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OK    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


533 


have  four  children,  three1  sons  and  a  daughter, 
one  son  being  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  another 
in  Pittsburg,  while  the  third  son  and  the  daugh- 
ter are  at  home  in  Chicago.  David  II.  Bone, 
the  third  member  of  the  family,  resides  in  No- 
komis  and  at  one  time  was  engaged  as  a  hominy 
manufacturer  of  St.  Louis,  having  a  mill  on 
Jefferson  and  Lucas  streets.  He  married  Laura 
Wickersham,  who  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  and 
they  have  four  children:  Stewart,  who  is  mar- 
ried and  has  been  with  the  Missouri  Pacific 
Railroad  Company  for  fourteen  years,  being 
now  chief  clerk  for  thai  line  at  Seventh  and 
Poplar  streets  in  St.  Louis;  Austin  B.,  who 
is  in  the  cashier's  office  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Company  in  Chicago,  which  position 
he  has  occupied  for  seven  years;  and  Aline  and 
Annie  at  home.  David  Bone  is  a  member  of 
the  Odd  Fellows'  Society  and  is  widely  and 
farvorably  known  in  this  county.  William  Bone, 
the  youngest  of  the  family,  was  deputy  sheriff 
for  four  years  and  took  an  active  interest  in 
political  affairs,  being  a  recognized  leader  in 
the  local  ranks  of  the  Democracy,  lie  died  at 
Kingman,  Kansas,  March  14.  1885,  and  was 
laid  to  rest  in  Prospect  Hill  cemetery  at  No- 
komis. 

James  S.  Bone  gave  bis  political  allegiance  to 
the  Republican  party  after  its  formation  and 
be  served  as  president  of  the  town  board  for 
eight  years,  being  continued  in  the  office  by  re- 
election, his  supporters  recognizing  his  capa- 
bility and  faithfulness  in  the  position.  He 
belonged  to  the  Methodist  church  and  he  died 
in  that  faith  in  1896,  when  in  his  eighty-first 
year.  His  was  a  long,  useful  and  honorable 
life,  characterized  by  upright  principles,  worthy 
motives  and  successful  accomplishment  and  his 
memory  is  yet  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  many 
who  knew  him  in  Montgomery  county,  while 
upon  the  pages  of  it-  history  his  name  should  be 
enduringly  inscribed. 


P.    II.   YOUNG. 


P.  II.  Young,  tin'  owner  of  a  farm  of  one' 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  East  Fork  town- 
ship, was  born  near  Donnellson,  May  "?!>.  1863. 
a   son    of   William   and    Eva    (Brown)    Young. 


He  represents  an  old  southern  family,  his 
father,  William  Young,  having  been  born  in 
Tennessee  in  October,  1810.  In  that  state  he 
was  reared  until  the  fall  of  1832,  when  the 
family  home  was  established  near  Donnellson, 
Montgomery  county,  Illinois.  He  followed  the, 
occupation  of  farming  in  Grisham  township 
when  that  was  a  pioneer  locality.  Many  of 
the  hardships  and  trials  incident  to  frontier 
life  had  to  be  met  by  him,  but  he  possessed 
unfaltering  courage  and  determination  and  per- 
severed in  his  work  until  he  became  an  ex- 
tensive and  prosperous  farmer  and  stock-raiser. 
Hardly  a  furrow  had  been  turned  or  an  im- 
provement made  upon  bis  land  when  it  eamn 
into  his  possession,  but  he  added  modern 
equipments  and  in  course  of  time  the  once  wild 
land  was  made  to  yield  to  him  good  harvests. 
He  owned  about  fourteen  hundred  acres  of 
land.  In  polities  he  was  a  Democrat,  active 
and  influential  in  the  ranks  of  his  party,  and 
about  1,851  he  served  for  one  term  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  stab'  legislature.  His  wife  was  born 
in  North  Carolina  and  in  her  early  girlhood 
days  was  brought  to  Illinois,  where  she  formed 
the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Young,  to  whom  she 
gave  her  hand  in  marriage.  His  death  oc- 
curred on  the  6th  of  May.  1900,  but  Mrs. 
Young  is  still  living  ami  now  makes  her  home 
in  Hillsboro.  Few  have  a  more  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  early  history  of  the  county 
than  she.  and  many  interesting  incidents  of 
pioneer  life  are  related  by  her,  giving  one  a 
true  and  faithful  picture  of  conditions  that  ex- 
isted at   that  early  day. 

F.  11.  Young  was  one  of  three  children.  He 
was  reared  upon  the  old  home  farm  in  Grisham 
township  and  attended  the  nearest  district 
school,  but  while  his  educational  privileges 
were  not  very  great  he  was  carefully  trained  to 
habits  of  industry  and  economy  upon  the  home 
farm,  and  in  the  school  of  experience  he  has 
learned  many  valuable  lessons  through  reading, 
observation  and  contact  with  men  in  business 
life.  He  continued  to  assist  his  father  until 
twenty-three  years  of  age  and  then  began 
farming  I'm-  himself  in  East  Pork  township 
upon  land  belonging  to  his  father.  lie  took 
up  his  abode  upon  his  present  home  place  in 
March,    1893,    having    here   one    hundred    and 


;i 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    uil'NTY 


sixty  acres  given  him  by  his  father.  He  has 
made  improvements  from  time  to  time  here 
and  now  has  a  well-equipped  farm,  supplied 
with  all  modern  accessories  and  conveniences 
which  facilitate  farm  work  and  add  to  the 
productiveness  of  the  place.  He  follows  di- 
versified farming,  having  rich  fields  of  grain 
and  good  -tuck,  and  his  energy  and  careful 
management  are  salient  features  in  his  success. 
In  December,  L886,  Mr.  Young  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Clara  Edwards,  a  daughter 
of  C.  11.  Edwards,  of  Grisham  township.  They 
new  have  three  children :  Jennie,  Roger  How- 
ard and  Randall,  all  at  heme.  The  parents  held 
membership  in  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
church  of  Coffeen  and  Mr.  Young  is  identified 
with  the  Masonic  and  Knights  of  Pythias  fra- 
ternities, the  Modern  W.oodmen  camp  and  the 
Royal  Neighbors  of  America,  lie  was  made  a 
Mason  in  1900  in  Mounl  Maria  lodge,  No.  51, 
of  Hillsboro.  In  his  political  affiliations  he 
decs  not  consider  himself  hound  by  party  ties 
hni  votes  for  the  candidate  whom  he  thinks 
hesl  qualified  for  office.  He  has  always  been 
true  to  his  honest  convictions,  straightforward 
in  his  relations  with  his  fellow  men  and  [oval 
in   friendship  and  in  citizenship. 


WILLIAM  CHRISTIE. 

William  Christie,  the  senior  member  of 
tin'  linn  id'  Christie  &  Laub,  contractors  and 
builders  of  Litchfield,  was  lorn  in  Truro,  Nova 
Scotia,  in  1858.  The  northern  countries  of 
America  have  furnished  to  the  United  States 
mam  brighl  and  enterprising  young  men  who 
have  left  their  dative  land  to  enter  the  business 
circles  of  this  country,  with  its  more  progress- 
ive methods,  livelier  competition  ami  advance- 
ment more  quickly  secured.  Among  this  num- 
ber is  Mr.  Christie,  who  in  early  manhood 
sought  wider  fields  in  order  to  give  full  scope 
to  his  ambition  and  industry — his  dominant 
qualities.  lie  found  the  opportunity  he  sought 
in  the  freedom  and  appreciation  of  the  growing 
western  portion  of  tin-  country.  Though  bom 
across  the  bonier,  he  is  thoroughly  American 
in    thought    and     feeling    and    is    patriotic    and 


sincere  in  Ins  love  For  the  stars  and  stripes.  His 
career  is  closely  identified  with  the  history  of 
Litchfield,  where  hi'  has  acquired  a  comfortable 
competence  ami  where  he  is  now  an  honored 
and    respected   citizen. 

Mr.  ('hristie  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Harriet 
(Cox)  Christie,  both  id'  whom  were  natives 
of  Truro.  Neva  Scotia.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  owned  three  go.od 
tracts  of  land  there.  Hnth  he  and  bis  wife 
held  membership  in  the  Presbyterian  church, 
in  which  he  filled  several  positions  and  in  the 
work  of  which  hi'  took  a  very  active  and  help- 
ful part.  His  death  occurred  in  1890  as  the 
result  of  an  accident  when  be  was  sixty-five 
years  of  age.  and  bis  widow  is  still  living  in 
Nova  Scotia.  She  is  of  English  lineage,  while 
her  husband  was  of  Scotch  descent.  In  their 
family  were  six  children:  Nancy,  the  wife  of 
John  Miller,  of  Nova  Scotia:  George,  a  con- 
tractor, who  is  also  operating  a  planing  mill 
in  Nova  Scotia:  William,  of  this  review;  Hat- 
tie  and  Henry,  at  home:  and  Charles,  who  is 
a  railroad  employe  of  Boston,  Massachusetts. 

William  Christie  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  school,-  .if  Nova  Scotia,  and  when 
his  attention  was  no  longer  claimed  by  his 
textbooks  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade, 
which  he  followed  in  his  native  land  for  a 
■  Imrl  lime.  In  1881,  however,  he  came  to 
Litchfield  and  worked  on  the  Planet  mill,  erect- 
ing the  building  and  placing  the  machinery, 
lie  was  thus  occupied  for  two  years.  <  >n  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  went  tn  St.  Louis 
and  in  1889  he  returned  to  Litchfield  and  be- 
gan the  business  for  himself  as  a  contractor 
and  builder.  Tin-  he  has  followed  with  marked 
success  and  is  now  one  of  the  leading  repre- 
sentatives of  his  line  in  the  city,  employing  a 
dozen  workmen.  In  1899  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  William  Laub  under  the  linn 
style  of  Christie  &  Laub.  As  a  business  man  he 
has  teen  conspicuous  among  his  associates,  not 
only  for  bis  success,  hut  for  his  probity,  fair- 
ness and  honorable  methods,  anil  in  everything 
hi'  has  undertaken  he  has  been  eminently  prac- 
tical. 

In  1885  Mr.  Christie  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Etura  Wright,  who  was  born  in  Mont- 
gomery   countv  in    lSoO  and   is  a   daughter  of 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


535 


Carroll  Wright,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion and  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  this  por- 
tion of  the  state.  Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Christie  now 
have  four  children:  Blanche,  who  is  a  member 
of  the  class  of  1895  of  the  Litchfield  high 
scl I:  Eazel;  Irene;  and  Charles.  Mrs.  Chris- 
tie belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  church  and  Mr. 
Christie  is  connected  with  the  Mutual  Protect- 
ive League,  while  he  exercises  his  right  of 
franchise  in  support  of  the  men  and  measures 
of  the  Republican  party.  Time  has  proven  the 
wisdom  of  his  determination  to  come  to  the 
[Jnited  S'tates  that  he  might  enjoy  its  better 
business  opportunities,  for  here  his  capability 
lias  found  recognition  and  the  good  wages  paid 
for  labor  have  enabled  him  to  advance  to  a 
iMi-ii ion  of  affluence. 


JUSTUS  II.  WARE. 

There  is  no  better  proof  of  the  desirability 
of   Montgomery  county  as  a  place  of  residence 
or  stronger  indication  of  the  fact  that  it  affords 
excellent    opportunities   and   advantages    to   its 
citizens  than  the   fad    thai    many  of  its  native 
sons   still    reside   within    its   borders.       Of   this 
class  .Instils  II.  Ware  i>  a  representative  for  his 
birth  occurred  July    11.    1834,  upon  the   farm 
which    is  still   his   home  and   which    had    been 
entered    from    the   government    by    his    father. 
Benjamin  Ware,  in  182-1.      Benjamin  Ware  was 
born  in  Gilsum,  New   Hampshire,  and  when  a 
young  man  left  the  old  Granite  state,  going  to 
Xew  York.      He  afterward  made  his  way  west- 
ward  to    Indiana,  settling  near  Vincennes  and 
later  be  went   to   Missouri,  where  he   met  his 
older  brother,  Obediah.     Afterward  he  proceed- 
ed on  horseback  to  Montgomery  count,'  in  the 
spring  of   1824  and  secured   from   the  govern- 
ment   eighty    acres   of    land    in    Butler    Grove 
township.      On   March   12,   1828,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Slaybaek,  who  came 
to  Montgomery  county  in  an  early  day  with  her 
uncle.  Israel  Seward,  removing  to  this  locaiitj 
from  the  vicinity  of  Hamilton,  Ohio.      She  was 
born  in  Kentucky  and  by  her  marriage  became 
the  mother  of  two  children,  hut  the  elder,  Aus- 
tin, is  now  deceased.      For  many  years  Benja- 
min Ware  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  upon 


the  old  homestead  and  thereon  he  died,  Julj 
31,  1855,  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years.  His 
wil'e  long  survived  him  and  passed  away  April 
■„'.  1S83,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years. 

Justus  II.  Ware  was  twenty-one  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  his  father's  death  and  he  then 
took  charge  of  the  home  farm.  lie  had  previ- 
ously attended  school  as  opportunity  afforded 
and  he  had  been  trained  to  the  various  duties 
and  labors  of  the  farm  so  that  practical  ex- 
perience guided  him  as  be  undertook  the  task 
of  managing  the  home  property.  His  entire 
liie  of  seventy  years  has  been  passed  upon  tin 
farm  where  he  was  horn.  He  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  aires  of  the  original  homestead, 
which  was  entered  from  the  government  by  hi? 
father,  and  also  has  eighty  acre-  of  timber  land. 
In  Fact  his  landed  possessions  now  aggregate 
three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  the  farm 
at  the  present  time  is  managed  by  his  son,  Mr. 
Ware  thus  being  relieved  to  a  great  extent  of 
the  labors  and  responsibilities  incident  thereto. 
His  home  is  situated  on  section  15,  Butler 
Grove  township,  about  two  miles  north  and 
one  mile  east  of  the  village  of  Butler. 

On  the  26tb  of  September,  1860,  Mr.  V  are 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Luceva  A. 
Brigham,  who  came  to  Montgomery  county  as 
a  school  teacher  from  New  Alslead.  \e\v  Hump- 
shire,  where  her  birth  occurred  August  25, 
1836.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Aaron  and  Susan 
(Proctor)  Brigham,  pioneers  of  that  locality. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ware  were  born  four  children  : 
Mary  Flora,  bom  November  29,  1862,  is  at 
home;  Carrie  Susan,  horn  May  5,  1864,  died 
December  1.  1866;  George  Vincent,  horn  Sep- 
tember 25,  L867,  i~  living  on  the  home  farm, 
and  was  married  December  12,  1893,  to  Mamie 
Grace  Bryce,  a  daughter  of  Robert  and  Sarah 
(McMurtry)  Bryce;  Amy  Lillian,  bom  April 
24,  IS!:!,  was  married  October  In.  1900,  to  .1 
A.  Bushy,  who  was  born  December  15,  1871, 
and  they  live  in  Litchfield.  They  have  two 
children.  Leland  Ware,  horn  November  '24, 
1901,  ami   Evelyn,  born   April  17,  1904. 

Mr.  Ware  gives  his  political  allegiance  to 
the  Republican  party,  the  principles  of  which 
he  has  long  endorsed.  He  and  his  wife  are 
connected    with   the   Lutheran   denomination  as 


536 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


members  of  Ware's  Grove  church  and  for  sev- 
eral years  he  served  as  an  elder  in  the  church. 
He  was  also  township  supervisor  for  two  years 
and  takes  an  active  and  interested  part  in  all 
that  pertains  to  public  progress  and  improve- 
ment here.  Having  .-pent  his  entire  life  in  the 
county,  he  is  deeply  interested  in  its  growth 
and  development  and  feels  a  just  pride  in  what 
has  been  accomplished  as  the  years  have  gone 

iiY. 


ALEXANDER  A.  CRESS. 

Alexander  A.  ( Iress,  well  known  as  a  real  es- 
tate operator  of  Hillsboro,  whose  developing 
business  lias  led  to  substantial  success,  result- 
ing from  enterprising  methods  in  keeping  with 
the  progressive  spirit  of  the  times,  is  a  native 
son  of  Montgomery  county.  He  was  horn  about 
two  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  Hillsboro, 
December  7,  1840,  and  is  of  German  ancestry. 
His  father.  Jacob  Cress,  was  horn  in  Indiana 
in  1818  and  died  July  1.  1903,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-five  years.  Hi'  was  brought  to 
.Montgomery  county  by  his  parent.-.  Jacob  and 
Catherine  Cress,  when  hut  six  weeks  old,  and 
they  located  about  a  mile  west  of  Hillsboro, 
where  the  grand  lather  of  our  subject  entered 
land,  thus  becoming  the  owner  of  several  hun- 
dred acres.  Jacob  Cress,  the  father,  was  reared 
amid  the  wild  scenes  of  frontier  life,  and  he, 
too.  became  an  agriculturist  and  accumulated 
large  Landed  interests,  hut  divided  much  of 
his  property  among  his  children  prior  to  his 
death.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  his  political 
views  and  was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  He  contributed  in  substantial  manner 
to  the  upbuilding  and  improvement  of  the 
county,  especially  along  agricultural  lines,  and 
took  an  abiding  interest  in  whatever  pertained 
to  the  welfare  and   substantia]    upbuilding   of 

the    c miinity.       lie    married      Miss      Helena 

Soberer,  who  was  horn  in  Virginia  in  1818 
ami  died  on  the  -.'1st  of  March.  1902.  Her 
parent-  were  Daniel  and  Rachel  Scherer.  The 
former  was  a  minister  of  the  Lutheran  church 
and  in  1833  hi'  re ved  to  Montgomery  coun- 
ty, locating  in  Hillsboro.  He  was  one  of  the 
first  ministers  of  his  denomination  in  the  state 


of  Illinois,  organized  the  church  in  Hillsboro 
and  became  its  first  pastor.  He  was  a  cir- 
cuit riiler  in  the  early  days  when  preachers  of 
the  gospel  traveled  from  place  to  place,  and  in 
this  way  he  visited  Kentucky.  His  political 
allegiance  was  given  to  the  Whig  party.  He 
died  at  Mount  Carmel,  Illinois,  having  left 
the  impress  of  his  individuality  upon  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  labored,  while  his  efforts 
resulted  in  the  moral  development  of  the  peo- 
ple. Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cress  were  born 
eleven  children,  of  whom  seven  are  yet  living. 
They  were  as  follows:  Alexander  A.;  John 
M..  deceased;  Jacob  1)..  a.  farmer  of  Califor- 
nia ;  William  S'.,  who  is  living  on  the  old 
homestead  ;  Samuel  E.,  a  hardware  merchant 
and  hanker  of  Sorento,  Illinois;  Benjamin  L.. 
who  i-  deputy  United  States  mineral  surveyor 
of  Red  Cliff.  Colorado;  Sophia  L..  who  is  the 
wife  of  Dr.  0.  B.  Blackman,  of  Dixon,  Illi- 
nois; Joseph  E.,  a  farmer  living  in  South  Da- 
kota  ;  Thomas  .1..  deceased:  and  two  that  died 
in  infancy. 

Alexander  A.  Cress  supplemented  his  early 
educational  advantages  by  study  in  the  Hills- 
boro Academy,  and  when  his  school  life  was 
completed  he  engaged  in  clerking  in  the  store 
of  Davis  &  Marshall  lor  two  years.  On  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  purchased  an  in- 
terest in  the  store  and  the  firm  name  was 
changed  to  Davis  &  Cress.  Tin-  relationship 
was  maintained  for  two  years,  when  Mr.  Cress 
sold  out  to  his  brother  John,  but  later  he  re- 
turned to  the  store  and  there  engaged  as  a 
clerk  for  some  time.  In  1871  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  W.  11.  Stoddard  in  the  gro- 
cery  business,  in  which  he  continued  for  three 
years.  He  then  sold  out  to  his  partner  and 
opened  a  grocery  -tore  on  his  own  account, 
which  he  conducted  for  two  years.  After  dis- 
posing of  that  store  be  was  once  more  em- 
ployed as  a  salesman  and  continued  his  con- 
nection with  commercial  pursuits  in  that  way 
for  eight  years.  In  188.3  he  went  into  the  real 
estate  business,  and  is  now  one  of  the  leading 
representatives  of  this  line  of  activity  in  Mont- 
gomery county.  For  the  past  eleven  years  his 
son.  Edward  A.,  has  been  associated  with  him 
in  business  and  the  firm  has  conducted  many 
important    real   estate  transfers  and  negotiated 


MR.  AND  MRS.  JACOB  CBESS,  SB. 


MR.  AND  MRS.  JACOB  CRESS.  JR. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


539 


large  sales.  Mr.  Cress  lias  a  most  accurate 
knowledge  of  really  values  and  property 
throughout  the  county,  and  has  secured  a  good 
clientage,  which  lias  brought  to  him  a  verj 
gratifying  measure  of  prosperity. 

Mi-.  Cress  lias  been  twice  married.  In  L865 
he  wedded  Miss  Sarah  M.  Bridge.  She  was 
horn  in  Oregon.  Illinois,  and  died  dune  IS. 
L882,  ai  the  age  of  fifty  years,  passing  away 
in  the  faith  of  the  Lutheran  church,  in  which 
she  held  membership.  Her  father  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  served  his  country 
as  a  soldier  in  the  l'i\il  war.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Cress  wvrr  horn  four  children.  The  third. 
Edward  A.,  horn  December  Hi,  1870,  in  Hills- 
boro.  attended  the  public  schools  of  this  city 
and  afterward  entered  the  law  department  of 
the  Michigan  State  University  at  Ann  Arbor. 
matriculating  there  in  1890.  lie  had  previous- 
ly read  law-  in  the  office  of  Lane  &  Cooper  for 
two  years,  and  in  1891  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar.  lie  entered  upon  the  practice  of  bis  pro- 
fession  in  Chicago,  where  he  remained  until 
the  fall  id'  1893,  when  he  then  returned  to 
llillshoro.  where  he  opened  an  office  and  has 
since  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  with  ex- 
cellent success.  He  was  married  in  the  fall 
of  1893  to  Miss  Jennie  Linxwiler,  a  daugh- 
ter of  George  W.  Linxwiler,  formerly  a  farmer 
and  merchant  of  llillshoro.  hut  now  a  resident 
of  California.  Unto  E.  A.  Civs-  and  his  wife 
have  been  horn  two  daughters.  Gertrude  and 
Elizabeth.  The  parents  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church  and  Mr.  Cress  is  identified 
with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  several  in- 
surance fraternities.  In  politics  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat and  at  this  writing  in  1904  is  filling  the 
office  of  city  attorney.  In  1898  Alexander  A. 
Cress  was  again  married,  his  second  union  be- 
ing with  Augusta  E.  Lewey,  a  daughter  of 
.T.  Bowers  Lane,  also  a  merchant  and  farmer 
of  Fillmore,  Illinois.  She  was  horn  in  Fill- 
more in   1856  and  first  married  George  Lewey, 

whose  widow  she  was  at  (he  time  she  beci \ 

the  wife  of  Mr.  <  Iress. 

Our  subject  and  bis  wife  attend  the  Lu- 
theran church  and  he  is  a  Mason  in  bis  fra- 
ternal relations.  Politically  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  city 
council,  as  a   member  of  the  school   hoard  and 


as  justice  of  the  peace.  Representing  one  of 
the  oldest  pioneer  families  id'  the  county  and 
having  spent,  bis  entire  life  here,  he  is  well 
known  in  his  portion  of  the  state  and  has  been 
an  interested  witness  of  the  growth  and  ad- 
vancement that  have  here  been  made.  To 
many  measures  instituted  for  the  good  of  the 
county  he  has  given  hearty  co-operation  and 
support,  ami  as  a  business  man  and  citizen 
he  is  well  worthy  id'  mention  in  this  volume. 


W.  II.  WILEY. 


W.  II.  Wiley  is  a  representative  of  one 
of  the  old  pioneer  families  of  Montgomery 
county,  and  bis  father's  farm,  which  was  en- 
tered as  a  claim  from  the  government,  was  his 
birthplace.  He  is  a  son  of  R.  J.  Wiley,  who 
came  from  Kentucky  to  Illinois  with  his  par- 
ents, James  and  Sarah  (Mann)  Wiley.  They 
reached  Montgomery  county  in  1827,  and  sev- 
eral brothers  with  their  respective  families 
came  ;it  the  same  time.  K.  •'.  Wiley,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  married  in  this  county  to 
AI iss  Catherine  Dryer,  and  in  1850  he  removed 
to  the  farm  upon  which  his  son  W.  II.  Wiley 
was  horn.  There  he  continued  to  carry  on  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  until  his  life's  labors  were 
ended  in  death  on  the  L7th  of  October,  1862. 
His  widow  still  survives  him  and  is  now  the 
wife  of  David  Ware,  who  is  mentioned  on  an- 
other  page  of  this   volume. 

W.    II.   Wile\    is   indebted   to  the  public   schools 

tor  the  early  educational  privileges  which  he 
enjoyed,  and  later  be  attended  the  llillshoro 
Academy.  He  afterward  took  charge  of  the 
farm  lor  his  mother.  When  seventeen  vears  of 
age  he  began  earning  his  living  by  working  by 
the  month  a-  a  farm  band,  and  be  also  attended 
school  in  flu'  winter  seasons.  On  attaining  his 
majority  he  assumed  the  management  of  the  old 
hoine  place  and  continued  there  until  1903, 
when  he  came  to  the  farm  upon  which  he  now 
resides.  lie  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  prairie  land  and  twenty-seven  acres 
of  timber  land  mi  sections  25  and  '.'fi.  Butler 
Grove  township,  not  far  from  the    city  of  TTills- 

boro.       His   diligence  has    been   one  of   his   strong 

characteristics     and      bis      unfaltering     energy 


540 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


proves  the  basis  of  the  desirable  success  which 
he  has  gained  as  the  years  have  gone  by. 

On  the  11th  of  February,  1875,  Mr.  Wiley 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Julia  Robert- 
son, and  they  have  three  children:  Owen  II., 
who  is  living  on  the  homestead  farm:  Jessie, 
the  wife  of  \Y.  D.  Lipe,  of  Litchfield;  and 
Charles,  who  is  also  at  home.  Mr.  Wiley  is  a 
Democrat  and  for  eighteen  years  has  served  as 
school  director,  lie  belongs  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  to  the  Modern  Woodman 
camp,  and  lias  a  wide  acquaintance  in  Mont- 
gomery county,  where  his  circle  of  friends  is 
continually  growing,  owing  to  his  sincere  in- 
terest in  the  welfare  of  his  fellow  men  and  his 
integrity   in  all   business  transactions. 


JAMES  P.   BROWN. 


.lames  P.  Brown,  who  in  business  affairs  is 
energetic,  prompt  and  notably  reliable,  has  ex- 
tended his  efforts  tn  several  fields  of  commercial 
activity  and  has  found  in  this  the  opportunity 
for  the  exercise  of  his  business  capacity,  keen 
discrimination  and  enterprise.  Through  the 
years  of  his  active  career  he  has  been  watchful 
of  all  the  details  of  his  business  and  of  all 
indications  pointing  toward  prosperity  and 
from  the  beginning  has  had  an  abiding  faith 
in  the  ultimate  success  of  his  labors,  but  while 
lie  has  gained  prosperity  he  lias  also  been  a 
representative  of  thai  class  of  valued  American 
citizens  who  promote  the  general  good  while 
advancing  individual   interests. 

James  P.  Brown  was  horn  in  Butler,  Illinois, 
in  1866.  His  father.  George  W.  Brown,  Jr., 
was  born  in  Hillsboro,  Montgomery  county,  in 
L849,  and  was  a  son  of  George  W.  Brown,  Sr., 
a  native  of  Virginia,  who  came  to  Montgomery 
county  at  a  very  early  day.  locating  near  Hills- 
boro. He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  upon 
the  old  family  homestead  his  son  and  namesake 
was  reared.  The  latter  is  mentioned  at  length 
on  another  page  of  this  volume.  lie  is  still 
living  at  Butler,  where  he  is  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising and  in  the  grain  trade.  In  Ma- 
sonry he  has  attained  the  Royal  Arch  degree 
and  is  a  worthy  examplar  of  that  fraternity. 
In   his    political   views  he   is   a    Democrat,  has 


served  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  has  held  other 
positions  in  this  village,  including  that  of  post- 
master. He  owns  the  old  homestead  farm  near 
Butler,  and  has  been  engaged  in  business  in 
that  locality  since  1SGG  and  through  the  care- 
ful conduct  of  his  business  affairs  he  has  won 
a  competence  that  classes  him  with  the  most 
substantial  citizens  of  his  community.  He  was 
married  in  early  manhood  to  Miss  Henrietta 
M.  Judson.  who  was  born  in  Middletown.  New 
Jersey,  in  L851.  Her  father  was  James  P. 
Judson,  a  native  of  that  state  who  removed  to 
St.  Louis.  Missouri,  at  an  early  day  and  prior 
to  the  Civil  war  settled  in  Houston,  Texas, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  car- 
riages. His  death  there  occurred.  His  wife, 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Judson.  was  a  native  of  New 
York.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  were  born 
six  children  :  James  P..  of  this  review  ;  Winnie 
P..  the  wife  of  W.  A.  White,  a  merchant  of 
Hillsboro:  Charles  J.,  who  is  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising in  Weatherford.  Oklahoma  :  Frank 
II..  who  is  conducting  an  implement  business 
and  carriage  repository  at  Hillsboro:  Louis  S.. 
a  practicing  physician  and  surgeon  of  St.  Louis, 
Missouri ;  and  Roland  0.,  who  is  with  his  father 
in  business  at  Butler. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  James 
P.  Brown  we  present  to  our  readers  the  life 
record  of  one  who  is  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  Hillsboro  and  throughout  Montgom- 
ery  county.  He  continued  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Butler  until  lie  had  completed  the 
high  school  course  and  lie  afterward  attended 
the  state  high  school  at  Normal,  Illinois.  On 
putting  aside  his  text  hooks  he  entered  the  office 
of  the  countv  clerk,  serving  as  deputy.  There 
he  remained  for  two  years,  after  which  he  went 
to  Butler  and  entered  his  father's  store,  assist- 
in"  in  the  business  there  until  1889.  In  that 
veir  Mr.  Brown  went  to  California  and  to  Ore- 
gon, spending  three  years  on  the  Pacific  coast. 
during  which  time  he  was  engaged  in  the  hard- 
ware business.  In  1894  they  purchased  the 
stock  of  tin'  McHenry  Hardware  Company  at 
Hillsboro  and  have  been  conducting  the  busi- 
ness continuously  since.  This  is  now  one  of 
the  largest  hardware  stores  in  this  part  of  the 
county  and  the  firm  also  carries  on  an  exten- 
sive implement  business,  which  is  in  charge  of 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


54] 


the  brother  Frank.  The  firm  of  George  \\ . 
Brown.  Jr.,  is  a  large  one,  carrying  a  stock 
valued  at  twenty  thousand  dollars,  and  the  an- 
nual sales  roach  the  sum  of  one  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars.  When  the  Brown  Brothers  look 
charge  of  this  enterprise  in  Hillsboro  they  had 
comparatively  small  mercantile  interests,  but 
by  their  efforts  and  superior  business  tact  and 
judgment  they  have  developed  splendid  com- 
mercial enterprises  and  the  hardware  business 
is  second  to  none  in  this  portion  of  the  state. 
James  P.  Brown  is  also  president  of  the  Hills- 
boro Electric  Light  &  Power  Company,  is  a 
stockholder  of  the  Hillsboro  Hotel  Company 
and  also  of  the  Kortkamp  Town  Site  Company. 

In  1895  Mr.  Brown  was  united  in  marriagu 
to  Miss  Kitty  C.  Clotfelter,  a  daughter  of 
James  W.  and  Dorcas  Clotfelter.  She  was 
born  near  Eillsboro  in  1S?1  and  is  a  graduate 
of  the  high  school  of  Hillsboro  and  of  the  Jack- 
sonville Female  Academy.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Brown  have  been  horn  three  children:  Kath- 
rvn  D.j  Marcia  Judson.  deceased;  and  Patricia. 

Mr.  Brown  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, in  which  he  lias  attained  the  Knight 
Templar  degree  and  he  is  familiar  with  the 
teachings  and  tenets  of  the  craft.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Democrat.  Mr.  Brown  has  made  good 
use  of  his  opportunities,  he  lias  prospered  from 
year  to  year,  and  has  conducted  all  business 
matters  carefully  and  successfully,  and  in  all 
his  acts  displays  an  aptitude  for  successful  man- 
agement, lie  has  not  permitted  the  accumu- 
lation of  a  competence  to  affect  in  any  way  his 
actions  toward  those  less  successful  llian  he, 
and  has  always  a  cheerful  word  and  pleasant 
smile  for  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 


To  the  public-school  system  of  his  native 
town  Frank  II.  Brown  is  indebted  for  the  edu- 
cational privileges  which  he  enjoyed  in  his 
youth  and  when  his  school  life  was  completed 
be  worked  upon  a  farm  for  three  or  four  Mars. 
Subsequently  he  engaged  in  clerking  in  bis 
father's  store  in  Butler  for  two  or  three  years 
and  then  in  1894  came  to  Hillsboro,  where  his 
father  purchased  the  stock  of  the  MeHenry 
Hardware  Company.  In  1898  he  purchased 
the  Paden  &  Wilson  stock  of  farm  implements, 
machinery,  buggies,  etc.,  on  South  Main  street. 
Frank  Brown  and  his  brother  were  placed  in 
charge  of  both  concerns  and  continued  the 
implement  business  at  the  original  location  un- 
til  1900,  when  the  father  purchased  the  J.  P. 
Challacombe  stock  of  farm  implements.  In 
the  same  year  most  of  the  Challacombe  stock 
was  sold  to  M.  L.  Robertson,  and  Frank  Brown 
removed  the  stock  of  farm  machinery  into  the 
Brewer  building,  formerly  occupied  by  Mr. 
Challacombe.  There  he  is  now  conducting  a 
successful  business,  while  his  brother  has  charge 
of  the  hardware  business. 

In  1898  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Brown 
and  Miss  Emma  Fields,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  S. 
and  Louisa  Fields.  They  have  two  children: 
Beatrice  and  Don.  Mr.  Brown  is  a  Mason  and 
is  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fra- 
ternity and  in  social  circles  he  has  won  many 
friends.  He  is  a  young  man  of  notable  en- 
ergy and  strong  determination,  forms  his  [dans 
readily  and  is  determined  ill  their  execution, 
lie  represents  a  family  closely  and  actively  asso- 
ciated with  commercial  development  in  Moiit- 
gomory  county  ami  his  own  life  record  is  a 
most   creditable  one. 


FRANK  HAROLD  BROWN. 

Associated  in  business  with  his  brother, 
dames  P.  Brown,  in  Hillsboro  and  one  of  the 
most  enterprising  young  business  men  of  the 
city,  Frank  Harold  Brown  was  horn  in  Butler, 
August  31.  1ST-.'.  A  sketch  of  his  father, 
George  W.  Brown,  dr..  who  has  long  figured 
in  public  life  and  business  circles  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  is  given  on  another  pape  of  this 
work. 


JOHN    M.  CLOTFELTER. 

John  M.  Clotfelter.  interested  iii  all  matters 
of  citizenship  affecting  the  welfare  and  progress 
of  Hillsboro  and  Montgomery  county,  is  now 
serving  for  the  fourth  term  as  a  member  of 
the  hoard  of  supervisors.  He  is.  moreover, 
identified  with  commercial  interests  of  bis  city, 
conducting  a  grocery  store  with  good  success, 
A  native  son  of  Hillsboro.  he  was  born  in  1859 
and     is    a    son    of    William    S.    and    Susan    B. 


5  1 2 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


(Scherer)    Clotfelter.     The    father,    who    was 

born   m   North  Carolina,  came  to   Montg ery 

county  with  his  parents  in  1833,  settling  in 
Hillsboro.  The  journey  was  made  through 
Missouri  by  team.  There  were  five  brothers 
who  came  at  that  time:  Lee,  Amos  L.,  Wil- 
liam S.,  D.  Stokes  and  .lames  W.  All  became 
substantia]  citizens,  being  good  business  men 
displaying  careful  management  and  executive 
ability.  The  last  named,  however,  is  the  only 
one  now  living.  William  S.  Clotfelter  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  also  conducted  a 
sawmill  and  the  careful  management  of  his 
business  interests  enabled  him  to  accumulate 
considerable  property,  lie  was  a  Republican 
in  his  political  affiliations  ami  though  he  kept 
well  informed  on  the  questions  ami  issues  of 
the  day  he  never  soughl  or  desired  public  office. 
His  death  occurred  in  May.  1890.  His  wile 
was  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Daniel  Scherer,  one 
of  the  first  Lutheran  ministers  of  Montgomery 
county  ami  in  that  church  she  held  member- 
ship. She  died  in  1896,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
six  years.  They  were  the  parents  id'  eleven 
children,  as  follows:  Louise,  who  became  the 
wife  of  William    Boager  and   resides   in    Hill-- 

boro;  Jennie,  who  is  the  wile  of  Frank  Cress 
living  a  mile  and  a  half  northwest  of  Hills- 
boro  on  the  old  homestead;  Emma;  Ida.  who 
is  the  widow  of  Thomas  Martin  and  lives  in 
Hillsboro;  Ella,  the  deceased  wife  of  I-:.  L. 
Waggoner;  William  II..  who  also  reside-  in 
Hillsboro;  John  M.;  .lames  E.,  who  is  living 
in  St.  Louis.  Missouri;  Charles,  who  makes 
his  home  in  Los  Angeles,  California:  Frank 
of  Hillsboro;  and  one  that  died  in  infancy. 

In  tin1  public  schools  of  hi.-  native  city  John 
M.  Clotfelter  acquired  his  education  and  when 
it  was  completed  he  secured  a  position  as  clerk 
in  a  grocery  store,  where  he  was  employed  until 
l.ss?.  He  then  became  a  representative  of 
mercantile  interests  in  Hillsboro  as  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Neath  &  Clotfelter,  grocers,  and 
in    1889   he   purchased    his   partner's    interests 

and  has  since  I □  alone  in  business,  condiiet- 

ing  a  good  store  on  South  Main  street. 

In  1894  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr 
Clotfelter  and  Miss  Ethel  Nelson,  a  daughter 
of  Samuel  Nelson,  of  Hillsboro.  Her  father 
was   a   miller  and    came   to   this   city   about   the 


li if   the   Civil    war.     He  is  still   living   in 

Hillsboro.  Mrs.  Clotfelter  was  horn  in  this 
city  in  ISC',  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
church  and  died  in  that  faith  in  1895,  her 
death  being  deeply  regretted  by  many  friends. 
Mi-.  Clotfelter  is  a  member  of  the  Maccabees 
and  of  the  Commercial  Club.  His  political 
views  are  in  accord  with  the  principles  of  the 
Republican  party  and  in  1897  he  was  elected 
upon  that  ticket  to  represent  Hillsboro  town- 
ship on  the  board  of  supervisors,  in  which  ho 
is  now  serving  for  the  fourth  term.  A-  a  pub- 
lic official  he  is  reliable,  having  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  community  at  heart  and  his  labors 
in  behalf  of  the  county  have  been  of  a  prac- 
tical,  beneficial   nature. 


CYRUS   FITZJERRELL. 

Cyrus  Fit/.jerrell.  whose  activity  in  husim  ss 
affairs  has  resulted  in  the  acquirement  of  a 
handsome  competence,  is  now  engaged  in  buy- 
ing and  shipping  stock  at  Raymond,  and  the 
volume  of  his  business  insures  him  a  g 1  an- 
nual income.  He  was  horn  in  Jersey  county. 
Illinois.  November  (i.  1846,  and  is  a  son  of 
Judge  William  Fitzjerrell,  whose  birth  occur- 
red 111  Ohio  on  tile  3d  of  October,  is];,.  Eli 
Fitzjerrell,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  a  native  id'  New  Jersey,  ami  was  of 
Scotch-Irish  descent,  his  ancestors  having  lo- 
cated in  New  Jersey  during  the  colonial  epoch 
in  our  country's  history.  Eli  Pitzjerrell  came 
to  Illinois  in  1830,  settling  in  Macoupin  county 
ami  there  his  son.  Judge  William  Fitzjerrell, 
was  reared  to  manhood  and  as  a  companion  and 
helpmate  on  life's  journey  he  chose  Mis<  Eliza- 
beth  Courtney,  who  was  born  in  "Madison  coun- 
ty, Illinois.  They  removed  to  Montgomery 
county  in  1856,  locating  in  Zanesville  town- 
ship, where  Judge  Fitzjerrell  opened  u]i  a  tract 
of  land  and  improved  an  excellent  farm,  carry- 
ing on  agricultural  pursuits  with  -access  for 
many  years.  Upon  that  place  he  reared  his 
family  and  spent  many  years,  hut  his  last  days 
were  passed  in  Raymond  in  honorable  retire- 
ment from  labor.  He  died  there  May  7.  1900, 
while  his  wife  passed  away  February  14.  1883. 
He   had    been    active    and    influential    in    com- 


univl  linois 


ME.    AND    Mils'.    ('VIMS     F1TZJERRELL 


ME.    AND     MRS.    WILLIAM     F1TZJERRELL 


UNiVt 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


".4? 


lnunitv  affairs  and  his  labors  proved  of  benefit 
to  tlic  locality.  He  was  one  of  the  associate 
judges  of  the  county  and  served  in  other  Local 
offices,  discharging  his  duties  so  promptly  and 
capably  thai  no  word  of  condemnation  was  ever 
uttered  against  his  official  career.  In  his  family 
were  three  suns  and  three  daughters,  of  whom 
two  sons  and  two  daughters  are  yet  living. 

Cyrus  Fitzjerrell  was  reared  in  Zanesville 
township  upon  the  nld  home  farm  and  assisted 
in  its  operation,  working  in  field  and  meadow 
as  soon  as  his  age  and  strength  permitted.  He 
attended  the  common  schools  ti>  some  extent, 
hut  is  largely  self-educated,  adding  t<>  his 
knowledge  through  reading,  observation  and  ex- 
perience since  attaining  adult  age.  He  was 
married  in  Zanesville  township.  September  12, 
1867,  tn  Miss  Eliza  A.  Greenwood,  a  native  of 
Kentucky  and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Green- 
wood, who  removed  from  ihe  Blue  Grass  state 
to  Illinois,  becoming  one  of  the  early  residents 
of  Macoupin  county,  where  Mrs.  Fitzjerrell  was 
reared  and  educated.  The  young  couple  began 
their  domestic  life  upon  the  old  home  farm.  Mr. 
Fitzjerrell  succeeding  to  the  ownership  of  a 
valuable  tract  of  four  hundred  acres.     He  built 

a  g 1    residence,  added   other  buildings,   kept 

everything  about  his  place  in  neat  repair  and 
in  addition  to  the  cultivation  of  the  cereals  best 
adapted  to  soil  and  climate  he  also  engaged  in 
the  raising  and  feeding  of  stock,  continuing  in 
this  business  until  1903.  He  then  placed  the 
farm  in  charge  of  his  son  and  removed  to  Ray- 
mond, where  he  is  now  engaged  in  the  buying 
and  shipping  of  stock.  He  has  followed  this 
business  for  many  years  and  makes  weekly  ship- 
ments of  both  cattle  and  hogs,  sending  out 
aboui  one  hundred  carloads  annually.  His  busi- 
ness has  now  reached  extensive  proportions  and 
because  of  his  correct  estimate  of  the  value  of 
the  stock  he  is  enabled  to  make  judicious  pur- 
chases and  profitable  sales.  Mr.  Fitzjerrell  is 
al.-o  Snancially  interested  in  the  Raymond  Na- 
tional Bank,  which  he  assisted  in  organizing 
and  of  which  he  is  now  a  director  and  vice 
president. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fitzjerrell  has 
been  blessed  with  three  children:  Etta,  now 
the  wife  of  Dr.  W.  F.  Waggoner,  a  physician  of 
Carrollton,  Illinois;  Harry   !>..  who  is  married 


and  was  a  medical  student  in  the  Northwestern 
University  at  Chicago,  completing  his  course 
with  the  class  of  June,  1904  :  and  William  Ross, 
who  is  married  and  operates  Ihe  home  farm. 
Thc\  also  lost  two  sons  in  infancy,  Frankie  and 
( lyrus  Newton. 

Politically  Mr.  Fitzjerrell  is  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat and  in  Zanesville  township  he  was  elected 
I'm'  two  terms  to  represent  his  district  mi  the 
county   board   of  supervisors,     lie  has  been  a 

delegate  to   m nuis  conventions  of  his   parl\ 

and  earnestly  desires  Democratic  success,  doing 
all  in  his  power  to  secure  the  growth  of  the 
party  organization.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Master 
Mason.  His  standing  in  the  county  is  that  of 
an  honorable,  enterprising  business  man  and 
reliable  citizen,  and  in  the  control  of  his  pri- 
vate interests  he  has  won  both  prosperity  and 
an  honored  name. 


CHARLES  L.  BROWN. 

ihailo  L.  Brown,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
cultivation  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres 
of  land  on  section  29,  Witt  township,  about 
one-half  of  which  he  owns,  was  horn  one  mile 
east  of  his  present  place  of  resilience  on  the 
1  Ith  of  January,  1870,  his  parents  being 
Thomas  .1.  and  Virginia  E.  (Me('amant) 
Brown,  who  were  also  natives  of  Illinois.  The 
father,  horn  in  Montgomery  county,  June  7. 
1843,  and  carried  on  Earming  until  1902,  but 
is  now  living  in  Litchfield.  The  mother,  who 
was  horn  in  Fulton  county  in  1847,  died  in 
IS)  ■>.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  West  Vir- 
ginia and  came  to  Illinois  in  the  early  '40s. 
Our  subject's  paternal  grandparents  were  horn 
in  Tennessee  and  removed  to  this  state  in  1830. 
The  grandfather,  who  was  a  fanner  by  occu- 
pation, died  in  1846  at  the  age  of  forty-four 
years,  and  the  grandmother  passed  away  in 
1889  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine. 

At  the  usual  age  Charles  I,.  Brown  began  his 
education,  attending  Starr  school,  in  Witt 
township,  district  73.  In  the  summer  months 
he  worked  in  the  fields  and  enjoyed  the  sports 
in  which  farmer  lads  usually  indulged.  lie 
remained  at  home  until  twenty-six  years  of 
age    and    then    started    out    in    life   on    his    own 


548 


PAST    AMi    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTS 


account.  Ee  had  no  assistance,  but  has  be- 
come the  owner  of  a  neat  little  farm  of  sixty 
acres,  which  is  well  improved  with  good  build- 
ings and  an  orchard  and  which  represents  an 
industrious  career.  Be  is  farming  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  acres,  and  all  id'  the  land  is 
now  highly  cultivated  and  returns  to  him  good 

e  l'o  ]  is. 

i)ii  the  -.'1st  of  April,  1896,  Mi-.  Brown  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  M.  Hoehn, 
who  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Illinois,  Feb- 
ruary II.  L873,  a  daughter  id'  Andrew  and 
Bertha  (Oberle)  Hoehn,  of  Witt  township, 
who  are  natives  of  Germany  and  came  to 
Montgomery  county  in  1875.  The  father  is 
here  engaged  in  farming.  Three  children  have 
been  born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown,  two  sons 
and  a  daughter:  Walter  T..  seven  years  of 
age:  Celia  B..  a  little  maiden  of  live  years: 
ami  Bay  A.,  a  lad  of  two  summers.  The  par- 
ents are  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church. 
Mr.  Brown  served  as  a  member  of  the  school 
hoard  for  four  years  and  in  his  political  views 
is  a  Democrat,  lie  has  a  wide  acquaintance 
m  the  county  which  has  always  been  his  home 
and  has  gained  the  warm  friendship  of  many 
with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


CONRAD  WIEGAND. 

No  country  has  furnished  a  more  desirable 
class  of  citizens  to  America  than  has  Germany. 
The  sons  of  the  fatherland  are  usiirl.v  men 
of  enterprise,  capable  in  business,  reliable  in 
citizenship  and  with  strong  home-loving  ten- 
dencies. Mr.  Wiegand  represents  ini-  cla-s. 
lie  was  horn  in  Saxony,  Germany,  Pel  rr.arv  15, 
1842.  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  Wiegand; 
who  came  to  America  when  he  was  nine  years 
of  age.  They  took  passage  on  a  westward 
hound  sailing  vessel,  which  was  three  week*  in 
making  the  trip  and  then  dropped  anchor  in 
the  harbor  of  New  York.  Thev  did  nol  tarry 
long  in  the  eastern  metropolis,  however,  but 
went  at  once  to  Butler  county.  Pennsylvania, 
where  they  resided  upon  a  farm.  There  the 
father  died  when  his  son  Conrad  was  hut  thir- 
teen years  of  age  and  the  subject  of  this  review 
soon    afterward   started   out   in   life  on   his   own 


account,  lie  secured  employment  on  a  steam- 
boa!  sailing  from  Louisville,  Kentucky,  to  New 
Orleans  and  was  thus  employed  between  the 
ages  of  thirteen  and  nineteen  years.  When  the 
Civil  war  broke  out  he  was  in  the  latter  city, 
hut  he  managed  to  make  his  way  to  Indiana. 
He  had  watched  with  interest  the  progress  of 
events  and  being  in  entire  sympathy  with  the 
Union  cause  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany 1.  Thirteenth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infant- 
ry, joining  the  regiment  at  Xew  Albany.  Aft- 
er two   months  there   passed   the  command  pro- 

c led  to  Richmond,  and  at  a  mountain  pass  in 

Wist  Virginia  he  and  fifteen  comrades  were 
captured.  They  were  then  taken  to  Libby 
prison,  where  they  were  incarcerated  for  nine 
months  and  were  then  transferred  to  Tusca- 
loosa, Alabama,  where  they  remained  for  three 
months  and  were  then  paroled.  Mr.  Wiegand 
-tailed  to  return,  hut  he  proceeded  only  as  fai 
as  Raleigh,  when  he  was  again  captured  and 
was  imprisoned  in  Salisbury.  North  Carolina, 
where  he  remained  for  three  months  and  was 
then  exchanged.  He  was  sent  to  Governor's 
Island  and  thence  went  home  on  a  furlough. 
Later  he  went  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  where  in 
September,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  Tenth  Ohio 
Cavalry  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  was  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  one  of 
the  most  hotly  contested  engagements,  and  was 
also  with  Sherman  on  the  celebrated  march  to 
the  sea.  lie  served  throughout  the  entire  pe- 
riod of  hostilities  as  a  private  and  although  he 
was  frequently  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight  he 
was  never  wounded,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  he  had  three  horses  shot  from  under  him. 
Brave  and  loyal,  he  never  faltered  in  the  per- 
formance of  his  duty,  but  was  ever  true  to  the 
old  flag  and  the  cause  it  represented. 

Not  long  after  the  war  Mr.  Wiegand  went  to 
Belleville,  where  he  worked  m  the  coal  mines 
for  two  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  came  to  Montgomery  county,  where 
be  began  renting  land  and  in  1883  with  the 
capital  he  had  acquired  through  bis  own  labor 
he  purchased  forty  acre-,  where  he  now  resides. 
To  this  he  has  since  added  as  bis  financial  re- 
sources have  given  him  opportunity  until  now 
he  owns  two  hundred  and  ninety-nine  acres 
Iving    in    Ilillshoro   and    in    Grisham   township. 


PAST    AM>    PRESENT    OF  MONTGOMERY    COUNTY                        549 

The   home    farm    comprises   one    hundred    and  ricultural    life,  and   as   the  result   of   his   per- 

ainety-nine  acres  on  sections  10  and  3,  Grisham  sistenl    labor  and   careful    management    lie  ac- 

township,  and  is  a  valuable  property  with  well  cumulated   a    handsome  competence   that   now 

tilled    fields,   in    which    he   uses  the   latest    im-  enables  him  to  live  retired.  He  is  a  resident  of 

proved   machinery,    with    rich    meadow    lands.  Marvel  at  tins  writing,  occupying  a  nice  home 

good  buildings  and,  in  fact,  all  modem  equip-  there.     Unto  him  and  Ins  wife  "ere  born  eight 

ments  and  accessories  such  as  are  found   upon  sons  and  seven  daughters,  all  of  whom  reached 

the  lei  farm  of  the  twentieth  century.  years  of  maturity  and  the  suns  and  six  of  the 

In  .Mine.   1876,   Mr.   Wiegand   was   united    in  daughters  are   married. 

marriage   to    Mis-    Caroline     Kala    ami     their  William  C.  Smith  spent  his  boyhood  days  on 

union  has  I n  blessed  with  five  children,  three  Ins  lather's  farm  in  Raymond  township  and  at- 

daughtefs  and  two  sons :     Mary,  who  is  now  the  tended   the    public   schools,   acquiring     a     fair 

wife  of   Henry    Niemann;   Annie,  the   wife  of  English  education,  which  qualified  him  to  meet 

John  Boge;  Sophia,  the  wife  of  Walter  Bobe;  the    practical    and    responsible  duties   of   busi- 

George,   who   is   at    home   engaged    in    general  1U'SS  life-     During  the  months  of  vacation  he 

farming;  and   Theodore,  who  died  at   the  age  assisted  bis  father  in  the  farm  work  and  con- 

of  six  years  and  was  buried  in  Waveland  eeme-  ll1""''1  <"  Sive  llM"  the  benefit  of  his  services 

tery.     The   parents   are   members   of    tin'    Ger-  iml'1    l"'    had    attained    Ins    majority    and    was 

man   Lutheran  church  ami   Mr.  Wiegand  gives  married.     In  L885  he  was  joined  in  wedlock  to 

h,s  political  support   to  the   Republican   party.      Miss   s'°Phia    w''1-1'-  a   nallvr  of   R li '''v 

He  displays   in    Ins  life  many   of   the  sterling  ''l,mi,v-  who  sPen1  '"'''  mtire  life  here>  Passin" 

characteristics  of  his  German  ancestry,  but  he  awa?  "n  the  ,;tl'  "r  February,   1893.     She  left 

,s  thoroughly   American   in  thought  and  spirit  three   children:      Krna    Louise,   Anna    ami    K- 

aml   in  matters  of  citizenship,  too.  he  is  as  true  tella.      The    first    two    are    at    home    with    then' 

and  loyal  to-day  as  when  he  follow., 1  the  old  father  and  lh"  Y^ngest   daughter  is   now   l,v- 

ing  with  her  maternal  grandmother.  On  the 
I  llh  of  March.  1896,  in  Butler  Grove  town- 
ship. Mr.  Smith  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Minnie  Ricke,  a  native 
WILLIAM  C.  SMITH.  0f  Butler  Grove  township  and  a  daughter  of 
William  ('.  Smith,  a  general  farmer  and  William  Ricke,  who  was  horn  in  Germany  and 
stock-raiser  of  Raymond  township,  was  horn  in  became  one  of  tin'  early  residents  of  Mont- 
Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  not  far  from  the  gomery  county.  By  the  second  marriage  there 
village  of  Raymond,  May  17,  1865.  His  father,  are  two  children,  Johnnie  ami  Roscoe. 
William  Smith,  was  born  in  Germany  and  came  After  his  first  marriage  Mr.  Smith  began 
to  the  United  States  when  a  lad  of  fourteen  farming  in  Raymond  township,  commencing 
years,  lie  made  his  way  direct  to  Illinois  and  with  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land, 
afterward  worked  by  the  month  near  St.  Louis,  which  he  continued  to  cultivate  for  several 
Subsequently  be  took  up  his  abode  in  Sanga-  years,  lie  afterward  operated  the  old  family 
innii  county,  where  he  attained  Ins  majority  homestead  for  four  years  a  ml  in  January,  189], 
ami  was  married,  the  lady  of  hi-  choice  being  he  purchased  his  present  property  and  look  up 
Miss  Hannah  Schelpe,  a  native  of  Germany,  his  abode  thereon.  It  is  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
A  farmer  by  occupation,  the  father  carried  on  anil  sixty  acres  on  section  25,  Raymond  town- 
general  agricultural  pursuits  in  Sangamon  ship.  He  has  since  rebuilt  and  remodeled  the 
county  for  a  few  years,  during  which  lime  two  house,  has  fenced  the  place  and  made  many 
children  were'added  to  the  household.  About  substantial  improvements,  including  the  plant- 
1870  he  removed  to  Montgomery  county,  set-  ing  of  a  good  orchard.  His  farm  is  now  well 
tling  in  Raymond  township,  where  he  opened  improved,  constituting  a  desirable  property,  but 
up  a  farm  upon  which  he  reared  his  family,  when  it  came  into  his  possession  it  was  much 
For   many   years  he  continued   actively   in   ag-  run  down   and   the  buildings  were  all    in   poor 


ag  upon  the  battle-fields  of  the  south. 


',11 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


repair.  He  has  worked  earnestly  and  energet- 
ically in  bring  aboul  this  transformation  which 
has  since  occurred. 

Politically  Mr.  Smith  is  au  earnest  Demo- 
crat, keeping  well  informed  on  the  questions 
and  issues  of  the  day.  but  giving  his  time  and 
attention  principally  to  the  business  affairs. 
lie  has  held  do  )>uh]ic  office  save  that  of  school 
director.  He  and  his  wife  arc  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church  and  wen'  reared  in  that  faith. 
Mr.  Smith  also  belongs  to  the  Modern  Wood- 
men camp  ami  is  well  known  to  his  brethren 
of  that  fraternity,  lie  i^  classed  with  the  in- 
dustrious, frugal,  careful  ami  successful  farm- 
ers ami  he  keeps  everything  about  his  place  in 
excellenl  condition  and  the  neat  appearance  of 
his  buildings  ami  the  highly  cultivated  fields 
indicate  his  enterprise.  He  is  a  man  of  good 
liahits.  thoroughly  reliable  in  business  tran- 
sact ion-  and  honorable  in  all  his  relations  with 
his  Fellow  men  ami  his  upright  character  lias 
gained  him    favorable  acquaintance. 


GEORGE  s.  WILSON,  M.  D. 

Dr.  George  S.  Wilson,  whose  successful  ca- 
reer as  a  member  of  the  medical  fraternity  is 
the  direct  result  of  careful  preparation  and 
conscientious  purposes  combined  with  a  thor- 
ough  and  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the 
principles  of  medicine  ami  a  humanitarian  de- 
votion lo  the  need-  of  lii-  patients,  is  also  well 
known  in  Nokomis  ami  Montgomery  county  as 
a  successful  investor  in  mining  and  ml  stocks. 
He  has.  moreover;  an  agreeable  manner,  an 
unfailing  courtesj  ami  a  kindly  disposition 
that  render  him  popular  with  all  and  the  cir- 
cle of  his  friendship  is  continually  broadening. 

Dr.  Wilson  was  horn  in  Richmond,  Jefferson 
county.  Ohio,  on  the  :ilst  of  January,  1865,  his 
parents  being  John  T.  and  Susan  (Graden) 
Wilson.  His  paternal  grandfather,  a  native  of 
[reland,  came  to  America  in  1812  and  it  is 
supposed  that  the  great-grandfather  in  the  pa- 
ternal line  was  killed  in  the  second  war  with 
England,  lie  left  landed  estate  in  County 
I  town,  [reland.  The  grandfather,  John  Wil- 
son, was  united  in  marriage  to  a  daughter  of 
Peter   Taylor,    id'    County    Down.    Ireland,    and 


her  death  occurred  in  L872,  when  she  had 
reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years. 
Their  son.  John  T.  Wilson,  was  born  No- 
vember '.'.  is-.'."),  and  after  arriving  at  years 
id'  maturity  he  followed  farming  m  Jefferson 
county.  Ohio,  where  he  owned  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  in  the  vicinity  of  Rich- 
mond. This  property  was  later  sold  to  a  sis- 
ter of  our  subject.  John  T.  Wilson  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Susan  Graden,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  1834.  She  lost  her  mother  during 
her  early  girlhood  and  when  hut  twelve  years 
of  age  was  left  an  orphan  by  the  death  of  her 
father,  who  died  near  Germano  in  Jefferson 
county.  Ohio,  in  1846.  Of  her  brothers,  Aleck- 
ami  John  Graden  died  in  Nokomis.  James 
Graden  was  a  congressman  of  the  state  of 
Washington.  He  was  very  prominent  and  in- 
fluential in  the  northwest  and  he  laid  out  the 
town  of  Walla  Walla.  Jacob  Graden  now 
resides  m  Kansas  City,  while  Thomas  is  a  sheep 
man  of  the  west  and  both  are  wealthy.  For 
many  years  John  T.  and  Susan  (Graden)  Wil- 
son traveled  life's  journey  together  and  they 
were  separated  by  death  for  only  a  brief  period, 
the  father  dying  on  the  7th  day  of  March. 
1903,  while  the  mother  passed  away  on  the  14th 
of    April,   of   the   same  year.      They   were  laid 

to  rest    in  Ohio  near  the  old  I e  where  they 

had  so  long  lived.  Both  were  consistent  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and 
Mr.  Wilson  was  a  Republican  in  his  political 
views.     They  were  the  parents  of  six  children. 

<d'    wl i    Dr.    Wilson    is   the    fifth    in   order   of 

birth.  Thomas  A.,  the  eldest,  was  married  to 
Mauilane  Anderson  and  resides  in  Nokomis. 
Mary  .lane  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years. 
Maggie  A.  became  the  wife  of  John  Ramsey, 
who  died   in   1890,  ami   his  widow  now  resides 

upon    fl Id    Wilson    homestead    in   Jefferson 

county,  Ohio.  James  E.  is  a  carpenter  and 
mechanical  engineer  of  Nokomis.  John  \\ .. 
the  youngest  of  the  family,  married  Amy  Sut- 
ton and  resides  in  Carroll  county.  Ohio,  where 
he    follows    Earming   and    is   also    serving    as   a 

justice   of    the    peace. 

Dr.  Wilson  acquired  his  early  education  in 
the  district  schools  id'  Jefferson  county.  Ohio. 
and  afterward  attended  Richmond  College  in 
his    native    town,    from    which    institution    he 


DR.    G.    S.    WILSON 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


.-.."..I 


was  graduated  on  the  completion  of  a  com- 
mercial course.  It  was  his  intention,  however, 
to  prepare  for  the  practice  of  medicine  and 
soon  afterward  he  entered  upon  a  course  of 
lectures  in  the  Columbus  Medical  College  and 
was  graduated  on  the  2d  of  March.  1892,  from 
this  institution.  He  is  an  alumnus  of  the  Stal- 
ling Medical  College  of  Columbus,  one  of  the 
oldest  medical  colleges  of  the  state,  its  ex- 
istence covering  more  than  sixty  years.  He  prac- 
ticed medicine  during  the  summer  of  L892  and 
then  matriculated  in  the  Medical  College  of 
Indiana,  now  connected  with  the  University 
of  [ndianapolis.  He  was  graduated  from  that 
institution  on  the  30th  of  March.  1893.  He 
took  his  final  examinations  on  the  28th  of  that 
month  and  began  practice  two  days  later  at 
Rosemond,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  until 
.lime  14.  1899,  when  he  removed  to  Nokomis, 
where  he  still  resides,  having  gained  here  a 
large  and  lucrative  practice.  He  belongs  to 
the  Central  Illinois  Medical  Society,  and  in 
addition  to  the  work  of  a  general  practitioner 
he  has  his  full  share  id'  consultation  work  and 
i<  examiner  for  various  life  insurance  com- 
panies, including  tin'  New  York  Mutual,  the 
Home  of  New  York,  the  John  Hancock  and 
the  Bankers'  Life.  He  is  also  examiner  for 
the  Modem  Woodmen  Camp,  the  Court  of 
Honor  and  the  Loyal  Circle.  Ho  has  a  splen- 
didly equipped  office  and  possesses  the  only 
static  electricity  and  X-ray  machine  in 
Nokomis  and.  in  fact,  was  the  first  one  to  in- 
troduce the  improved  helps  to  the  medical  pro- 
fession in  Montgomery  county,     lie  also  has  a 

special     neiillhe/er.     with     which     he     treats     the 

nose  and  ear.  His  practice  has  been  attended 
with  a  creditable  measure  of  success  and  his 
fellow  practitioners  as  well  as  the  public  ac- 
cord him  high  rank  as  a  representative  of  the 
medical  fraternity  of  Montgomery  county.  He 
belongs  to  the  Central  Illinois  Medical  Fra- 
ternity of  Montgomery  county.  lie  belongs 
to  the  Central  Illinois  Medical  Society  ami 
is  also  a  fellow  of  the  Sydenham  Society,  an 
association  formed  in  the  College  id'  Indiana. 
As  Dr.  Wilson  has  prospered  in  his  practice 
and  his  financial  resources  have  been  thereby 
increased,  he  has  made  judicious  investment 
and  is  now  the  treasurer  of  the  Kevstone  Min- 


ing &  Milling  Company  of  Decatur,  owning 
mining  property  in  New  Mexico.  There  are 
only  ten  men  interested  in  this  enterprise  and 
thus  the  profits  are  proportionately  greater 
than  in  the  companies  where  there  are  many 
stockholders.  Dr.  Wilson  is  also  a  director 
in  the  Bradshaw  Copper  Company,  of  Arizona. 
and  is  the  president  of  the  Xokonus  Crude  Oil 
Company,  having  property  in  Kansas,  whicu 
tin'  company  is  now  developing. 


EDWARD    U.    HESS. 


Much    of   the   surface   land    of    Montgomery 

county  is  underlaid  with  rich  coal  deposits  and 
the    develop lit    of    the    coal     fields    has    hecomc 

an  important  source  of  revenue  in  this  part  of 
the  state.  Mr.  Hess,  as  manager  of  the  Mont- 
gomery Coal  Company,  i>  well  known  in  busi- 
ness circles  and  his  position  is  a  responsible 
and  important  one.  lie  was  horn  in  Macoupin 
county.  Illinois.  July  28,  I  si;;,  his  parents  be- 
ing Samuel  S'.  and  Susan  (Doty)  Hess,  both 
.it  whom  were  natives  of  this  state  In  1868 
they  located  in  Christian  county  near  Mor- 
risonville,  where  the  father  engaged  in  farm- 
ing tor  some  time  and  where  he  and  his  wife 
now  live. 

Edward  I'..  Hess  is  indebted  to  the  public- 
school  svsiein  of  Morrisonville  for  the  educa- 
tional privileges  which  he  enjoyed.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years  he  started  out  as  an  engi- 
neer ami  in  1895  he  came  to  Witt  township. 
Montgomery  county,  where  he  accepted  a  po- 
sition as  engineer  with  the  Montgomery  Coal 
Company.  In  1896  he  became  a  stockholder 
in  (hi'  coal  company  and  has  been  its  secretary 
since  July,  1897.  Throughout  this  period  he 
has  also  been  manager  and  the  successful  con- 
duct of  the  business  is  largely  attributable  to 
In-  efforts,  his  practical  knowledge  of  the  best 
methods  of  mining  coal  and  of  placing  the  prod- 
uct on  the  market,  lie  is  also  a  stockholder 
in  the  Hillsboro  Electric  Light  Company. 

on  the  5th  of  June.  1900,  Mr.  Hess  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Annie  Paisley,  a 
daughter  of  G.  W.  Paisley,  who  is  represented 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  Her  death  occurred 
June  5,  1001.  and  was  deeply  regretted  through- 


55  I 


PAST    AM)    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


out  the  community,  for  she  had  many  warm 
friends.  Mr.  Hess  belongs  to  Twin  City  lodge. 
No.  622,  K.  P.,  and  he  attends  the  Presby- 
terian church.  His  political  support  is  given 
In  tlic  I  (emocracy. 

Fred  S.  Hess,  brother  of  Edward  B.  Hess., 
serving  as  weighmaster  for  the  Montgomery 
Coal  Company,  was  born  in  Morrisonville,  Illi- 
nois. December  16,  L878,  and  also  attended  the 
schools  there.  He  spent  one  year  as  a  janitor 
in  Oak  Park.  Illinois,  and  in  1899  lie  came 
to  Paisley,  where  he  has  since  horn  weighmaster 

wiih  the  Montgi rv  Coal  Company,      lie  was 

married  December  L6,  1901,  to  Bessie  McBride. 
a  daughter  of  Richard  McBride,  of  Morrison- 
ville, and  tin1  brothers  reside  together.  Fred 
Hess  is  also  connected  with  Twin  City  lodge, 
No.  ii"?'?.  K.  P..  and  his  political  allegiance  is 
given  to  the  Democracy.  The  brothers  are  well 
known  young  business  men  of  Paisley  and  are 
making  steady  and  substantial  advance  in  in- 
dustrial circles. 


WILLIAM     AXJLT. 


William  Ault.  now  deceased,  was  a  respected 
fanner  of  Montgomery  county,  whose  entire 
life  was  actuated  l>y  honorable  principle-  as 
manifested  by  his  fidelity  in  citizenship,  his 
trustworthiness  in  business  relations,  Ins  faith- 
fulness in  frendship  and  in  his  devotion  to  his 
family. 

Mr.  Ault  was  born  in  Hardy  county,  West 
Virgina,  in  1840,  and  there  spent  the  days  of 
his  boyhood  and  youth.  He  remained  at  home 
until  after  the  inauguration  of  the  ('ivil  war. 
when  in  1862,  prompted  by  a  spirit  of  loyalty  to 
the  I 'nion.  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of  ( Jompany 
B,  First  Regiment,  P.  II.  I'...  Maryland  Cavalry. 
with  which  he  served  for  three  years,  lacking 
two  months.  He  participated  in  the  siege  of 
Petersburg  and  carried  dispatches  to  Williams- 
port  during  that  battle.  At  the  battle  of 
( lhancellorsville  he  and  a  comrade  were  sent  out 
as  spies  to  investigate  the  position  and  strength 
of  Stonewall  Jackson's  forces,  and  in  returning 
he  was  captured  by  Union  soldiers  who  be- 
lieved  him   to  he  a    Rebel   spy  and   put   a   rope 


around  his  neck,  intending  to  hang  him.  but 
just  at  the  last  moment  bis  life  was  saved  by  a 
Union    officer.     He   was   a   brave  and    intrepid 

soldier,  often    found    ill   the  thickest    of   tile   fighl 

in  many  hard  fought  battles,  and  at  the  close 
of  the  war  was  honorably  discharged  with  the 
rank  of  corporal. 

Following    the    close    of    hostilities     Mr.    Ault 

-pent  a  year  in  Ohio  and  then  came  to  Mont- 
gomery county.  Illinois,  where  lie  continued  to 
reside  until  called  to  his  final  rest.  He  was 
married  here  on  the  20th  of  September,  1875, 
to  Miss  Mary  Curlew,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Wil- 
liam II.  Curlew,  who  was  born  in  Illinois,  and 
was  brought  to  Montgomery  county  by  his 
father.  Philip  Corlew,  who  was  one  of  the 
earliest  of  the  pioneer  settlers.  William  II. 
Corlew  became  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  church 
and  engaged  in  preaching  the  gospel  for  many 
years,  lie  was  also  a  prominent  man  in  public 
affairs  and  for  a  long  period  served  as  justice 
o|'  the  peace,  bis  decisions  being  strictly  fair 
and  impartial.  He  was  always  true  to  every 
trust  and  bis  high  moral  worth  and  his  active 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  fellow  men  made 
him  a  valued  and  highly  respected  citizen.  He 
married  Eliza  A.  Black  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  seven  children:  Henrietta,  the  wife 
of  I!.  Ivessinger,  of  Kansas;  Martha,  deceased 
wile  of  .lames  Sims;  Mrs.  Ault;  Amanda,  de- 
ceased; Fdiza  and  Lucy,  who  are  living  in 
Colorado;  and  Lottie,  the  wife  of  Addison 
Applegate,  who  is  residing  upon  the  old  home 
farm  of  the  family.  Rev.  Corlew.  who  was 
born  in  1819,  died  March  •'!.  1897,  and  his  wife, 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Illinois.  January  12, 
is-.'  I.  passed  away  mi  the  7th  of  April.  190  I. 
Like  her  husband  she  was  a  most  consistent 
Christian.  In  early  life  she  joined  the  Chris- 
tian church  and  her  religious  faith  was  mani- 
fest in  her  kind  and  generous  spirit  and  many 
deeds  of  helfulness  and  id'  mercy.  On  the  .Mli 
of  February,  1846,  she  gave  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage to  Rev.  Curlew  and  was  thereafter  a  most 
devoted  companion  and  helpmate  to  him  on  the 
journey  of  li fe. 

The  hon E  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ault  was  blessed 

with  six  children:  Annie,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  (wo  years:  Daisy,  who  died  in  childhood; 
Maggie  ami  Retta,  who  are  engaged  in  teaching 


■■■  "  ">y 


mm  moi5 


ME.    AND    MRS.    WILLIAM     AULT 


MR.    AND    MRS.    W.    H.    CORLEW 


.ANA 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTS 


559 


school;    Verna   and    \'< •  j i;i ,    who  are   attending 
school  in  ( lharleston,  [llinois. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Auli  took 
his  bride  to  his  farm  and  continued  to  engage 
in  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  labors  were 
ended  in  death.  Ee  was  very  practical  as  well 
as  progressive  in  his  farm  work  and  as  the 
years  passed  accumulated  a  handsome  compe- 
tence, leaving  at  the  tunc  of  his  death  three 
hundred  and  twentj  acres  of  land,  to  which  his 
wife  has  since  added  by  purchase  a  trad  of 
eight  acre-,  -e  i li.it  she  new  has  four  hundred 
acre-,  sis  miles  southwest  of  Hillsboro.  She 
superintends  this  place  and  displa)'s  excellent 
business  ability  thereby.  On  the  2nd  day  of 
June.  1896,  Mr.  Auli  was  driving  a  team  of 
mules  ami  leading  another  from  the  field  where 
he  had  been  working,  when  death  came  to  him. 
His  team  continued  mi  In  the  barnyard  gate 
and  there  stopped,  ami  sunn  afterward  Mr.  Ault 
was  discovered  by  his  little  daughter.  lie  had 
previously  suffered  from  heart  trouble,  which 
was  undoubtedly  the  cause  of  his  death,  lie 
had  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternitj 
and  iii  politics  was  a  stalwart  Republican,  giv- 
ing  unfaltering  support  to  the  principles  of  the 
party,  lie  held  membership  in  the  Methodist 
church,  In  which  his  widow  belongs,  and  his 
life  was  actuated  b\  high  principles  and  honor- 
able motives. 


HUMPHREY   II.   HOOD,  M.  D. 

Mr.  Humphrey  Hughes  Hood,  fourth  nl'  the 
ten  children  of  Lambert  ami  Sarah  (Hughes) 
Hood,  was  born  September  19,  1823,  in  Phila- 
delphia, ef  which  ci]\  In-  father's  famih  had 
been  residents  for  four  preceding  generations. 
lli>  mother  was  <>(  Welsh  nativity,  coming  with 
her  parents  to  this  country    in  early  childhood. 

In  1831  the  family  removed  t<>  Alton,  Illi- 
nois,  ami  afterward  In  utter  Creek  Prairie 
then  in  Greene,  now  in  Jersey  county.  Their 
stay  in  the  west  was  only  fur  about  eighteen 
months,  at  the  end  of  which  lime  they  returned 
to  Philadelphia.  In  is  is,  after  reading  with 
a.  tutor,  Dr.  I  lend  entered  Jefferson  Medical 
College,  id'  Philadelphia,  and  was  graduated 
in  the  spring  of  1851.     The  following  autumn 


found  him  in  Jersey  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
had  lived  a  short  time  during  hi^  boyhood.  In 
the  summer  of  Is:,  i  he  removed  to  the  new 
lown  of  Litchfield,  which  had  been  laid  out 
the  preceding  autumn,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  and.  excepting  one 
year's  residence  in  Taylorville,  remained  a  resi- 
dent  there  until  his  death. 

In  June,  1855,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ma- 
tilda   W Iliiuise  Jackson,  eldest   daughter   of 

Mr.  (diaries  s.  Jackson,  of  Jerseyville.  Five 
children  were  horn  of  ibis  union,  of  whom 
three  survive:  George  Perry  Hood,  of  Grand 
Rapids,    Michigan,   and    Misses   Sarah    Prances 

Hood  and  Annie  Hughes   II I.  of   Litchfield. 

Dr.  Hood  became  a  widower  January  ".'.  1867 
and  in  July,  1869,  was  married  to  Mrs.  Abi- 
gail Elvira  Paden,  daughter  of  the  late  Mr. 
Joseph  Torrey,  of  Springfield.  Their  chil- 
dren, both  living,  are :  I  [arold  Hood,  of  Litch- 
field; and  Mrs.  Louise  Rahmeyer,  of  Manila., 
Philippine    Islands. 

In  September,  1862,  Dr.  Hood  entered  the 
army  with  the  appointment  of  assistant  fiii1- 
geon  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Seventeenth 
Illinois  Volunteer  [nfantry,  and  alter  our  year 
was  appointed  surgeon  of  the  'Third  United 
States  Heavy  Artillery,  with  headquarters  at 
Fort  Pickering.  Memphis,  Tennessee,  holding 
that  position  during  the  three  remaining  years 
of  his  service,  a  part  of  which  time  he  was  also 
on  the  staff  of  Genera]  John  E.  Smith  as  sur- 
geon-in-chief of  the  district  of  west  Tennessee. 

see. 

When  a  boy.  during  his  short  residence  in 
and  near  Alton,  in  is::;  and  1838,  his  atten- 
tion was  first  drawn  to  the  subject  of  American 
slavery  by  the  action  of  the  pro-slavery  mobs 
that  destroyed  the  presses  of  the  Alton  oh- 
server  ami  finally  murdered  its  anti-slavery 
editor,  the  Rev.  Elijah  Lovejoy.  Dr  Hood 
was  relating  the  story  of  the  incidents  of  this 
outrage  to  some  friends  ai  a  little  social  gather- 
ing and  made  mention  of  his  coining  up  the 
river  on  a  steamer  from  St.  Louis  to  Alton  ami 
overhearing  a  portion  of  a  conversation  by  son)'? 
of  these  depredators.  This  was  a  short  time 
previous  to  the  occurrence  of  the  outrage,  but 
not  enough  was  gathered  of  a  nature  sufficiently 
tangible    to    cause    him     to    take      prior     action 


560 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


against  the  parties  to  the  crime.  These  out- 
rages, committed  with  impunity,  together  with 
the  bitterly  prescriptive  and  murderous  spirit 
exhibited  by  many  people  toward  those  who 
condemned  them,  made  the  subject  oi  this 
sketch  an  abolitionist  for  life.  He,  however, 
before  the  Civil  war,  never  favored  any  federal 
interference  with  slavery  in  the  states  where  ii 
existed,  lie  did  believe  that  its  introduction  into 
the  territories  should  lie  forbidden  and  that  no 
more  slave  states  should  he  admitted  into  tile 
Union.  He  identified  himself  with  the  Free- 
soil  party,  whose  platform  enunciated  these 
wew-  ami  whose  battle  cry  was,  "Free  soil,  free 
speech,  free  press,  free  labor  and  free  men." 
He  followed  (hat  party  in  1856,  when  it  was 
merged  into  the  newly  organized  Republican 
party.  He  voted  for  the  Republican  nominees 
at  every  presidential  election  from  L856  to 
L900,  inclusive. 

Hi1.  Ilo. id  was  never  a  seeker  after  public  po- 
sition, hnt.  nevertheless,  was  not  infrequently 
chosen  fur  office.  He  was  three  times  elected 
an  alderman  of  the  city  of  Litchfield  and  once 
supervisor  of  North  Litchfield  township.  Ik 
served  main  years  as  a  member  of  the  Litch- 
field hoard  of  education,  and  fur  much  of  that 
time  was  its  secretary.  In  1  ss-l  he  was  elected 
as  the  Republican  minority  representative  for 
the  legislative  district  composed  of  Christian 
and  Montgomer}  counties,  in  the  general  as- 
sembly, and  was  one  of  the  memorable  One 
Hundred  and  Three  by  whose  votes  John  A. 
Logan  was.  I'm-  the  last  time,  returned  to  the 
United  States  senate.  Ilis  official  duties  in 
ever]  case  were  discharged  with  the  most  scru- 
pulous and  careful  consideration  I'm'  the  inter- 
ests nf  his  constituents  and  the  people  of  the 
state.  The  same  adherence  to  his  convictions 
of  duty  ami  a  close  observance  of  the  golden 
rule  in  his  business  and  social  relations,  to- 
gether with  a  warm  fidelity  to  the  interests  of 
his  friends,  characterized  his  conduct  in  pri- 
vate life. 

I>r.  Hood  was  from  childhood  a  regular  at- 
tendant upon  religious  services,  and  after  his 
removal  to  Illinois,  in  1852,  upon  those  of  the 
Presbyterian  church,  to  the  support  of  which 
he  freely  contributed,  hut  did  not  unite  with 
that    communion    until    1890.     During   his   re- 


maining  years    he    was    active    in    church    and 
Sunday-school    work. 

His  death  occurred  in  his  eightieth  year,  on 
Friday,  February  •.'<).  L903,  after  an  illness  of 
hut  four  days.  Although  failing  in  health  for 
ten  years  or  longer,  he  had  been  giving  unre- 
mitting attention  to  his  business,  and  on  the 
day  preceding  the  fatal  attack,  was  apparently 
in  more  than  ordinarily  good  health.  His  fu- 
neral, under  the  direction  of  the  Post  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  took  place  at 
the  Litchfield  Presbyterian  church,  on  the  Sun- 
day following  his  decease,  and  was  largely  at- 
tended. 


HON.  I-:.  II.  DONALDSON. 

lion.  E.  II.  Donaldson,  now  residing  in  Fill- 
more, is  one  of  the  prominent  and  influential 
citizens  of  Montgomery  county,  taking  an  ac- 
tive part  in  community  affairs  and  in  public 
office  demonstrating  his  loyalty  to  the  general 
g I  by  active  co-operation  in  many  move- 
ment which  have  formed  the  hasi?.  of  the  coun- 
ty's prosperity  and   upbuilding. 

Mr.  Donaldson  was  horn  in  Fayette  county, 
Illinois.  November  L0,  1836,  his  parents  being 
William  C.  and  Elvina  (Hicks)  Donaldson, 
both  natives  of  Tennessee.  His  paternal  great- 
grandparents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  Donaldson, 
came  to  this  country  from  near  Glasgow,  Scot- 
land, about  the  time  of  the  I  (evolutionary  war. 
and  espousing  the  cause  of  the  colonists  Robert 
Donaldson  entered  the  army  under  General 
George  Washington.  He  was  wounded  in  the 
thigh  by  a  musket  hall  which  fractured  the 
hone  and  I'm-  three  months  he  lay  in  the  hos- 
pital, after  which  he  rejoined  his  regiment  and 
continued  in  active  service  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  Later  he  engaged  in  farming  in 
North  Carolina  and  from  there  moved  his  fam- 
ily to  Tennessee,  where  his  death  occurred. 
Our  subject's  grandfather,  Barnett  Donaldson, 
was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812  and  died  in 
Fayette  county.  Illinois,  as  did  his  first  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Andrews, 
After  her  death  he  married  Mrs.  Charity 
Breeze,  of  Jefferson  county,  Illinois,  who  also 
died  iii   Fayette  county. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF  MONTGOMERY    COUNTY                       561 

William  C.  Donaldson,  the  father  of  our  sub-  On  the  3d  of  January.,  1856,  Mr.  Donaldson 

jcct,  was  born  in  Carrol]  county,  Tennessee,  in  was   united    in    marriage   to    Miss    Mary   Ann 

1817,  and  he  remained  in  the  state  of  his  na-  Rhodes,  a   native   of    Fayette  county,   Illinois, 

tiyity  until  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  when,  in  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  five  chil- 

1832,  he  came  to   Illinois,  settling  in    Fayette  dren:     William    A.,   who   was   engaged    in   ag- 

county  among  its  pioneer  residents.     There  he  ricultural  pursuits,  married    Emma  .lane  Craig 

attained  his  majority  and  afterward  engaged  in  and  died  June  14,  1900,  Leaving  a  widow  and 

farming  and  merchandising,     lie  spent  his  re-  six  children,  three  sons  and    three   daughters, 

maining  days  there,  passing  away  in  1872.     lie  .lames    M.,   the   youngest,  died    at    the  age  of 

was  a  man  of  public-spirited  interest  in  general  seven  years.     Of  those  livingj  Mary   E.  is  the 

progress  and  his  influence  was  ever  on  the  sick;  wife  of  William  Hard.     Aaron  B.,  who  married 

of   improvement.     Hi'  served    as   county   emu-  Celia    Ann   Craig  and   is  living   in   St.   Louis, 

missioner  and  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  in  the  was   a   minister  of  the    Methodisi    church    lor 

discharge  id'   his   duties   he   was  ever   prompt,  fourteen   years,   hut    is    now    president  of   the 

faithful  and  reliable.     Onto  him  and  his  wife  International    Leather   Company.     Lena    J.   is 

were  horn  the  following  children:     Elijah   II.,  the  wife   of  Judson   Solomon,  of   Washington 

nf  tin-  review;   Presley  0..  a  retired  farmer  of  county.  Arkansas. 

Fillmore,    who    married     Elizabeth    Lovegrove  Mi-,  and  Mrs.  Donaldson  hold  membership  in 

and   had   three  children,  two  sous  now  living;  the   Methodist    Episcopal  church  and   lie  is  an 

Mary  E.,  who  married  Henry  Cassey,  and  both  exemplary   member  of  the   Masonic   fraternity, 

are    now    deceased:    Martha    .1..    deceased    wife  being  made  a  Mason  in  1863  ai   Ramsey  Lodge, 

<>f  .1.  W.  Hieks.  of  Witt  township;  Mahala   I'..  \n.  (-05,  m  Ramsey,  Illinois,  and  now  belonging 

deceased    wife   of   'I'.   .1.    Hill,   a    merchant,   of  i,,    Fillmore    Lodge,    No.    670,  of    Fillmore,   of 

Fillmore:    Nancy,   wh arried    dames    Harris  which   he  has  served  as  master  for  three  terms 

and  both  are  now  deceased ;  James  C,  who  mar-  ilM(|  has  also  been  representative  to  the  grand 

nod    Esther  S'chirl,  now   deceased,   and   resides  [0dge.      \\\>   political    support    is   given   to   the 

in   Ramsey,  Illinois:  and  Sarah  1!..  wife  of  I).  Democracy   and    upon   that    ticket    he   has   been 

M.  Griggs,  of  Fillmore.  elected    to    various    public    positions    of    honor 

Elijah    II.    Donaldson   spent  the  days  of  his  and   trust,      lie  served   as  supervisor   for   three 

boyhood   and   youth    in    Ins   parents'   home   ami  years;   was  assessor   four  years;   road   commis- 

pursued   his  education   in   the  schools  of   Fay-  -inner   two   years,   school    trustee   eight    years, 

ette  county,     lie  afterward   engaged    in   teach-  school  director  twenty  years,  and   in   1890  was 

in»-   there    ami    was    also    identified    with    mer-  elected   to   represent   his   district   in   the  thirtv- 

cantile    interests    for    four   years.     On    the   ex-  seventh  genera]  assembly  of   Illinois.    While  in 

piration  of  that    period    he   removed   in   Mont-  the  house  he  proved  one  of  the  active  working 

gomery    county,    sottlin.u     in     Witt    township.  members   of    the    Democratic    party,   giving   to 

where    he    purchased    a    farm    of    two    hundred  each    question    which    came    up    for    settlemenl 

acres.     There  he  engaged  in  the  raising  of  grain  his  careful  consideration  ami  advocating  it  with 

ami    continued   to   carry   on   agricultural    pur-  unfaltering  purpose  if  he  believed  in  its  value 

suits  until  live  years  ago,  when  he  removed  to  to  the  state,  or  opposing  it  with  equal  earnest- 

Fillmore,  though  he  still  owns  the   farm,  which  ness   when   he  deemed    it    detrimental   to  the   in- 

is  to-day  a  valuable  ami   well   improved  place,  terests  of  the  commonwealth,     lie  was  one  of 

After    his    removal    to    the    village    he    turned  the  famous  "101"   Democratic   members  in  the 

his  attention   to  the  insurance  business,   repre-  great   senatorial  contesl   in    1891,  when  General 

senting  tin.    Phoenix,  the  German,  the   North  John  M.  Palmer  was  elected,  ami  a  gold  medal 

American  and  Connecticut  Companies.     Delias  was    presented    to   him    by   the    Democracy   of 

secured   a    large  clientage  and   is  now   in   con-  Springfield    as    one    of    the    "101."     While    in 

trol    of   the   business    which    is   extensive   and  the  legislature   he  served    as  chairman  of  the 

profitable.     He  also  operates  in  real  estate  and      commit! n   roads  ami  bridges,  ami   was  also 

servos  as  notary  public.  a  member  of  the  committees  on  military  affairs, 


562 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    .MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


live  stock  and  drainage  and  state  charitable 
institutions.  He  has  also  served  as  police  mag- 
istrate for  some  i  iini'  ami  in  any  public  posi- 
tion which  he  has  been  called  upon  to  fill  he 
has  proved  loyal,  discharging  his  duties  with 
due  regard  to  the  interests  of  the  community 
hi    large. 

Mr.  Donaldson  lias  spent  his  entire  life  in 
Illinois  and  has  been  a  witness  of  many  of  the 
changes  which  have  occurred  in  Montgomery 
county.  He  has  seen  as  many  as  twenty-four 
deer  in  a  single  herd,  while  prairie  chickens 
were  as  numerous  as  English  sparrows  are  to- 
day. The  country  was  but  sparsely  settled  and 
\'rw  advantages  were  to  be  enjoyed.  The  early 
settlers  had  to  go  long  distances  to  mill  and 
then  had  to  use  their  own  teams  as  power  to 
grind  their  corn.  As  pioneer  conditions  have 
hern  replaced  by  the  improvements  of  modern 
civilization  Mr.  Donaldson  has  watched  with  in- 
terest the  changes  and  has  kept  abreast  with 
the  uniform  advancement  and  upbuilding.  He 
stands  to-da)  as  one  of  the  representative  men 
of  his  county,  respected  and  honored  because 
of  his  reliability  in  business,  his  fidelity  in 
friendship  and   his   loyalty  in   citizenship. 


JUDGE  AMOS  MILLER 

Judge  Amos  Miller,  an  attorney  of  Hillsboro 
and  former  county  judge,  whose  influence  has 
been  a  forceful  element  in  the  educational  and 
moral  development  of  his  community,  was  horn 
in  Carroll  county.  Ohio.  January  25,  L845.  He 
is  a  son  of  Joseph  W.  and  [sahel  (  McClintoek) 
Miller,  the  former  of  German  lineage  and  the 
latter  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  The  father  was 
horn  in  Cumberland  county,  Pennsylvania,  and 
became  a  farmer,  following  that  pursuit  for 
many  years.  His  political  allegiance  was 
given  the  Democracy  and  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  church.  His  wife,  who  was  born 
in  Harrison  county.  Ohio,  is  now  living  in  Ray- 
mond. 1 11  i ii< .is.  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  B.  F. 
Culp,  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years.  She  is 
a  faithful  Christian,  holding  membership  in  the 
Lutheran  church.  Her  father.  Th as  Mc- 
Clintoek, was  horn  in  Ireland,  while  her 
mother,    who    in    her     maidenhood     was     Miss 


Fisher,  was  horn  in  Germany.  Joseph  W.  and 
Isabel  (McClintoek-)  Miller,  were  the  parents 
of  seven  children,  six  sons  and  a  daughter,  bui 
two  of  the  sons  died  iii  infancy.  The  sister 
i-  Mrs.  P>.  F.  Culp.  of  Raymond,  whose  hus- 
band is  a  hanker  and  leading  business  man 
there  The  sons  are:  Martin,  who  is  a  min- 
ister of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in 
Fresno  county,  California:  Eli,  the  cashier  of 
the  First  National  Hank,  of  Litchfield;  John, 
who  is  serving  as  sheriff  of  Montgomery 
county;  and  Amos. 

Judge  Miller  spent  his  early  boyhood  days 
in  Ohio,  and  in  the  spring  of  1862  accompa- 
nied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Illinois. 
the  I'amih  home  being  established  upon  the 
farm  east  of  Nokomis.  II  is  preliminary  edu- 
cation was  acquired  in  the  district  schools,  and 
he  afterward  spent  two  years  in  what  was  then 
known  as  the  Illinois  State  University,  a 
school  under  the  general  synod  of  the  English 
Lutheran  church.  He  afterward  worked  for 
three  summers  at  the  carpenter's  trade  and  in 
the  winter  season  engaged  in  teaching  school. 
On  the  1st  of  August,  1866,  he  arrived  in 
Hillsboro  and  after  locating  here  he  pursued 
the  study  of  mathematics,  astronomy  and  lit- 
erature under  the  direction  of  L.  F.  M.  Easter- 
day.  He  secured  a  position  in  the  county 
clerk's  office  as  deputy  under  W.  D.  Shirley, 
filling  that  position  most  acceptably  for  seven 
and  a  hall*  years,  and  while  thus  engaged  he 
also  took  up  the  study  of  law  at  the  suggestion 
and  under  the  direction  of  Judge  Edward  Fane. 
When  he  had  read  for  some  time  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1869,  but  he  continued 
in  the  clerk's  office  until  L874.  In  the  spring 
of  that  year  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his 
father-in-law,  the  late  Judge  E.  Y.  Rice,  for 
the  practice  of  his  profession  al  Hillsboro  and 
tins  relation  was  continued  until  the  death  of 
Judge    Rice   in    1883.      In    the   meantime   Joel 

K.  McDavid  had  bee '  a  student  in  the  office 

ami  later  a  partner  in  the  linn,  and  the  busi- 
ness relation  between  Judge  Miller  and  Mr. 
McDavid  was  continued  until  1886,  when  the 
former  was  elected  to  the  county  bench,  filling 
that  position  tor  one  term.  His  decisions  were 
fair  and  impartial,  being  characterized  by  a 
comprehensive   understanding  of   the  law  and 


JUDGE    AMOS    MILLER 


:rjois 


PAST    AXD    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


565 


comet  application  of  its  principles  to  the  point 
in  litigation.  Upon  bis  retirement  from  the 
bench  he  resumed  tin'  private  practice  of  law, 
winning  and  retaining  fur  himself  a  notable 
position  as  a  member  el'  the  .Montgomery 
county  liar. 

Judge  Miller  has  lung  in  en  a  recognized 
leader  m  public  thought  and  action  in  Ilills- 
li.u-o,  and  hi.-  efforts  have  contributed  in  tan- 
gible way  td  the  substantia]  development  of 
the  enmity  along  many  lines.  For  fifteen  years 
he  has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board,  and 
is  now  its  president.  In  1874  be  was  elected 
city  attorney  of  Hillsboro,  and  in  1876  he  was 
elected  states  attorney,  and  was  re-elected  the 
following  term.  After  a  lapse  of  several  years 
he  was  again  elected  to  that  office  in  1884,  and 
he  left  the  impress  of  his  individuality  upon 
the  legislation  enacted  during  these  two  terms, 
for  be  upheld  strenuously  every  measure  which 
lie  believed  would  benefit  the  commonwealth 
and  strongly  opposed  every  act  that  he  believed 
would  prove  detrimental  to  the  community.  In 
the  fall  of  1903  he  was  appointed  the  Demo- 
cratic member  of  the  board  of  voting  machine 
commissioners   by   Governor    Yates. 

In  September,  1871,  Judge  Miller  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Man  R.  Rice,  a  daughter  of  Ed- 
ward V.  and  Susan  (Allen)  Rice.  Mrs.  Miller 
was  born  in  llillsboro  in  1850,  is  a  graduate 
of  the  Sacred  Heart  Convent  of  St.  Louis,  and 
lias  become  the  mother  of  two  children,  Isa 
and  Rice.  The  elder,  a  graduate  of  the  llills- 
boro high  school  and  also  of  Eosmer  Hall,  in 
St.  Louis.  Missouri,  is  now  the  wife  of  Harry 
O.  Pinkerton,  a  traveling  salesman  of  Mar- 
shalltown,  Iowa,  now  of  Gillespie,  Illinois. 
Rice,  after  graduating  from  the  high  school  of 
Hillsboro,  spent  three  years  in  Cornell  Col- 
lege and  was  graduated  from  the  law  depart- 
ment with  the  class  of  1899.  He  then  formed 
a  partnership  with  bis  father,  which  continued 
until  the  fall  of  1901,  when  he  took  charge  of 
the  business  of  the  Hillsboro  Coal  Company 
as  its  secretary  and  treasurer.  He  married 
Winnifred  Wool,  of  Hillsboro,  and  they  have 
one  child.  Rice  Wool  Miller. 

Judge  and  Mrs.  Miller  are  prominent  mem- 
bers and  active  workers  in  the  Lutheran  church, 
of  which   he  is  serving   as  elder,   and    with   the 


exception  of  a  period  of  two  years  he  has  con- 
tinuously  served  as  superintendent  of  its  Sun- 
day-school since  1868.  He  has  several  times 
been  a  delegate  from  the  central  Illinois  synod 
to  the  general  synod,  and  was  appointed  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  education  in  the  church  and 
assisted  iii  the  .-election  and  location  of  Mid- 
land College  at  Atchison.  Kansas,  which  insti- 
tution is  now  in  a  nourishing  condition,  lie 
stands  for  all  that  is  honorable  in  man's  rela- 
tions with  his  fellow  men.  as  the  advocate  of 
higher  education  and  a.-  the  exponent  of  a  pro- 
gressive citizenship,  and  his  course  as  a  lawyer 
as  well  as  in  private  life  has  drawn  to  him  the 
admiration  and   respi  ct  of  his  fellow  men. 


C.   H.   HILL. 


The  growth  and  prosperity  of  any  community 

depends  upon  its  business  activity  and  the 
men  who  are  prominent  in  its  upbuilding  are 
those  who  successfully  control  its  commercial, 
industrial  ami  professional  interests.  Of  this 
class  C.  H.  Hill  is  a  worthy  representative  and 
Fillmore  is  indebted  to  him  for  what  he  has 
accomplished  in  its  behalf.  He  is  a  native 
son  of  Fillmore  township,  born  November  "31. 
1880. 

His  father.  \V.    II.  Hill,  was  born  four  miles 

east   of    Fill 'e    in    Fayette   county    and    was 

a  son  of  Elijah  Hill,  a  pioneer  of  that  locality. 

The  family  is  one  of  tl blest   in  this  part  of 

1 1 1 < ■  state  ami  in  the  early  develo] nt  of  Illi- 
nois bore  a  helpful  part.  W.  II.  Hill  was 
reared  in  the  county  of  bis  nativity,  became  fa- 
miliar with  agricultural  pursuits  in  youth,  and 
after  attaining  bis  majority  followed  farming 
for  some  tiiiu.  When  the  Clover  Leaf  Rail- 
road was  built  through  Fillmore  he  removed  to 
that  place  and  embarked  in  the  agricultural 
implement  business.  Later  he  turned  his  at- 
tention to  the  lumber  trade  and  on  disposing 
of  hi.-  interests  in  that  line  engaged  in  buying 
and  shipping  stock.  His  labors  were  attended 
with  success  and  be  annually  made  large  sales. 
In  1891  be  also  began  merchandising,  purchas- 
ing the  store  of  .1.  ().  Lost  &  Company.  Owing 
to  ill  health  he  went  to  Colorado  in  1904  and 
there  died  on  the  12th  of  July,  that  year.     By 


566                        PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF  MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 

his  ballot  he  supported   the   Democratic   party  tucky   in    1837,   bui    was    reared    in   Zanesville 

and  served  as  supervisor  four  terms.  Fra-  township,  Montgomery  county,  Illinois.  His 
ternally  he  was  connected  with  the  Modern  father,  Robert  Allen,  was  one  of  the  first  set- 
Woodmen  of  America.     In  early   manhood   he  tiers  who  came  to  tins  pan  of  the  state  from 

married   Miss  Louisa  C.  Alexander,  a  daughter      Kentucky  and  established  his  I e  in  a  district 

of  the  late  John  Alexander,  of  Fill re  town-  which  was  wild  and  unimproved,  bu1  in  course 

ship,  and  to  them  were  born  thirteen  children,  of  time  he  developed  a  good  farm  from  the  un- 
hid  only  three  are  now  living.  broken   prairie.      His  son   was  here  reared   and 
(*.    II.    Hill    was   reared   under  the  parental  became  active  in  carrying  on  agricultural  pur- 
roof,   pursued   his  education  in   the  schools  of  -nils.     For  years  he  filled  the  office  of  justice 

Fillmore    and    afterward     went     to     Colorado      of  the  peace  and  his  decis 3  were  strictly  fair 

where  he  spent  six  months,  being  employed  in  and    impartial.      He    also    served    as    township 

a  store.      He  then  returned  to  Fillmore  and  for  clerk   for  eleven  years  and   in  the  discharge  of 

four  years  has  been  connected  with  a  store  in  every  public  trust  that   has  ever  been  given  to 

this   town.     As  a    merchant  he   is  enterprising  him    he   has   proved    himself   faithful  and   able, 

and,  carrying  a  large  line  of  goods,  he  has  also  In    lsi;i    he   moved    to   the  west,    making  the 

endeavored    to   please  bis  patrons  by   honorable  overland    trip   across    the    plains   to   California. 

methods  and  has  therefore  secured  a  good  pat-  He  then  resided   in  the  Golden  state   for  two 

rename.  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  the  cast  by 

Mr.  Hill  i-  identified  with  the  Modern  W 1-  way  of  the  Pacific,  the  isthmus  of  Panama  and 

men  of  America  and  with  the  Knights  of  Pyth-  New  York  city. 

ias  fraternity  and  gives  his  political  support  P.  B.  Allen,  whose  name  introduces  this  rec- 
to  the    Democracy.     Having  spent   almost    his     ord,  spent   Ids  boyh 1  days  upon  bis  father's 

entire  life   in   this  locality  he  has  a  wide  ac-  farm  and  was  early  trained  to  the  work  of  the 

quaintance   and    his   genial    manner   and    many  tield  and  meadow,  while  in  the  district  schools 

excellent  traits  of  character  have  rendered  him  he  acquired  the  education   that    fitted   him   for 

popular    with    a    large   circle   of    friends.     He  life's   practical    duties  and   the   prosecution   of 

represents  one  of  the  old   families. of  this  por-  business  interests.     He  started  out    in   life  for 

Imn   of  the  state  and   the    Hill    family    is   also  himself    when    nineteen    years    of    age,    work- 

11111111  rous.   there    being   twenty-three   voters   by  ing  as  a  farm  band  by  the  month  and  was  em- 

the  name  in    Fillmore  township.  ployed  in  that  way  for  seven  years.     He  then 

rented   a    tract    of   land    which    he    farmed    for 
one  year  and  thus,  having  made  a  start  in  life, 
he  sought  a  companion  and  helpmate  for  the  re- 
li.    I>.   ALI.hV  mainder  of  life's  journey.      He   was  married   in 
Among  the  native  sons  of  Montgomery  county  Zanesville  township,  September  8.  1890,  to  Miss 
who  have  been  successful  in  their  business  af-  Nettie    Driskell,  a   native  of   Zanesville   town- 
fairs    and    are   now   capably   controlling   valu-  ship  and  a  daughter  of  Marshall  Driskell,  who 
able    farming    interests    R.    B.    Allen    is    num-  is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
bered.     lie  lives  on  section  22,  Zanesville  town-r  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  began  their  domestic  life 
ship,  where  he  owns  and  operates  one  hundred  upon  a  little  farm  of  twenty  acres  and   in  eon- 
and   fifty  aerosol'  rich   farming  land,      lie  was  nection    with    its    cultivation     Mr.    Allen    also 
born    December  22,    1861,  a   representative  of  operated  rented  land,     lie  sold  his  property  in 
one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the  county.     His  1896  and  bought  where  be  now  resides  on  sec- 
father,  Squire  S.  II.  Allen,  was  a  pioneer  here  tion  •.'•.'.  Zanesville  township.    This  he  began  to 
and    for   sixty-two    years   lias    been    one   of   the  improve  ami  he  built  a  good  neat  residence  and 
public-spirited  citizens  of  this  part  of  the -late,  large  ami  substantial  outbuildings.     He  has  a 
aiding  in  laying  broad  and  deep  the  foundation  good  orchard  that  yields  its  fruits  in  season  and 
for   the   present    prosperity    and    upbuilding   of  the  equipments   of   his    farm    arc   excellent,    he 
Montgomerv    county.      lie    was    horn    in    Ken-  using  the   latest   improved    machinery    to  carry 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


5G< 


on  the  work  of  the  fields.  In  connection  with 
the  tilling  of  the  soil  he  is  engaged  in  the  rais- 
ing of  high  graded  stock  and  he  breeds  and 
deals  in  pure-blooded  Berkshire  hogs,  tie  is 
known  as  a  successful  farmer  and  stock-raiser 
and  Ins  prosperity  is  attributable  entirely  to  his 
own  efforts,  for  he  began  life  as  do  the  majority 
of  American  citizens,  without  financial  assist- 
ance. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  have  been  born 
four  children :  Josephine  D.,  Robert  Marshall, 
Willard  T.  and  Lester  L.  The  parents  are 
consistent  and  faithful  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian church,  taking  an  active  and  helpful  part 
in  its  work  and  he  lias  served  as  an  elder  in  the 
church  during  the  past  sis  years.  He  is  also 
active  in  the  Sunday-school  and  was  its  super- 
intendent for  ten  years,  llr  votes  with  the 
Democracy  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  but  has  never 
sought  or  desired  office.  He  lias  not  only  lived 
in  Montgomery  coivnty  throughout  Ins  entire 
life,  but  has  always  made  his  home  in  the  same 
township  and  school  district  and  he  is  thor- 
oughly identified  with  its  interests,  desiring  its 
best  development  and  contributing  his  share 
to  the  upbuilding  and  progress. 


JOEL  K.  M< 'DAVID. 


Joel  l\.  McDavid,  whose  extensive  property 
holdings  class  him  with  the  substantial  citizens 
of  Montgomery  county  and  who  is  also  a  factoi 
in  its  financial  interests,  was  born  upon  a  farm 
two  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Hillsboro,  October 
31,  is.".:!.  The  family  is  of  Scotch-Irish  lin- 
eage ami  through  \arious  generations  its  mem- 
bers have  1 n    farming  people.      1 1  is   paternal 

grandfather,  William  McDavid,  came  from 
Tennessee  to  Illinois  at  a  very  early  period  in 
the  development  of  this  portion  of  the  state, 
making  a  settlement  east  of  Coffeen.  Hi-  ->'U. 
John  T.  McDavid,  was  born  in  Montgomery 
county,  upon  ;i  farm  a  mile  west  of  Coffeen,  to 
which  Ins  parents  had  in  the  meantime  re- 
moved, lie  i-  now  living  in  Irving  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-two  years.  Through  tin' 
greater  part  of  his  active  business  career  he 
carried   on   agricultural   pursuits,  ami.  prosper- 


ing in  his  undertaking,  became  one  of  the  well- 
to-do  citizens  of  Ins  community.  In  his  polit- 
ical views  he  has  long  1 n  a  stalwart   Democrat 

and  lias  served  as  supervisor  of  his  township, 
while  in  1868  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
county  sheriff,  discharging  Ins  duties  without 
fear  or  favor,  lie  was  formerly  actively  identi- 
fied with  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  odd 
Fellows  lodge  and  he  is  a  consistent  member  of 
the  Cumberland  Presb}'terian  church.  Hemar- 
mciI  Mir--  Edna  J.  Knight,  who  was  born  in 
Montgomery  county  ami  died  in  March,  1870, 
at  the  age  of  forty-three  years.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  William  Knight,  who  came  to  this 
county  at  an  early  day  and  followed  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  1I«'  was  of  German  lineage  and 
was  a  member  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
church.  Onto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McDavid  were 
bom  six  children:  Albin  B..  who  is  a  minister 
ami  also  an  agriculturist  of  Sullivan:  William 
J.,  who  is  filling  the  position  of  county  super- 
intendent of  schools;  John  T.,  dr..  a  stock- 
buyer  of  Irving;  duel  1\.;  Augustus  P...  a 
farmer  of  Irving:  and  James  L.,  a  hardware 
merchant  of  Hillsboro.  After  the  death  of  his 
first  wife.  John  T.  McDavid  was  married  to 
Mis^  Malinda  Snell,  and  they  became  the  par- 
ents of  .mi'  -mi.  Frank  1...  who  is  now  assistant 
cashier  of  the  Montgomery  County  Loan  & 
Trust  Company. 

duel  K.  McDavid  acquired  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  district  schools  and  afterward  at- 
tended Hillsboro  Academy  and  the  Lincoln 
University  at  Lincoln,  Illinois,  lie  was  gradu- 
ated   fr the  latter  institution  with  the  class 

of  1878  on  completing  the  Latin  scientific 
course.  After  leaving  school  he  entered  the 
office  of  Rice  &  Miller,  attorneys  of  Hillsboro, 
with  whom  he  read  law  and  in  1880  he  was  ad- 
mitted in  the  bar.  lie  then  became  a  member 
of  flic  linn  and  practiced  successfully  for  a 
number  of  years,  hut  in  more  recent  years  has 
been  devoting  his  time  and  energies  to  the 
supervision  of  his  large  property  interests,  hav- 
ing placed  much  of  his  capital  in  that  safest 
of  all  investments,  real  estate.  He  is.  however. 
.  |o-el\  associated  with  financial  concerns  of  the 
county  and  in  1900  was  chosen  president  of  the 
Montgomery  County  Loan  &  Trust  Company's 
Bank    the  oldesl   hank  of  the  count  v.  in  which 


568                       PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF  MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 

position  he  has  since  served.  He  is,  likewise,  removed  to  Stark  county,  Ohio,  where  he  mar- 
tin' president  of  the  Eillsborb  Building  iV  Loan  ried  Miss  Mary  Lingofelter,  also  a  native  of 
Association,  wliieh  is  capitalized  for  two  mil-  Maryland.  He  first  came  to  Illinois  in  ltSo'J 
lion  dollars  and  is  one  of  the  largest  concerns  and  walked  all  the  way  back  to  Ohio  in  the 
of  the  kind  in  the  slate.  He  and  Ins  wife  have  winter  of  1839-40.  in  the  latter  year  he  re- 
twenty-three  hundred  acres  of  land  and  be  moved  to  this  county,  making  the  journey  by 
is  also  interested  in  the  McDavid  Hardware  steamboat  down  the  Ohio  river  and  up  the 
Company.  He  stands  to-day  as  the  type  of  the  Mississippi  to  St.  Louis,  where  his  goods  were 
American  business  man  of  the  middle  west,  unloaded.  One  of  his  horses  fell  off  the  boat 
alert  and  enterprising,  watchful  of  opportuni-  into  the  river  at  that  place  but  was  rescued 
tits  and  so  utilizing  the  means  at  hand  as  to  by  ropes.  From  St.  Louis  he  proceeded  over- 
gain  gratifying  success.  At  the  same  time  his  land  to  Montgomery  county.  He  and  his  fam- 
business  methods  are  in  close  conformity  to  ily  took  up  their  abode  in  a  log  cabin  in  the 
the  ethics  of  the  business  world  and  he  has  thus  northwest  corner  of  Irving  township,  where  they 
made  for  himself  an  honored  name  while  win-  were  surrounded  by  dense  forests,  inhabited  by 
nine'  Hi,,  confidence  of  his  fellow-  men  by  the  wolves  and  other  wild  animals  that  would  gather 
prosperity  that  he  has  achieved.  round  I  he  hut  at  night  and  howl  as  though 
In  September,  1879,  Mr.  McDavid  was  mar-  they  were  going  to  take  posses-inn.  It  was  a 
ried  to  Miss  Emma  Tiffin,  a  representative  of  very  common  thing  in  those  days  to  see  the 
the  family  to  which  Judge  Edward  Tiffin,  the  red  man  skulking  through  the  woods  in  his 
first  governor  of  Ohio,  belonged.  She  was  savage  state.  Mr.  Weller  was  not  long  per- 
liorn  in  Madison  county,  Illinois,  in  I860,  a  milted  to  enjoy  Ins  new  home,  however,  for 
daughter  of  William  and  Alcinda  (Blackwell)  he  died  three  years  after  his  removal  to  this 
Tiffin,  formerly  a  farmer  ami  stock-buyer  of  state,  leaving  a  widow  and  nine  children,  of 
Madison  county.  Mr.  and  Mr-.  McDavid  have  whom  Mr-.  Lipe  was  the  youngest,  being  then 
one  child,  Edward  I'.,  who  was  a  graduate  from  a  little  over  two  years  old.  The  others  id'  the 
the  Missouri  Valley  College  at  Marshall.  Mis-  Eamily  were  Jacob ;  John ;  Elizabeth ;  Mary  and 
souri.  in  June,  1903.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McDavid  Sarah,  who  are  now  deceased;  Daniel,  a  resident 
are  members  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  of  Raymond  township:  Adam,  of  Rountree 
church  and  his  political  support  is  given  to  the  township;  and  Mrs.  Edward  Tester,  of  Irving. 
Democracy.  He  is  a  man  of  enterprise,  posi-  After  the  death  of  her  first  husband  Mrs.  Weller 
tive  character,  indomitable  energy,  strict  integ-  was  married  again  to  Jos  ph  Weber,  who  also 
rity  and  liberal  views  and  has  been  fully  died  about  ten  years  after  their  marriage.  She 
identified  with  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years, 
county  of  his  nativitv  in  which  his  entire  life  dying  in  the  winter  of  1886. 
has  been  passed.  John  S.  Lipe,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 

born  December  '.'•">.  1839,  a  -on  of  Nelson  and 
Xancv  (Hoffner)  Lipe.  who  were  both  horn  in 
North  Carolina  in  1812,  the  former  mi  the  1st 
of     November    ami     the    latter    on    the    4th    of 


OfTAPLES  FEANCIS  LIFE. 


Charles    Francis    Lipe.   whose   well    improved  February.      They    were    married    in    that    state 

farm  is  a  proof  of  his  enterprising  spirit  and  September  8, 1831,  and  the  following  day  started 

useful    career,    resides    on    section    11.    Irving  for    Illinois.      Coming    direct    to    Montgomery 

township.       His    birth    occurred    on    this    farm  county,  they  located  on  section  4.  Irving  town- 

January  16, 1872,  his  parents  being  John  S.  and  ship.     Nelson  Lipe  followed  both  farming  and 

Catherine    Louisa    (Weller)    Lipe.     They   were  milling,  his  mill  being  operated  by  horse-power, 

also   natives  id'  Montgomery  county,   represent-  ami    in   business  affairs   he  was   very   energetic 

ing  early  pioneer  families  of  this  portion  of  the  and  successful,     lie  die, I  on  the  24th  of  Novem- 

state.     The  maternal  grandfather.  John  Weller.  her.   1880,  and    his   wife   passed   away    May   6, 

was  born  in  Maryland  in   1792  and  in  early  life  1895.    They  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children, 


J.    S.    LIPE 


MES.    .1.    S.    LIPE 


ME.    AND    MES.    C.    F.    LIPE 


ME.    AND    MES'.    E.    D.    LITE 


.MKS.     NELSON     LIl'K 


MBS.    JOHN     WELLEE 


mm 


PAST    AND    PKESENT    OF  MONTGOMEEY    COUNTS                       ;,;  l 

but  only   four  are   now    Living,   namely:    .Mrs.  tively  early  age  of  thirty-nine  years,  and   Mrs. 

Sarah    Carriker,   of    Rountree    townships    and  Lipe  still  resides  on  the  old  home  farm  at  the 

Jacob  L.  Lipe,  Mrs.  Mary  Blackwelder  and  Mrs.  age  of  sixty-four  years. 

Maria  Hefley,  of  Irving  township.     Nelson  Lipe  Charles  F.  Lipe  supplemented  his  early  cdu- 

has    three    sisters    still    living:      Mrs.    Delilah  rational  privileges  by  study  in  the  Irving  hiofi 

Walcher,    now    in    her   eighty-fifth    year;    Mrs.  school.      In     his     youth     he    assisted     in     the 

Elizabeth    Davis;    and    Mrs.   Diana    Pite.      Itis  farm    work    and    he    remained    at    home    until 

parents  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Lipe,  who  also  twenty-one  years  of  age.     In  1895  he  went  to 

came  to  Montgomery  county  in  LS33  and  settled  Cedar  county,  Iowa,  where  he  followed  farming 

on   what  is   known   as   the   D.   T.    Befley    Earm  for  two  years,  and  on  his  return  to  Montgomery 

in  [rving  township.    John  Lipe  was  a  soldier  of  county  began   farming  on   the   place  where  he 

the   Revolutionary  war  and  was  the   father  of  now    resides.     He  has  made  excellent   improve- 

thirteen  children.    John  Lipe,  the  father  of  our  ments   hero,   including  the  erection  of  a    good 

subject,  was  reared   in   this  locality.     In    L861  house  and   barn,  and   he  owns  ninety  acres  of 

he  unlisted  as  a  private  in  Company   B,  First  land,  the  greater  part  of  which   is  now   under 

Illinois  Cavalry,   under  Captain   Paul    Walter-,  a    high    state    of    cultivation.       lie    has    hail    a 

and  was  mustered  in  at   Benton   Barracks.     He  brief  experience  in  merchandising,  for  when  he 

participated    in  a   number  of    engagements  of     completed  echoo]  1 otered  the  store  of  Brook- 

the  Civil  war  and  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  man  &  Lipe,  thus  becoming  a  partner  in  ;r  ^en- 
battle  id'  Lexington,  where  his  horse  was  shot  era]  mercantile  establishment.  After  a  year, 
from  under  him.  hut  was  soon  paroled  and  however,  he  resumed  agricultural  pursuits, 
sent  home.  on  cne  \>d  of  September,  L900,  Mr.  Lipe  was 
On  the  9th  of  April.  1863,  John  S.  Lipe  married  to  Miss  Miary  B.  Carriker,  a  daughter  of 
was  united  m  marriage  to  Miss  Catherine  L.  John  T.  and  Alice  Carriker,  of  Irving  township. 
Weller,  who  was  horn  November  3,  1840,  and  Her  father,  who  now  follows  farming  on  section 
they  became  the  parents  of  nine  children,  of  II.  was  born  in  Irving  township,  November  28, 
whom  (diaries  F.  is  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth.  ISIS,  his  parents  being  dames  and  Prudence 
Two  of  the  number,  George  C.  and  William  I!.,  Carriker.  who  were  natives  of  North  Carolina 
dieil  in  infancy.  Those  -till  living  are  Anna  and  Tennessee,  respectively,  .lames  Carriker 
I*'.,  the  wife  of  c.  \Y.  Hefiey,  of  Irving;  Albert  came  to  Montgomery  county  about  1832  and 
X..  id'  Paisley;  John  L.,  of  Litchfield;  Ephraim  east  in  his  lot  with  its  early  settlers.  He  resided 
Ik.  of  [rving  township;  Charles  F. ;  Herbert  here  until  his  death  in  1852  and  his  wife  passed 
S.,  at  home;  and  Nancy  E.,  the  wile  of  Ralph  away  in  1888  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy- 
Thumb,  of  Witt  township.  After  his  marriage  two  years.  Their  son  John  T.  Carriker  was 
the  father  engaged  in  farming  <>n  the  old  educated  in  [rving  township  and  lived  at  home 
homestead  where  In-  widow  vet  resides.  When  until  twenty-seven  years  of  age.  He  has  devoted 
the  place  first  came  into  possession  of  the  fam-  his  entire  life  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  now 
ily  it  was  considered  almost  worthless,  it  being  has  a  farm  of  forty  acres  in  [rving  township. 
swampy  and  largely  under  water.  Besides  the  which  is  well  equipped  with  modern  improve- 
ducks  and  fish  that  there  abounded  there  were  ments.  lie  has  held  all  of  the  official  positions 
moccasins,  rattlesnakes  and  other  poisonous  rep-  of  the  township,  has  keen  a  member  of  the 
ides.  Init  Mr.  Lipe  converted  the  place  into  a  school  hoard  and  gives  Ins  political  support  to 
very  desirable  property.  At  the  time  of  his  the  Republican  party,  believing  firmly  in  its 
death  he  was  the  owner  id'  three  hundred  and  principles.  <>u  the  20th  of  December,  is;  I.  he 
thirty-seven  acres  of  rich  land,  which  had  been  married  Miss  Alice  Kelly,  a  daughter  of  S. 
accumulated  as  the  result  of  his  industry  and  Kelly,  id'  this  county,  also  one  of  its  pioneer 
capable  management,  I'm-  at  the  time  of  his  residents.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carriker  were  born 
marriage  he  had  only  fifteen  dollars  and  a  team  live  children:  .lame-  Frederick,  of  [rving 
of  horses  and  was  in  debt  for  one  of  them,  lie  township ;  Mary  B.,  the  wife  of  Charles  F.  Lipe; 
passed  away  December  30, 1878,  at  the  compara-  Albert    Harris,   who   is    living   in   the   stale   of 


572 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


Washington;  George  Francis,  who  is  in  the 
employ  of  the  government  at  St.  Louis;  and 
John  Homer,  at  home. 

Since  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lipe  have 
resided  on  the  farm  which  they  now  occupy 
and  with  characteristic  energy  he  is  devoting 
his  time  and  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
Ids  labors  being  attended  with  good  and  profit- 
able returns.  He  votes  with  the  Republican 
party,  but  never  seeks  or  desires  public  office, 
preferring  to  give  his  time  and  attention  to 
his  business  affairs. 


EPHRAIM    D.    LIPE 


Ephraim    D.    Lipe,   whose   farm  of  one  hun- 
dred   and   twenty   acres   on   section    11,    Irving 

township,  is  well  improved,  was  horn  upon  that 
section  December  2,  1870  and  is  a  son  of  John 
S.  ami  Catherine  (Weller)  Lipe,  of  whom 
extended  mention  is  made  in  the  sketch  of 
Charles  F.  Lipe.  The  son  pursued  his  edu- 
cation in  the  Oak  Grove  school  of  his  native 
township  and  in  the  summer  month.-,  when 
school  was  not  in  session,  lie  assisted  in  the 
labors  of  the  fields,  early  gaining  extensive  and 
practical  experience  concerning  farming  meth- 
ods. He  remained  at  home  until  twenty-one 
years  id'  age  and  then  started  out  in  life  for 
himself,  purchasing  eighty  acres  two  miles  east 
.if  [rving.  Upon  this  tract  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, but  after  three  years  he  sold  the  property 
and  purchased  sevent]  acres  of  land  when1  he 
new  Lives  on  section  11.  Irving  township.  In 
1901  lie  made  an  addii  ional  purchase  of  fifty 
acres  and  now  has  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres.  He  has  erected  two  sub- 
stantial barns  ami  keep-  everything  about  his 
place  in  good  repair.  His  fields  are  well  tilled, 
his  farm  machinery  is  id'  modern  construction 
.•iml  his  careful  supervision  of  the  place  is  evi- 
dent to  tlie  passerby  at  a  single  glance. 

On  the  4th  of  November.  1891,  Mr.  Lipe  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Cora  A.  Cook,  who 
was  horn  in  Champaign  county.  Illinois.  Sep- 
tember  10,  1870,  her  parents  being  Charles  and 
Martha  A.  (  Freeman)  Cook,  of  Champaign 
county,  where  her  mother  died  September  IS, 
1874.      About    two    years    later   her    father    re- 


moved  to  Montgomery  county  and  is  now  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  [rving  township.  During 
the  early  days  of  the  gold  excitement  in  Cali- 
fornia he  went  to  the  Pacific  slope  with  his 
father.  Jesse  Cook,  who  crossed  the  plains  four 
times.  Unto  Mi',  and  Mrs.  Lipe  was  horn  a  son, 
Earl  C.  November  I,  1902,  win.  died  August  s, 
1903,  at  the  age  of  nine  months  and  four  days. 
Mr.  Lipe  exercises  bis  right  of  franchise  in  sup- 
port of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Republican 
party,  but  is  not  an  office  seeker,  preferring  to 
give  his  undivided  attention  to  his  business  af- 
fairs, which,  being  carefully  conducted,  are 
bringing  to  him  a  good  financial  return. 


JOHN   C.  SHOUT. 

John  C.  Short,  who  carries  on  general  fann- 
ing upon  a  tract  of  land  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  East  Fork  township,  was  horn 
in  southeastern  Missouri,  August  2,  1S44.  II  is 
father,  Aimer  Short,  was  a  native  of  North 
Carolina,  spent  his  boyhood  in  that  state  and 
with  his  parents  removed  westward  to  Missouri. 
There  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Jane 
Campbell,  also  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and 
they  were  married  in  Missouri,  beginning  their 
domestic  life  there  upon  a  farm.  Subsequently 
they  removed  to  Illinois  in  1857,  settling  two 
miles  north  of  the  farm  upon  which  their  son 
John  C.  Short  now  makes  his  home.  There  the 
father  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits 
throughout  his  remaining  days,  passing  away 
mi  the  25th  of  January,  1884,  when  seventy 
years  and  ten  months  of  age.  He  was  one  of 
the  early  -ettlers  of  the  county  who  had  long 
resided  within  its  borders  and  was  familiar 
with  its  history,  while  of  its  development  he 
bad  been  an  eve  witness.  His  entire  life  record 
was  such  as  commended  him  to  the  confidence 
and  good  will  of  those  with  whom  he  was  asso- 
ciated and  his  loss  was  therefore  deeply  de- 
plored. In  the  family  were  six  children,  of 
whom  three  are  now    li\  ing. 

John  C.  Short  was  brought  to  Illinois  in 
early  boyhood  days  by  his  parents  and  upon  his 
father's  farm  here  was  reared.  No  event  of 
special  importance  occurred  to  vary  the  routine 
,,!'  farm  life  for  him  in  his  youth,  for  he  worked 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF  MONTGOMEBY    COUNTY                        573 

in   lirlil  and   meadow   when   not   occupied   with  jed    and    his   wife,  of   whom    four  arc  living: 

the  duties  of  the  schoolroom.     Like  other  boys,  Mabel  Agnes,  Myrtle   Fidelia,  Roberta  Blanche 

lie   enjoyed    the    pleasures   of   the    playground,  and  Ralph  Moody.    The}   losl  their  third  child, 

luit    he    was    thoroughly    taught    the    value   of  Orpha   Dayton,  who  died  in  infancy.     The  liv- 

industry  and  integrity  in  the  active  affairs  of  ing  children  are  all  graduates  of  the  Hillsboro 

life      When    alioui    twenty-three   years    of    age      high   scl I    ami    Mabel    has   been   a    successful 

he  left  home  I'm'  a  time  and  worked  at  tin-  teacher  in  the  schools  of  Coffeen,  Irving  and 
carpenter's  trade,  lb'  afterward  engaged  in  Montgomery,  having  taught  fur  three  consecu- 
clerking  I'm'  six  months  ami  then  resumed  five  terms  ai  the  last  named  place.  Blanche 
farming,  purchasing  forty  acres  "I'  land.  AI  a  has  been  a  teacher  of  the  Victor  schoolhouse 
Inter  date  he  sold  tins  and  bought  the  home  ami  Ralph  is  assisting  bis  father  in  the  opera- 
place  nl'  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  is  tion  of  the  home  farm. 

devoted  to  the  raising  of  both  grain  ami  stuck.  Mi-,   ami    Mrs.   Shorl    belong   in   the   Presby- 

There  is  a  good  house  and  barn  upon  Ins  land  terian   church   id'   Hillsboro,  reared   their  chil- 

aml  he  uses  the  latest   improved   machinery  in  dren  in  thai  faith  and  have  had  the  satisfaction 

the  cultivation  of  the  fields,     lie  is  practical  in  id'  seeing  them  all  become  church  members.    Mi'. 

all  that  he  undertakes  and  his  efforts  have  been      Short    is  a    mber  id'   the    Hillsboro    Mutual 

crowned  with  a  measure  of  success  thai  make-  Farmers   League.     He  gives   his   political   sup- 

him  one  of  the  substantia]  residents  of  his  com-  porl    t<>  the    Democracy,   lias   served    as  school 

niiinilv.      lie    is    a    director   of    the    Hillsboro  director  and   is  well   known   as  a   warm    friend 

Farmers  Mutual  Association,  formed  to  insure  of  the  cause  of  education,  putting  forth  every 

farmers   againsl    lire   and    lightning,      lie   has  effort  in  his  power  to  advance  the  cause  of  the 

seen  great  changes  in  methods  of  agriculture,  schools,     lie  has  always  given  loyal  adherence 

for  when  he  came  here  he  saw  prairie  broken  and   substantial    support    to   movements   to   ad- 

with    five  or   six    yoke   of   oxen,  and    the   plow  vance   the   welfare  of  the  county    in   other  di- 

which  was  used  was  very  crude  in  comparison  rections  ami  is  known  as  a   progressive  citizen 

to  those  in  use  at  the  present  day.     lie  saw  deer  as  well   as  a   successful   business   man. 
upon   the   prairie   and   lie   can    remember   when 

the    leading    towns    of    the    state    were    mere    vil- 
lages,   while    others    had     not    sprung    into    ex- 

istence.  T-   J-    HILL" 

on   the  28th   ol   January,    is;:;.    Mr.   Short  T.  .1.    Hill,  a   member  of  the   firm  of  Hill 

was    married    to    Miss    .lane    Louisa    Turner,    a  Brothers,   general    merchants    of    Fillmore    was 

daughter  of  McKinsey  Turner,  of  Montgomery  born   in   Missouri,  in    L845,  his   parents  being 

county.      Her    lather  came    from    Tennessee  to  Elijah    and    Hannah    Hill.     The    father,  a   na- 

lllinois.    was    numbered    among   the    early    set-  tive  of  Kentucky,  was  reared  in   Allen  county, 

tiers  here,  at  one  time  served  as  sheriff  of  the  that    state,    and    upon    his    removal    to    Illinois 

county  and   was  widely  known  throughout   this  settled  in  Fayette  county  in   is.'!'.'.     There  were 

pari  of  the  state,     lie  was  a  strong  Democrat    in  (r\\  settlers  within  the  borders  of  the  county   al 

politics  and   was   identified    with   the    Masonic  that  time  and   the   Hill    family  took  an  active 

fraternity  and  the  Methodist   Episcopal  church,  ami   helpful   part    in   reclaiming   the   wild   dis- 

to    which    the    mother    of    Mrs.    Short    also    he-  trie!     lor    the    uses   of   civilization.      The    father 

longed.      Mr.    Turner    was    twice    married,    his  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  with  success  for 

first  wife  being  Rachel  Ward,  by  wl i  he  had  main"  vears.  hut  liis  life's  labors  "ere  ended   in 

three  sons  and  one  daughter.      11  is  second   wife  death    ill   .'line.   1871.      In   his    family   were   ten 

was  Malissa  Bennett,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  children,  of   whom   six  are   now   living.     Isaac 

and  by  that  union  there  were  two  sons  and  five  Hill,  a  brother  of  Jack  Hill,  was  born  in  1852, 

daughters,   including  Mrs.    Short.     The   father  was    reared    in    Montgomery   county   and    built 

died    in    1862  and   the  mother   in   ISTfi.  the    firs!    house    in    the    town    of    Fillmore       llu 

Five  children  have  been  born   unto  our  sub-  also   built    the   first  business   house  and   began 


51  I 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


dealing  in  Lumber,  carrying  on  trade  along 
that  Hue  until  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  the 
west,  lie  is  now  located  near  Joplin,  Missouri, 
where  he  is  engaged  in  lead  and  zinc  mining 
and  has  made  an  excellent  success  in  this  busi- 
ness. 

T.  J.  Hill  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth  in  Fayette  county  and  remained  a 
resident  of  that  portion  of  tin- state  until  about 
ten  years  ago.  He  then  spent  one  year  in 
Texas  and  afterward  came  to  Fillmore,  where 
he  became  connected  with  mercantile  interests 
as  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Grigg  &  Hill.  Later 
he  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Grigg  and  then 
in  connection  with  his  brother,  W.  II.  Hill,  pur- 
chased tlii-  store  formerly  owned  by  John  Q. 
Bost.  The  firm  of  Hill  Brothers  was  organized 
and  they  have  sim  e  engaged  in  business  as  gen- 
eral merchants,  having  a  well  appointed  store, 
containing  a  large  and  carefully  selected  line 
nf  genera]  merchandise. 

It  February,  1872,  T.  J.  Hill  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Maliala  Donaldson,  who  died 
in  1876  and  in  1880  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Rebecca  Robertson,  lie  had  four  children,  but 
Joseph,  the  eldest,  is  now  deceased.  Those 
still  living  are  Osian,  Ethel  and  Jessie.  Mrs. 
Hill  belongs  to  the  (Jniversalist  church  and  Mr. 
Hill  gives  his  political  support  to  the  Dem- 
ocracy. 


PERRY    COMMODORE    OLLER. 

Perry  Commodore  oiler,  who  was  one  of 
America's  most  distinguished  Indian  scouts 
and  whose  life  record  formed  a  most  interest- 
ing chapter  in  the  annals  of  the  great  west, 
was  horn  in  Bourbon  county,  Kentucky,  on 
the  4th  of  February,  1819,  a  son  of  George 
and  Elizabeth  (Taylor)  Oiler,  the  latter  a 
ii, Mi-  relative  of  President  Taylor.  He  was  de- 
scended Horn  an  ancestry  honorable  and  dis- 
tinguished, being  related  to  the  Taylors,  John- 
sons, Clays.  Jacksons,  Putnams,  Bullochs  and 
others  of  the  foremost  families  of  Kentucky  and 
Virginia  and  the  original  colonies.  When  he 
was  hut  twelve  years  of  age  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Illinois  and  the  family  was  attacked 
bv  Indians  near  Swan   lake.      It    was  then   that 


Mr.  Oiler  entered  upon  a  course  of  life  which 
involved  his  entire  career.  The  fearless  hoy 
carried  a  message  to  Kaskaskia,  seventy  miles 
through  an  unknown  wilderness,  seeking  as- 
sistance.and  successfully  accomplishing  his  mis- 
sion, lie  faced  the  dangers  and  hardships  of 
pioneer  life  m  this  state  and  was  early  iden- 
tified with  agricultural  interests.  On  the  6th 
of  April,  1855,  he  married  Elizabeth  Snook, 
a  daughter  of  Amos  Snook,  whose  grandfather 
was  one  of  Washington's  bodyguards.  Mrs. 
oiler  did  m  1862,  leaving  three  sons.  Amos, 
Thomas  and  Jacob. 

Placing   his   children    in    the   care   of     their 
grandmother,    Mr.    Oiler   started    for    the     far 
west,    conducting  -a     wagon   train    across     the 
plain.-.     During  an   absence  of  eight  years  no 
word   was    received    from  him  by  his  relatives. 
In  the  meantime  he  was  engaged  in  the  peril- 
on-   duties  of  scouting  and  carrying  messages 
for   the  various  army  officers  of  the  west  and 
gained  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  red  man, 
his  habits  of  living  and  hi-  means  of  warfare, 
lie   was   then   detailed    to   carry   an   important 
message  from   Portland.  Oregon,  to  St.  Louis, 
through    two    thousand    miles    of    country    in- 
habited by  hostile  Indians.     His  business  suc- 
cessfully completed,  he  returned  to  the  west  in 
1869.      W<-  has  engaged    in  scouting  from   the 
Yukon    valley    m    Alaska    to    Mexico,    and     for 
thirty-eight    years    his    relatives,    receiving    no 
communication     from    him.    supposed    that    he 
was  dead.     He  was  known  anion;.;'  the  Indians 
as  "Cult us  Boston  Man"— a  bad  tighter.  Some- 
thing of  his  bravery,  daring   and  his  skill   in 
horsemanship   and   with    the   rifle   is   indicated 
by  the  Eaci  that  when  a  boy  be  won  a  live  hun- 
dred   dollar  wager  by   riding  erect  on   a   wild 
colt,  bareback,  carrying  a   horse-pistol    in  one 
hand   and   a   rifle  in  the  other,  and  killing  on 
the    wing    two   pigeons   thrown     from    a     trap 
simultaneously,  one  with  a  pistol  and  the  other 
with  the  rifle.     He  also  won  one  thousand  dol- 
lars and  gained  the  championship  of  St.  Louis 
by    killing   ten   pigeons   on   the  wing   in   nine 
shots,  thrown  from  traps  two  at  a  time.     On 
another  occasion  he  was  captured  by   Indians 
and    was  to  he  burned  alive  at  the  stake,  but 
when  the  red  men  came  to  untie  him  from  the 
tree    he    slipped    bis    band    through    the    noose, 


m*l  LINOiS 


PERKY    COMMODORE    OLLER 


JUDGE    AMOS    OLDER 


DAVID  S.   OLDER 


UNiv: 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


jerked  a  knife  from  an   Indian's  belt,  thrust  it 
into     his     captor's     body,     picked     up     pistols 
dropped  by  bis  foe  and,  quicker  than  thought, 
started    a   dozen    braves    on    their    way    to    the 
happy  limiting  grounds  and  escaped.    The  only 
act  for  which  he  ever  claimed  any  credit,  and 
certainly  one  of  the  bravesi  of  ins  many  brave 
deeds,  was  that  of  dashing,  single-handed  into  a 
band    of    Indians    and    rescuing   two    children 
destined    to   burn   at    the    stake.      On    another 
occasion  he  found  two  babies  scalped  and  try- 
ing  to    nurse   their   mother,    who    with     their 
father   had    been    killed    several    hours    before. 
Mr.    Oiler    followed    the    trail    of    the    savages 
and   brought   back    the   scalps    of   the   children 
and   their   parents   and    also   those   of    live   de- 
mons   who    had    done    the    bloody    deed.      Not 
long  after  the  death  of  Custer  a  band  of  Sit- 
ting Bull's  braves  captured  two  children  after 
butchering  their  parents  in  cold  blood.     Oiler 
followed  their  trail   Eor  several  days  and   finally 
succeeded    in    locating    the    band.      Leading    a 
horse,  he  boldly   rode   into   their   camp.      After 
disarming  suspicion  he  had  a  smoke  with  the 
chief  and    managed  to  drop   a   note  where  the 
oldest   child  could   find  it.     Before  leaving  the 
camp  he  secreted  his  rifle  and  revolvers  in  the 
brush    about   fifty   rods   away.      The    mite    in- 
structed   the    children    to    mount    one    of    the 
horsi  s  in  sport,  getting  on  and  off  so  as  not  to 
amuse   suspicion.     The   scheme  worked   like   a 
charm.     In  a  short  tune  the  Indians  grew  care- 
less,  and    before   they   could    realize   what    was 
happening  he  had   leaped   into  the  saddle  and 
was  off  like  a   slmt.  the  other  horse   following 
with    the    children.      Securing;    his    arms    ami 
ammunition,  he  held   the   savages   at   bay   and 
rode  night   and   day  until  he  reached   the  set- 
tlement. 

These  are  Ian  U>w  of  the  many  tabs  which 
might  he  told  of  his  bravery,  his  strategy  and 
bis  diplomacy  while  scouting  on  the  plains  of 
the  west.  After  an  absence  of  almost  four 
decade.  Mr.  oiler  returned  to  Illinois,  where 
his  family  received  him  as  one  from  the  dead. 
Hi'  resembles  greatly  some  of  the  characters 
that  figure  in  Cooper's  western  tales,  ami  the 
story  of  his  life  reads  like  a  romance,  prov- 
ing again  the  old  adage  that  truth  is  st  rancor 
than  fiction.     His  last  days  were  soeni    at    the 


Imnie  of  his  son,  .Indue  Oiler,  and  he  reached 
the  very  advanced  age  id'  eighty-six  years,  pass- 
ing awa\  mi  the  1  1th  of  January,  1901:.  In 
his  last  days  be  remarked:  "The  Lord  has 
been  good  to  me.  and  1  am  ready  for  the  roll 
call  when  reveille  sounds."  A  publication,  the 
Catling  (lun.  writing  of  Mr.  Oiler  in  October, 
1902,  says  : 

"In  conversation  with  Mr.  oiler  one  feels 
that  he  is  talking  with  a  man  of  the  heroic  age, 
to  the  companion  of  Kenton,  Boone  and 
Crockett,  lb-  is  a  perfect  type  of  the  men 
of  brawn  and  brain  and  iron  who  blazed  the 
way  through  I  he  wilderness  for  advancing  civ- 
ilization from  Jamestown  to  the  Golden  Gate. 
He  is  now  making  his  home  with  his  son, 
Judge    Allies   Oiler,   of   Litchfield,   one   of  the 

best    infort I   and   brightest   men   it  has  ever 

been  our  pleasure  to  meet." 


JUDGE    AMOS    OLLER. 

Judge  Amos  Oiler,  city  attorney  of  Litch- 
field and  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  the 
Montgomery  county  liar,  was  born  April  16, 
1856,  at  the  old  Amos  Snook  homestead,  four 
miles  southwest  of  Litchfield,  in  Macoupin 
county,  Illinois.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Perry 
( '.  and  Elizabeth  (Snook)  Oiler,  and  was  but 
five  years  of  age  when  bis  mother  died.  She 
Left  three  children,  who  were  then  placed  in 
the  care  of  their  grandfather,  while  the  father 
went  to  the  far  west  to  act  as  an  Indian  scout, 
and  long  years  passed  ere  he  was  again  heard 
from.  In  the  meantime  Judge  Oiler  had  ac- 
quired an  education,  largely  through  his  own 
-Units,  had  prepared  I'm-  the  bar  and  had  won 
a  place  of  prominence  in  the  legal  fraternity 
of   Montgomery  county. 

The  Judge  began  his  studies  in  the  district 
school  near  his  home  and  afterward  attended 
the  Northwestern  Normal  School  at  Valparaiso, 
while  in  1878  he  entered  the  Indiana  State 
Norma)  School  at  Terre  Haute.  On  complet- 
ing his  literary  course  he  took  up  the  study  of 
law  under  the  direction  of  United  States  Sena- 
tor Daniel  Vorhees  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  of  Illinois.  He  also  attended  the  Wes- 
levan    Law    Universitv    at    Bloomington     and 


580 


PAST    AXL)    PP.HSEXT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COLNTY 


was  graduated  with  honors,  winning  the  prize 
for  the  highesi  scholarship  at  the  examination 
in    1881. 

Judge  Oiler  entered  upon  the  practice  of 
law.  which  he  followed  in  Macoupin  county 
and  in  Litchfield,  and  in  order  to  further  per- 
fect himself  in  Ins  chosen  calling  he  devoted 
one  year  to  post-graduate  work  in  the  Wash- 
ington Law  School  at  St.  Louis.  Missouri.  Ee- 
suming  practice  in  Litchfield,  he  has  since  re- 
mained an  active  member  of  the  bar  and  has 
easily  maintained  a  position  of  prominence 
among  the  members  of  the  legal  fraternity. 
Hi-  clientage  has  been  large  and  of  a  distinct- 
ively representative  character,  and  in  the  prepa- 
ration of  his  cases  he  is  thorough  and  pains- 
taking, while  in  the  presentation  of  his  cause 
he  is  forceful  and  logical,  giving  strong  and 
convincing  reason  for  his  position  by  a  logical 
presentation  of  facts  and  the  law  applicable 
thereto.  In  1898  he  was  elected  to  the  bench 
of  the  newly  constituted  city  court  of  Litch- 
field and  made  a  remarkable  record  in  that  he 
never  hail  a  jury  to  disagree;  never  granted  a 
new  trial;  and  no  decision  which  he  rendered 
was  ever  reversed.  He  filled  the  office  for  one 
term  and  then  returned  to  the  private  prac- 
tice of  law,  which  he  found  more  remunerative. 
He  is  the  present  city  attorney  of  Litchfield 
and  he  also  has  a  large  private  practice,  indica- 
tive of  the  reputation  which  he  bears  for  legal 
learning  and  for  power  as  an  advocate  and 
counselor. 

On  the  19th  of  January,  181 0.  Judge  Oiler 
was  married  to  Miss  Ida  Efuddleston,  who  was 
not  fifteen  years  of  age  until  the  2"2d  of  July 
following,  and  who  belonged  to  one  of  the 
wealthiest  families  of  Macoupin  county.  Seven 
children  were  born  unto  them:  George  Ellis, 
who  was  born  October  "J'.'.  1879,  and  is  now 
a  section  chief  in  the  census  office  at  Washing- 
ton. 1).  ('.:  Lolah  Maic.  now  deceased;  David 
Samuel;  Ola  Belle;  Jesse  Bennett,  deceased; 
Bertha  Ann;  and  Marion  Jennings.  The 
mother  died  May  1.  1904,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
one  years  anil  in  the  faith  id'  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  to  which  she  and  Judge 
oiler  had  long  belonged.  The  Judge  is  a 
member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  and 
the    Mutual     Protective    League.       Politically 


he  is  a  Bryan  Democrat,  lie  has  ever  studied 
closely  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day 
and  has  taken  an  advanced  stand  on  manv 
subjects  affecting  the  general  welfare.  He  has 
always  been  a  leader  among  labor  organizations, 
and  in  early  manhood  was  mobbed  for  his  ad- 
vocacy of  the  union.  He  was  the  first  judge  of 
the   state   ever  elected    on   the    labor   ticket   and 

hi'  has  ever  been  the  champi I'  the  interests 

id'  the  marl  who  labors  with  hi-  hands  for  a 
livelihood.  He  ranks  among  the  ablest  jurists 
and  scholars  id'  Illinois — a  man  of  strong  men- 
tal attainments,  of  studious  habits,  whose  opin- 
ions, formed  as  the  result  of  careful  investiga- 
tion, are  upheld  with  tenacity  and  courage. 


DAVID  SAMUEL  OLLEE. 

it  is  difficult,  indeed,  to  write  a  sketch  con- 
cerning a  young  man  ;  a  youth  who  has  all  of 
life  before  him,  and  while  of  acknowledged 
worth  and  ability,  has  not  as  yet  had  the  full 
opportunity  of  showing  what  is  in  him.  Yet, 
if  we  were  called  upon  to  select  a  young  man 
whose  future  might  Well  be  magnified,  judg- 
ing from  his  past,  we  would  not  hesitate  to 
pick  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  was  born 
in  Staunton.  Illinois,  September  15,  isst.  and 
came  to  Litchfield  with  his  parents,  Judge  and 
Mrs.   Amos  Oiler,   in   the   fall  of  1887. 

His  education  was  received  in  the  schools  of 
Litchfield,  and  from  the  very  first  he  showed 
-lun-  of  precocity  and  genius.  He  passed 
through  the  grades,  and  the  high  school,  grad- 
uating in  1903  with  high  honors.  After  grad- 
uating he  accepted  a  position  with  the  Xew 
York  Store  and  was  shortly  promoted  to  the 
position  of  head  clerk  and  assistant  purchasing 
agent  in  the  clothing  department.  With  his 
friendly  disposition  and  jovial  manners  he  has 
won  a  host  of  friends,  and  commands  a  large 
patronage  for  the  establishment  by  which  he 
is  employed. 

While  not  yet  of  age  he  has  the  appearance 
of  being  older,  and  in  the  fall  of  11)0  1  was  se- 
lected as  a  petit  juryman  in  the  Litchfield  city 
court.  lie  was  not  challenged,  and  served  in 
several  important  cases,  being  made  foreman 
of  the  jury  in  each   instance,  and  the  verdicts 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


581 


returned  were  confirmed  by  the  higher  courts, 
lie  is  very  popular  in  the  younger  society  of 
the  city,  which,  while  regretting  li is  absence 
from  many  a  social  function  as  a  bachelor  will 
congratulate'  him  on  his  marriage,  which  oc- 
curred on  Thanksgiving  day.  1904.  The  bride 
is  Miss  Mary  Walton,  daughter  of  Mr.  ami  Mrs. 
George  Walton,  well  known  residents  of  Ma- 
coupin county.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the  Car- 
linville  high  school,  and  .if  the  Litchfield  Busi- 
ness College.  They  will  make  their  future 
home  in  this  city. 


WILLIAM  E.   NEWSOME. 

More  than  half  a  century  ago  George  11. 
Xewsome  was  born  in  the  county  of  Wieklow, 
Ireland,  near  the  little  village  of  Johnstown, 
and  on  an  adjacent  farm  to  thai  on  which  he 
was  reared  Mary  .1.  Smith  was  born  February 
23,  1855.  It  was  here  amidst  rural  scenes  that 
the  Irish  lad  and  lassie  learned  to  love  each 
other  and  in  the  fullness  of  years,  when  man- 
hood and  womanhood's  estate  were  reached, 
these  two  hearts  were  united  in  the  holy  bonds 
of  wedlock.  The  ceremony  was  celebrated  in 
St.  Peter's  church,  Dublin,  in  L871.  Two  days 
thereafter  they  set  their  faces  toward  the  ■•Land 
of  the  Free"  and  after  a  journey  of  ten  days 
on  the  steamer  St.  Andrew  were  landed  safeh 
at  Quebec.  The  greater  part  of  the  following 
summer  was  spent  in  Canada,  seeking  a  suit- 
able place  in  which  to  commence  their  home 
life  together.  In  the  autumn  of  this  year  they 
passed  over  to  Syracuse.  New  York,  where  Mr. 
Xewsome  remained  but  a  short  time,  wdien, 
lured  by  stories  from  the  west,  he  commenced 
the  journey  toward  that  region  of  great  possi- 
bilities. Interested  in  the  work  of  coal  mining, 
Mr.  Newsome  settled  at  Collinsville.  Illinois, 
where  he  secured  employment  in  connection 
with  the  mines  at  that  place.  He  and  his  wife 
remained  in  Collinsville  for  some  years  and 
several  children  were  bom  to  them  while  here. 
In  company  with  IF  F.  Dingle,  the  shaft  of  the 
Ilillsboro  coal  mine  was  sunk  about  1887,  after 
which  he  assisted  Mr.  I  tingle  in  sinking  the 
shaft  at  Coffeen.  In  1SSS  he  moved  bis  fam- 
ilv  to  the  latter  place  and  assumed   the  man- 


agement id'  the  mine  here,  which  position  he 
held  until  January  11.  1892.  On  this  .late  he 
was  killed  by  the  falling  of  the  cage  on  which 
lie  was  entering  the  shaft.  Mrs.  Newsome.  thus 
left  alone,  a  widow  with  eight  children,  most  of 
whom  were  young  and  unable  to  assist  in  earn- 
ing a  livelihood,  presented  a  serious  problem 
as  to  how  she  should  be  able  to  keep  her  little 
Hock  together.  She  went  to  work,  however, 
with  a  will  and  with  the  aid  of  the  older  ones 
has  succeeded  in  not  only  caring  for  and  edu 
eating  her  children,  but  she  has  the  satisfac- 
tion of  knowing  that  with  the  exception  of  the 
two  younger,  who  are  in  school,  that  her  chil- 
dren are  comfortably  fixed  in  the  world.  Hat- 
tie  H.  was  for  eleven  years  a  teacher  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Coffeen,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
she  retired  to  the  regret  of  those  who  know  of 
her  excellent  qualities  as  a  teacher.  Mae.  also 
a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  the  county. 
is  now  the  wife  of  Charles  1'"..  Clark,  editor  of 
tin'  Winchester  Standard.  George  IF.  the  sec- 
ond son.  is  connected  with  an  insurance  com- 
pany in  the  city  of  St.  Louis.  Robert  Emmet, 
recently  graduated  from  the  Chicago  College 
of  Pharmacy,  is  at  present  employed  as  a  drug- 
gist in  that  city.  John  is  a  grocery  clerk  in 
Coffeen.  Leroy  is  attending  college  at  Val- 
paraiso. Indiana,  and  Albert,  the  youngest  son. 
is  a  student    in  the  Coffeen  high   school. 

We  now  conic  to  the  biography  of  William  E., 
the  oldest  son  of  George  Xewsome.  This  young 
and  energetic  business  man  was  born  February 
S.  1878.  Schooled  in  necessity,  he  learned 
when  but  a  mere  hoy  the  value  of  a  dollar,  and 
the  habit  of  thrift,  begun  in  childhood,  has  been 
I  be  key  by  which  he  has  achieved  his  success  in 
the  business  world.  William  is  a  shrewd,  far- 
seeing  business  man  and  his  investments  have 
always  been  well  placed  so  that  at  the  age  of 
twenty-six  he  is  in  command  of  quite  a  little 
fortune.  He  owns  several  good  paying  proper- 
ties in  the  little  city  of  Coffeen  and  is  on  the 
alert  and  ready  to  buy  any  piece  of  real  estate 
in  which  he  feels  there  is  reason  to  believe 
there  will  be  an  appreciation  in  price.  While 
Mr.  Newsome  is  not  a  communicant  at  any 
church,  yet  his  attendance  is  usually  at  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian.  While  his  people 
an'  of  Irish  origin,  -till  they  were  of  the  Church 


582 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


of  England.  Their  connection,  however,  since 
residing  in  Coffeen  has  been  with  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  church  at  this  place.  Wil- 
liam Newsome  is  an  illustration  of  what  lies, 
before  any  industrious  American  boy.  That  the 
I'm ui-e  holds  a  deserving  place  for  him  is  the 
belief  of  his  many  friends,  and  though  he  has 
been  frugal,  he  has  not  been  parsimonious, 
for  to  all  laudable  causes  he  has  subscribed  in 
proportion  to  his  ability,  and  in  securing  an 
additional  shaft  at  Coffeen  he  was  one  of  the 
heaviest  subscribers  to  that  public  donation. 
Personally  Mr.  Newsome  is  of  pleasing  ad- 
dress and  his  affability  ami  courteous  treatment 
of  everybody  makes  him  everybody's  friend. 

Mr.  Newsome  is  at  present  the  central  com- 
mitteeman of  the  Republican  party  for  East 
Fork  township.  In  1903  he  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  town  clerk  although  the  township  is 
heavily  Democratic.  In  fraternal  circles  Mr. 
Newsome  is  recognized  as  a  Knight  of  Pythias 
and  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order.  In  these 
he  takes  considerable  interest  and  doubtless  en- 
joys the  secret  work  of  the  lodge  room.  We 
anticipate,  however,  that  before  many  moons 
have  waned  that  Mr.  Newsome  will  be  able  to 
find  even  greater  pleasure  in  the  home-lodge 
which  he  is  amply  able  to  establish. 


JOSEPH   WHITMORE. 

Joseph  Whitmore,  one  of  the  native  sons  of 
Montgomery  county,  was  born  in  Audubon 
township.  March  29,  L847,  and  is  now  living 
on  section  22  of  the  same  township,  devoting 
his  time  and  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits. 
1 1  is  parents  were  Amos  H.  and  Mary  (Wells) 
Whitmore,  the  former  a  native  of  London, 
England,  and  the  latter  of  Virginia.  His  pa- 
ternal grandfather  was  Nathaniel  Whitmore. 
who  was  also  born  in  London  and  belonged  to 
the  English  nobility,  the  family  owning  a  large 
estate  in  that  country.  In  1812  Amos  H.  Whit- 
more came  to  America  on  a  prospecting  tour 
for  his  father,  who  afterward  crossed  the  At- 
lantic and  located  in  Vermont,  whence  he  sub- 
sequently  removed  to  Ohio,  settling  near  the 
iiiining  town   of   Wheelersburg,   Scioto  county. 


where  be  owned  a  farm  of  two  hundred  acres 
which  is  still  in  possession  of  one  of  his  de- 
scendants  of  the  name  of  Nathaniel  Preston. 
Our  subject  lias  in  his  possession  a  document 
in  bis  grandfather's  hand  writing  drawn  up 
at  Piermont,  Grafton  county.  New  Eampshire, 
November  1".'.  1811,  giving  power  of  attorney 
to  his  son,  Amos  II.  Lin-  was  recorded  in  the 
recorder's  office  in  Athens  county,  Ohio.  De- 
cember lit.  1813-,  Vol.  II.  page  117.  E.  Per- 
kins, register.  The  handwriting  is  exception- 
ally good.  Our  subject  also  has  a  letter  written 
by  Joseph  Dana  to  his  father.  Amos  II.  Whit- 
more, on  the  5th  of  November,  1818. 

Amid  pioneer  surroundings  Amos  Whit- 
more was  reared  and  lie  assisted  in  the  slow  and 
laborious  task  of  improving  a  new  farm  and 
developing  the  wild  land  into  productive  fields. 
For  some  years  he  made  his  home  near  Colum- 
bus. Union  county.  Ohio,  and  there  reared  the 
children  of  his  first  marriage,  his  wife  being- 
Miss  Sarah  Smith.  After  her  death  he  wedded 
Miss  Man  Wells  in  1838,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  two  sons  and  three  daughters: 
John,  who  married  Marian  Brown  and  resides 
in  Xokoinis  township,  this  county;  Mrs.  Mary 
M.  1 1  Ml.  of  Nokomis;  Mrs.  Abigail  Kellogg, 
whose  husband  is  living  retired  in  Nokomis; 
Mrs.  Athalinda  Lease,  a  resident  of  Nokomis 
township ;  and  Joseph. 

In  the  fall  of  1845  Amos  H.  Whitmore  came 
to  Illinois  and  purchased  raw  land,  securing 
seventeen  hundred  and  twenty  acres  from  the 
government  and  land  companies,  for  which  he 
paid  from  fifty-eight  cents  to  three  dollars 
per  acre.  The  country  was  wild  and  the  work 
of  improvement  and  progress  seemed  scarcely 
begun.  There  were  large  herds  of  deer  roam- 
ing over  the  prairie  and  there  were  many  wild 
turkeys  and  smaller  game.  Wolves  were  also 
seen  in  great  numbers  and  rattlesnakes  were 
heard  in  the  wild  prairie  grass.  There  were  no 
feme-  at  that  time  and  one  could  drive  across 
the  prairie  to  Pana  without  coming  to  a  fence 
or  building  to  impede  progress.  The  prairie 
grass  grew  as  high  as  a  horse  and  almost  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach  there  was  one  bound- 
less stretch  of  this  waving  grass,  having  the 
appearance  of  a  billowy  sea.  In  early  days  Mr. 
Whitmore  raised  hogs,   which  he  drove  to   St. 


JOSEPH     WHITMOEE    AND    FAMILY 


UNIVERSITY  OF 
URB 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


585 


Louis,  Missouri,  when'  ha  gpld  them  for  from 
a  dollar  and  a  half  to  two  and  a  hail'  per  hun- 
dred weight.  He  would  take  a  load  of  dressed 
hogs  to  the  city  and  bring  back  a  line  id'  mer- 
chandise for  the  business  men  of  Audubon, 
which  town  at  thai  tune  contained  about  fif- 
teen houses  and  one  large  store.  Later  more 
houses  were  1  in i It  and  three  stores  and  two 
hotels  established,  hut  like  so  many  other  places 
il  was  killed  by  the  railroad.  In  early  days 
Audubon  ami  Hillsboro  were  really  the  only 
large  towns  between  Mr.  Whitmore's  farm  and 
St.  Louis,     lie  continued  to  make  Ins  home  in 

Aiidul township   until    his   death,   which   oc- 

curred  in  1857  in  the  house  where  our  subject 
now  lives. 

Joseph      Whitmore     attended     the     district 
schools  near  his  home  until   eighteen   years  of 
age,  I  he  winter  month-  being  devoted  to  study, 
while  throughout  the  summer  he  aided   in   tin 
work  of  the  farm.     After  his  father's  death  he 
operated    the    farm    for    his    mother    until    the 
fall  that   he  was  twenty-one,  when  he  was  mar- 
ried ami  began   farming  for  himself  upon  one 
hundred  acres.     After  his  mother  passed  away 
he   boughl    the  old    home   place  and   has   always 
lived  upon  the  same  quarter  section.     He  now 
has  a   valuable   farm  of  two  hundred  and    forty 
acres    on    section    22,    Audubon    township,    its 
excellent  appearance  indicating  his  careful  su- 
pervision  and   attention    and    proving   that    bis 
life  has  been  one  of  industry  ami  earnest  toil. 
On  the  25th  of  October,  1868,  Mr.  Whitmore 
married    Miss  Cornelia    Drake,  who  was  reared 
in    the    vicinity    of    Portsmouth,   Ohio,   and    in 
1866  came  to   Illinois  with   her  parents.   Austin 
and  Sarah   (Wells)   Drake,  the  family  home  be- 
ing   established     in     Audubon    township,    where 
her   tat  her  engaged    in   tannine.      Hi'  was  a    line 
judge  of  stock   and   also    practiced    veterinary 
surgery.      Leaving    here    in    1876,    he    lived    in 
various  places  until    1884,  when  lie  removed  to 
Springfield,    Illinois,    where   he   is   now    living 
retired.      During  the  Civil   war  he  served    for 
three  years  with  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland. 
and    is   to-day   a   stanch    Republican,   taking   an 
active  interest  in  politics.     Religiously  he  is  a 
member    of    the    Methodist    Episcopal    church. 
Tlis    wife    died    in    February,    1888,    and    was 
buried    in    Nokomis   cemetery.     Of  their  eight 


children    four   sons   and   one   daughter   are  still 
living,  the  latter  being  Mrs.   Whitmore. 

Unto  Mr.  ami  Mrs.  Whitmore  have  been  born 
five  children:  Hettie,  who  was  engaged  in 
teaching  in  the  public  schools  of  Montgomery 
county  for  live  years  and  is  now  the  wife  of 
Dr.  Elmer  E.  Wells,  of  [ronton,  Ohio;  Mamie 
and  Lester,  wdio  died  in  infancy:  Noma,  tin' 
wife  of  James  Stewart,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Montgomery  county;  and  Grover,  at  home. 
The  parents  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  have  a  wide  acquaintance 
in  Montgomery  county,  where  they  have  long 
resided.  Mr.  Whitmore's  mind  bears  many  pic- 
tures of  I  he  early  days  with  its  varied  experi- 
ences such  as  are  common  in  frontier  settle- 
ments, and  he  feels  a  commendable  pride  in 
wdiat  has  been  accomplished  by  Montgomery 
countv's  progressive  citizens,  among  whom  he 
is  justly  numbered. 


LEVI    ASA    IILSSEV 


Levi  Asa  Hussey,  well  known  in  commercial 
circles  in  Montgomery  county,  and  connected 
with  the  V.  Hoffman  estate,  of  Litchfield,  was 
horn  m  this  city  in  1869,  his  parents  being 
Charles  W.  ami  Matilda  (Stephens)  Hussey. 
The  mother  was  a  second  cousin  of  Alexander 
Stephens,  at  one  time  vice  president  of  the 
Southern  Confederacy,  and  a  daughter  of  Asa 
Stephens,  who  was  a  carpenter  by  occupation, 
Charles  W.  Hussey  was  bom  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, is  a  machinist  by  trade  and  still  follows 
that  pursuit.  lie  came  west  to  Illinois  in 
1865,  locating  at  Litchfield  and  is  now  cum 
ployed  in  the  shops  of  the  Hie  four  Railroad 
Company  ai  Mattoon,  Illinois,  lie  has  reached 
the  age  of  seventy-five  years  ami  his  has  been 
an  active  and  useful  career.  His  political 
support  is  given  to  the  Democracy.  His  wife, 
who  was  horn  in  South  Carolina,  has  now 
reached  the  age  of  sixty-seven  years.  She  is  a 
mi  inker  of  the  Baptisi  church  and  a  consistent 
Christian  woman.  In  her  family  were  six 
children:  Henry  W..  who  is  a  shoemaker  re- 
siding in  Litchfield;  George  W.,  a  miller  living 
in  Kansas  City:  Levi  Asa;  Sarah  E..  who  is 
engaged   in  the  millinery  business  and   resides 


586 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


with  her  parents;  Mary  A.,  at  home:  and  Ma- 
tilda A.,  now  deceased. 

During  his  early  boyhood  Levi  A.  Hussey 
attended  the  public  schools  of  Litchfield  and 
then  entered  upon  his  business  career  as  a 
clerk  in  the  store  of  Valentine  Hoffman.  lie 
has  been  continually  connected  with  this  es- 
tablishment and  from  a  humble  capacity  worked 
his  way  steadily  upward.  He  is  now  one  of 
the  partners  in  the  store  and  ranks  among  the 
more  progressive,  enterprising  and  successful 
business  nun  of  the  city. 

In  July,  1892,  Mr.  Hussey  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Ida  M.  Hoffman,  who  was 
born  in  1872  and  is  a  daughter  of  Valentine 
and  Marie  Hoffman.  They  now  have  one  child, 
Lottie  L.  They  hold  membership  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  Mr.  Hussey  serv- 
ing on  its  official  board  and  in  the  various  de- 
partments of  church  activity  they  lake  a  help- 
ful interest.     He  is  a  Democrat  and  has  I n 

tax  collector  for  two  terms  and  i-  now  serving 
as  alderman  from  the  second  ward,  proving  a 
capable  member  of  the  city  council  and  one  v\  ho 
places  the  good  of  the  municipality  before  par- 
tisanship or  personal  aggrandizement.  Social- 
ly he  is  identified  with  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge  at 
Litchfield,  lie  is  a  man  of  broad  sympathies, 
and  the  poor  and  needy  have  found  in  him 
a  friend.  The  difficulties  which  lie  had  to  en- 
counter in  his  own  business  career  have  made 
him  ever  ready  to  extend  a  helping  hand  to 
those  who  try  to  aid  themselves,  and  in  his 
business  lie  ever  rewards  faithful  services  on 
the  part  of  his  employes  when  opportunity 
offers. 


JAMES  c.  HOPE. 


•  Mie  .if  the  beautiful  country  homer-  of  Mont- 
gomery county  is  the  property  of  James  ( '. 
Hope.  It  was  erected  by  him  and  stands  in  the 
midst  of  a  line  farm  of  two  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land,  about  four  miles  south  id'  Hills- 
boro.  The  place  i-  equipped  with  all  modern 
conveniences  and  accessories  and  hut  a  glance 
is  needed  to  indicate  to  the  passer-by  that  the 
owner  is  a  man  of  business  enterprise,  progres- 
sive ami   practical    in  his   farm   work. 


It  was  upon  tin-  farm,  on  section  '<!(;,  Hills- 
boro  township,  that  James  C.  Hope  was  born 
February  I.  1851.  The  family  were  among 
the  early  settlers  of  North  Carolina  and  he 
trace-  his  ancestry  hack  to  Robert  and  Cath- 
arine (Allison)  Hope.  The  former  was  born 
November  2,  1750,  and  died  October  11,  1805, 
while  his  wife  was  horn  September  "?.  1750,  and 
and  died  December  22,  is;;;.  They  were  mar- 
ried November  21,  L771,  and  became  the  par- 
ents of  the  following  children:  Margaret,  born 
October  5,  1  772;  James.  December  12,  1774; 
Abner,  December  28,  1776;  Allison.  May  27, 
L779;  Catharine,  February  3,  1782;  Silas,  Feb- 
ruary ::.  lis-?:  Thomas.  December  14.  1783: 
Robert,  March  22,  1786;  Agnes,  September  19. 
L788;  John.  Octol  <-v  23,  1790;  and  Levi.  Sep- 
tember 1:!.  1795.     There- was  one.  X  amy.  whose 

nai Iocs  not  appear  on  the  registers  of  births 

hut  does  appear  on  that  of  deaths.  She  died 
June  14,  1796,  probably  quite  voung.  Mar- 
garet, the  eldest  of  this  family,  married  a  Mr. 
Alexander,  and  one  of  her  sons  lived  at  Oxford. 
Mississippi,  for  a  time,  and  it  i-  thought  moved 
from  there  to  Texas.  James  and  Abner  went 
to  Missouri  and  it  is  from  tin1  latter  that  our 
subject  is  descended.  Allison  removed  to 
South  Carolina  and  lie  and  his  family  after  him 
were  people  of  wealth  and  high  social  standing. 
Catharine  married  David  Crawford  and  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Thomas  Robinson  lived  at  Ox- 
ford, Mississippi,  until  its  occupation  by  Gen- 
eral Grant  in  1862,  when  they  returned  to  the 
old  Dr.  Robinson  homestead  at  Poplar  Tent  in 
Cabarrus  county.  North  Carolina,  and  lived 
tlure  until  her  death.  Her  -mi  and  daughter 
afterward  kept  a  hotel  at  Salisbury.  North 
Carolina.  Another  son,  Rev.  ( '.  W  Robinson 
was  a  Presbyterian  minister  in  that  state.  Silas 
Hope  probably  died  young.  Thomas  died  in 
N'ortli  Carolina.  Robert  was  a  lawyer  at  Con- 
cord, that  state,  and  was  the  father  of  old  Dr. 
Bob  Hope,  a  man  of  prominence  at  Rmk  Hill, 
South  Carolina.  Amies  probably  died  young. 
John  was  at  one  time  a  wealthy  and  prominent 
planter  of  Alabama  and  was  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  the  University  of  Alabama. 

law  i  Hope  died  at  the  home  of  his  sen.  James 
Edward  Hope,  four  miles  from  Oxford.  Missis- 
sippi, at  the  age  of  ninety-five  years,     lie  mar- 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


5S" 


ried  Melissa  Harris,  an  aunt  of  Dr.  Sam  Mar- 
ias, of  Cape  Girardeau,  Missouri.  Of  their 
eleven  children  nine  reached  middle  age.  Cath- 
arine married  William  [vimmons,  a  farmer, 
who  resided  eight  miles  from  Oxford,  and  died 
at  the  age  of  thirty-five.  Cornelia  married  his 
brother,  Dr.  II.  II.  Ivimmons.  Roberl  died 
when  a  young  man.  a  graduate  of  medicine  and 
a  talented,  accomplished  and  magnificent  speci- 
men of  a  man.  though  inclined  to  be  dissipated. 
Charles  died  in  Water  Valley,  Mississippi,  after 
the  Civil  war.  John  died  during  the  war. 
Frank  died  at  his  home  after  the  war.  George, 
fresh  from  college,  was  killed  in  the  battle  of 
Murfreesboro,  Tennessee.  Ed  was  badly 
wounded  in  the  battle  of  franklin.  Tennessee, 
Inn  is  still  living.  His  son,  Leighton  Hope. 
was  for  several  years  inspector  of  pensions  in 
the  ut\  of  New  Orleans.  Elam,  who  was  a 
physician  of  high  standing  in  Morehouse  par- 
ish, Louisiana,  died  with  yellow  fever  in  L878 
ai  the  age  of  seventy-nine  wars,  leaving  a  large 
family.  For  main  years  Levi  Hope  was  an 
elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church  ami  those  of 
his  children  who  were  connected  with  any 
church  were  also  Presbyterians. 

Aimer  Hope,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
removed  from  North  Carolina  to  Cape  Girar- 
deau county,  Missouri,  about  1827,  and  about 
is:;:,  came  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Montgomery 
county.  He  entered  land  Erom  the  government 
and  developed  and  resided  upon  the  farm  which 
is  ii'iu  occupied  by  R.  C.  Richards.  He  took 
an  active  and  helpful  part  in  the  early  pioneer 
progress  of  the  county  and  aided  in  laying  the 
foundation  for  the  present  prosperity  and  up- 
building of  this  portion  of  the  statu.  Here 
In-  death  occurred  in  1840. 

Robert  Hope,  the  father  of  .Tamos  ('..  was 
born  in  [redell  county.  North  Carolina,  in 
July,  L818,  and  was  therefore  about  seven  years 
of  age  when  the  family  removed  to  Missouri. 
Lali  r  he  came  with  his  father  to  Illinois  and 
was   identified   with   the  early  development  of 

Montg ay  county.      He   married   Miss   Mary 

A.  Clotfelter  and  removed  to  the  farm  on  which 
our  subject  now  resides.  There  he  made  his 
home  I'm-  many  years  and  reared  bis  family, 
numbering  five  children:  Tirza,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  twenty-two  years:  Harriet,  deceased 


wife   of  John   A.    Mitchell  ;    Mary,   tie  wife  of 

John    Sands,    of    Litchfield;    -I es     ('.;   and 

George,  who  resides  in  East  Fork  township. 
The  first  ho of  Robert  Hope  after  his  mar- 
riage was  a  log  cabin,  hut  in  course  of  time 
In'  was  enabled  to  add  more  modern  improve- 
ments to  his  farm,  upon  which  he  spent  the 
entire  period  of  his  married  life.  lie  had 
two  hundred  acres  of  land  ami  lived  a  most 
industrious,  useful  and  honorable  life.  His 
death  occurred  in  lssi  and  his  wife  passed 
away  in  1889.  They  were  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  and  took  an  active  pail 
in  church  work'. 

From  boyhood  James  ('.  Hope  has  been  fa- 
miliar with  the  history  of  Montgomery  county. 
has  >rrw  the  inauv  changes  which  have  oc- 
curred here,  and  has  known  and  been  known 
by  its  people.  He  attended  the  common  schools 
in  his  Youth  anil  worked  at  farm  labor  on  the 
place  where  In'  still  resides.  At  the  time  ot 
his  marriage  he  settled  upon  a  part  of  the 
old  homestead  and  now  has  two  hundred  ami 
sixty  acres  of  valuable  land,  the  fields  yielding 
to  him  good  crops  in  return  for  his  care  ami 
cultivation.  Hi'  is  also  engaged  in  the  feeding, 
buying  and  selling  of  cattle  and  finds  this  a 
profitable  branch  of  his  business,  for  he  is  an 
excellent  judge  of  stock  and  therefore  makes 
judicious  purchases  and  sells  to  good  advantage. 
Moreover  be  is  thoroughly  reliable  and  lias 
never  been  known  to  take  advantage  of  the  ne- 
cessities of  his  fellow  men  in  any  trade  transac- 
tion. 

On  Christmas  day  of  L873  Mr.  Hope  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  Chamberlain,  who  was 
horn  in  Indiana,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  ami 
Orilla  Chamberlain.  They  have  eight  chil- 
dren: Oscar  L.  :  Cora  A.,  the  wife  of  Herman 
Cowan:  Hula  M.,  the  wife  of  Algy  Strange; 
Laura,  Pearl.  Howard.  Edgar  and  Ethel,  all 
at  home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hope  are  consistent  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Hillsboro.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  his  political  views,  is  active 
and  influential  in  community  interests  and  is 
now  serving  for  the  fifth  year  as  highway  com- 
missioner. Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  in  all 
matters    pertaining   to   the   general    welfare   bo 


588 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


is  deeply  interested  and  gives  many   measures 
a   public-spirited   support. 


LOLIS  II.  MKV. 


Louis  II.  Mey,  a  representative  of  the  lead- 
ing productive  industries  of  Eillsboro,  being 
extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  car- 
riages ami  wagons,  was  born  in  Peine,  Han- 
over, Germany,  mi  the  30th  of  June,  L850,  ami 
was  brought  to  America  in  L851  by  bis  parents, 
August  II.  ami  Dorethea  Mey,  also  natives  of 
Germany.  The  father  was  born  in  Uardegsen, 
Hanover,  March  15,  L823,  and  the  mother  was 
born  in  Peine,  Hanover,  March  22.  1828.  The 
family  home  was  established  in  St.  Louis,  but 
after  three  months  the  father,  who  was  a  wa- 
gon-maker by  trade,  brought  bis  family  to 
Hillsboro,  arriving  here  October  15,  1851.  He 
continued  work  in  bis  chosen  field  of  labor  up 
to  the  time  of  bis  death,  which  occurred  April 
25,  1899.     His  wife  died  December  '.'.  1894. 

In  the  early  days  before  the  advent  of  rail- 
roads when  the  wagon-making  business  did  no! 
demand  all  of  bis  time  and  attention,  August 
II.  Mey  wmdd  haul  produce  by  team  to  St. 
Louis,  and  upon  his  return  would  bring  bark 
groceries  for  the  three  merchants  who  were 
then  doing  business  in  Hillsboro.  In  early  life 
he  bad  been  left  an  orphan  with  the  care  of  a 
sister  devolving  upon  him.  He  learned  the 
trade  of  wagon-making  in  Germany  and  there 
conducted  a  shop  ere  his  emigration  to  Amer- 
ica. Throughout  bis  entire  life  he  continued 
in  the  same  line  of  business  and  bis  persistency 
nf  purpose  as  well  as  bis  capable  workmanship 
was  a  strong  element  in  bis  success.  lie  estab- 
lished the  carriage  and  wagon  factory  now 
owned  ami  conducted  by  bis  son  Louis  II.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church,  to  which 
bis  wife  also  belonged,  and  in  public  affairs  be 
was  prominent  and  influential,  lie  gave  his 
political  allegiance  to  the  Democracy  and  served 
as  a  member  of  (be  city  council  for  a  number 
of  years.  Unto  him  and  In-  wife  were  born 
four  children:  Louise,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Louis  Welge  and  after  bis  death  married 
Frank  Brandes,  of  Raymond,  Illinois:  Emma, 
(be  wife  of  Fred  Brandes   of  Hillsboro;  Louis 


II..  of  this  review;  ami  August  G.,  who  died 
April   '.'.   1900.  ' 

Brought  to  Hillsboro  in  bis  infancy,  Louis 
H.  Mey  was  reared  in  tins  city  and  after  at- 
tending the  public  schools  continued  bis  edu- 
cation in  the  Hillsboro  Academy  until  fourteen 
years  of  age,  when  be  put  aside  bis  text  books 
and  entered  bis  father's  shop  in  order  to  learn 
the  wagon  and  carriage  making  trade.     When 

twenty-one  years  of  nee  be  becan wner  of  a 

ball'  interest  m  the  business  and  after  bis  fath- 
er's death  lie  assumed  entire  control  and  has 
continued  in  this  line  up  to  the  present  time. 
Mi-  enterprise  has  been  characterized  by  con- 
tinuous development  and  expansion  and  be  now 
occupies  three  buildings,  one  being  a  two-story 
brick  structure  forty  by  sixty  feet.  The  black- 
smith shop  is  ,-i  one-story  brick  building  twenty- 
four  by  sixty  feet  and  the  wood-working  shop 
is  a  two-story  structure  built  of  brick  and  frame 
and  is  twenty-four  by  eighty-two  feet.  Mr. 
Mey  manufactures  both  wagons  and  carriages 
of  ii  superior  grade  and  bis  is  one  of  the  old- 
est as  well  as  most  prosperous  industrial  con- 
cerns of  the  county.  lie  has  a  thorough  and 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  business,  has  kept 
pace  with  the  progress  made  alone'  that  line 
and  places  upon  the  market  a  fine  line  of  car- 
riages and  wagons,  which  be  -ells  at  reasonable 
pi'iees.  so  that  be  has  gained  a  very  liberal  and 
desirable  patronage. 

On  the  27th  of  December.  1871,  Mr.  Mey  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Barbara  Anna 
Sherer,  who  was  born  in  Maryland,  November 
30,  1852.  I  lei-  father.  Henry  Sherer,  who  was 
a  blacksmith  by  trade,  was  bom  in  Pennsyl- 
vania December  '.'.  1814,  and  was  married  on 
on  the  9th  of  November,  1843,  to  Miss  Caro- 
line Tracy,  who  was  born  May  IT.  1828  They 
became  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  five  sons 
and  six  daughters,  of  whom  tin'  eldest  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  just  across  the  line  from 
Maryland  :  the  next  four  in  Maryland;  and  the 
others  in  Ohio.  In  order  of  birth  they  were  as 
follows:  John;  George  L.,  September  '?'?. 
is  Hi:  Mary  F...  November  8,  1848;  Jacob  J., 
October  Hi.  1850;  Barbara  A..  November  30, 
1852;  Lorre  F.,  May  23,  1854;  Phoebe  A.. 
March  '.'  1856;  Robert  P.  M..  December  10, 
1858:  Eleanor  B.,  November  Hi.  1860;  William 


LOUIS    H.    MEY 


MRS.    LOUIS    H.    MEY 


iNOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


593 


II..  June  15,  L8C2;  and  Laura  ('..  April  14. 
1865.  The  Sherer  family  lived  in  Preble  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  for  sixteen  years  and  then  eame  to 
Illinois,  Locating  in  Montgomery  county  in 
1867.  The  son  George  L.  now  lives  on  the  old 
homestead.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mey  were  born 
eighl  children:  Walter  R.,  who  is  associated 
with  Ins  father  in  business;  Edward  A.,  who  is 
also  with  his  father;  Arthur  L.,  deceased;  Law- 
rence P.  and  Charles  II.,  who  are  assisting  their 
father;  Dorothea  Emma.  Jesse  W.  and  Helen 
B.,  at  home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mey  hold  membership  in  the 
Lutheran  church  and  Mr.  Mey  is  a  Democrat 
in  his  political  affiliations.  He  has  served  as  a 
member  of  the  city  council  and  is  deeply  in- 
terested in  everything  pertaining  to  the  wel- 
fare and  progress  of  Hillsboro,  where  almost 
Ins  entire  life  has  been  passed.  Those  who 
know  him — and  his  friends  are  many — enter-, 
tain  for  him  the  warm  personal  regard  which 
is  prompted  by  an  honorable  business  career 
and  by  a  loyal  citizenship. 


WILLIAM    II.    WILSON'. 

The  farming  interests  of  East  Fork  town- 
ship find  a  worthy  representative  in  William  11. 
Wilson,  who  is  one  of  the  native  sons  of  the 
locality,  his  birth  having  occurred  on  section 
1  of  the  township,  duly  2  1 .  1846,  his  parents 
being  Joshua  II.  and  Emma  (McDavid)  Wilson. 
The  father  was  horn  in  the  vicinity  of  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  and  when  a  youth  of  eight 
years  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  Montgomery  county.  Illinois,  the 
family  home  being  established  on  section  1, 
East  Fork  township,  where  the  grandfather 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  Here  he  fol- 
lowed  farming  until  lus  death,  which  occurred 

on  the  17th  of  September,  1873.     He  r oved 

to  the  vicinity  of  the  home  of  William  II.  Wil- 
son and  there  became  an  extensive  farmer.  In 
his  family  were  fifteen  children,  live  sons  and 
ten  daughters,  all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity, 
hut  only  two  are  now  living:  Joseph  C'..  a 
veteran  of  the  Mexican  war  and  a  resident  of 
Irving.  Illinois:  and  Lydia.  wife  of  William 
C.  McDavid.  living  near  Coffeen. 


Joshua  H.  Wilson  was  reared  to  farm  labor, 
earl\  becoming  familiar  with  the  best  methods 
of  caring  for  the  crops  and  also  the  best  meth- 
ods of  raising  stock,  and  when  he  entered  upon 
his  business  career  he  followed  the  occupation 
to  which  he  had  been  trained  in  youth.  Suc- 
cess attended  his  efforts  and  he  became  one  of 
the  extensive  farmers  and  stockmen  of  his 
locality,  having  a  large  and  well  improved  tract 
of  land  and  raising  high  grades  of  cattle  and 
horses.  He  married  Miss  Emma  McDavid.  a 
daughter  of  William  McDavid,  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  two  children.  After  the  death 
of  his  first  wife,  Joshua  II.  Wilson  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Sarah 
Hutchinson,  of  Greenville,  Illinois.  They  had 
four  children,  of  whom  only  one  is  now  living; 
Martha  J.,  the  widow  of  William  A.  McDavid. 
She  is  now  conducting  the  Hillsboro  House. 
Mr.  Wilson  was  one  of  the  leading  men  of  his 
county  and  deserved  greal  credit  for  what  he 
accomplished,  for  he  had  no  financial  assistance 
in  his  early  manhood.  Business  conditions, 
however,  were  favorable  and  he  had  the  sagacity 
and  foresight  to  improve  these.  As  time  passed 
and  his  financial  resources  increased  he  made 
judicious  investment  in  land  and  was  the  owner 
of  about  twenty-six  hundred  acres  at  the  time 
of  his  death.  Mr.  Wilson  of  this  review,  how- 
ever, can  remember  when  his  father  only  had 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  under  culti- 
vation and  at  that  time  there  were  hut  few  set- 
tlements between  the  family  '.residence  and 
1 1  illshoro. 

William  II.  Wilson  has  herded  cattle  on  what 
is  now  the  (dd  homestead  and  he  drove  an 
ox  team  in  his  boyhood  days,  hut  greal  changes 
have  occurred  in  farm  life  and  in  the  methods 
of  cultivating  the  fields.  Machinery  has  been 
improved  and  many  farm  implements  have  been 
invented  and  at  all  times  Mr.  Wilson  has  kept 
apace  with  the  general  progress.  He  attended 
school  in  his  boyhood  days  through  the  win- 
ter months,  hut  in  the  summer  seasons  assisted 
in  the  work  of  liehl  and  meadow  and  thus 
gained  practical  experience,  which  proved  of 
much  value  to  him  when  he  started  out  in  busi- 
ness life  for  himself,  when  about  twenty-three 
years.  He  began  farming  upon  the  old  home- 
stead,   the     place     hcine-    divided,    William    11. 


59  I 


PAST    AXD    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


Wilson  receiving  four  hundred  and  thirty-nine 
and  a  half  acres,  while  one  brother  received 
four  hundred  and  twenty-nine  and  his  sister 
six  hundred  and  eleven  acres.  That  Mr.  Wil- 
son has  Led  a  busy  life  and  one  crowned  by 
successful  accomplishment  is  indicated  by  the 
fact  that  his  landed  possessions  now  cover 
twelve  hundred  and  ten  and  a  half  acres.  He 
is  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising  with 
good  success,  his  labors  annually  returning  to 
him  a  handsome  income. 

On  the  9th  of  December,  1869,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  William  0.  Wilson  and  Miss  Martha 
E.  Newberry,  a  daughter  <>f  Cornelius  New- 
berry. She  was  reared  near  [rving,  Illinois, 
and  liv  her  marriage  became  the  mother  of  two 
children,  hut  only  one,  Ollie  1!..  is  new  living. 
The  daughter  has  been  carefully  educated  in 
music  and  has  recently  completed  a  course  oi 
study  in  Epstein  Conservatory  of  Music  in  St. 
Louis.  The  parents  belong  to  the  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  church,  taking  an  active  pari  in 
its  work  ami  contributing  generously  to  its 
support.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Wilson  is 
a  Republican  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the 
issues  of  the  day  and  <jjves  an  earnest  allegiance 
to  his  party.  His  time  and  attention,  however. 
have  never  been  given  to  seeking  public  office, 
for  he  has  preferred  to  devote  his  energies  to 
his  husimss  affairs  and  he  stands  to-day  as 
one  of  the  most  successful  and  honored  agri- 
culturists of  his  community.  He  ha-  never 
taken  advantage  of  the  necessities  of  his  fellow 
men  in  any  trade  transaction,  hut  lias  followed 
legitimate  business  lines  and  by  his  fail'  deal- 
ing and  reliability  has  not  only  won  prosperity, 
but  has  also  won  the  enviable  regard  and  re- 
spect of  those  with  whom  lie  has  been  asso- 
ciated. 


V.   A.  HOST. 


V.  A.  Bost,  the  owner  of  a  good  farm  of 
three  hundred  and  thirty  acres  in  Fillmore 
town-hip.  Montgomery  county,  was  horn  in 
Fayette  county.  Illinois.  September  15,  1853. 
His  father,  Henry  Bost,  was  a  native  of  North 
Carolina,  horn  September  17,  1820,  and  was  a 
son  of  Jacob  "Rost.  who  was  born  in   Cabarrus 


county,  that  state,  on  the  4th  of  April,  1794, 
and  died  near  Bost  Ilill  in  Fillmore  township, 
this  county.  October  7,  1884,  when  over  ninety 
years  of  age.    At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  mar- 
ried   Miss    Margaret    Cress,    also    a    native    of 
Cabarrus  county.  North  Carolina,  who  died  in 
this  county  on  the  25th  of  May.  1853.     On  the 
14th    of    February,    1854,    he    was    married    in 
this  county  to  Miss  Elizabeth   Try.  also  a  na- 
me id'  Cabarrus  county,  who  came  to  this  coun- 
ty with  her  father.  John  Cry.    She  died  August 
L2,    1883.      Jacob    Host   brought    his   family   to 
this  county  in   1836  and   made  his  home  upon 
a    farm    in    Fillmore   township   throughout   the 
remainder   of   Ids    life.      He    was    survived    by 
five  children,  namely:     Susan.  Jacob,  Monroe, 
Dorcas  and  John  J.       Elvira,  the  eldest  of  the 
family,   died   in   childhood    in    North    Carolina, 
ami    Henry,    Martin    and    Kate    died    in    this 
state  after  having  reared  families  of  their  own. 
Henry    Bost,  the   father  of  our  subject,  was 
principally   reared   and   educated    in  his   native 
state,  being  about  sixteen  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  the  removal  of  the  family  to  Montgom- 
erv  county.   Illinois,     lie  wrote  of  the  journey, 
September  1.  1836,  as   follows:     "We  left  our 
old   home  in  North   Carolina.  Cabarrus  county, 
forty-nine  miles  to  Lincoln  we  traveled  through 
on  the  fourth  day:  thence  to  Betherford   forty- 
four   miles    we   traveled    through    on    the   sixth 
day.     We  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains  at 
tie  Dickon    mountain  gap  on  the  eighth  day; 
their  e   to   Ashville,    forty-one   miles,   we   went 
through  on  the  ninth  day;  thence  to  the  Faint- 
ed  Rock,   forty-six  miles;  thence  to  Beens  Sta- 
tion, fifty  miles;  thence  to  Croparchet  in  Ken- 
tucky,   ninety-five    miles:    thence    to    Danville, 
twenty-two  miles:  thence  to  Louisville,  eighty- 
five  milo:  thence  to  Arleans,  forty-nine  miles: 
thence  to  the  Wabash  at  Terro  Haute,  ninety- 
five  miles;  thence  to  Paris,  twenty  miles;  thence 
to    Charleston,    twenty-eight    miles;    thence    to 
Shelhyville,  thirty-four  miles;  thence  to  Hills- 
boro,    forty    miles:    in    all    seven   hundred    and 
twenty-sis    miles    from    Concord    to    Hillsboro. 
We   landed   here   October   12.    1836."     At  that 
time  much  of  the  land   was  still  in  possession 
of  the  government   and   Henry  Bost  entered   a 
tract,  thus  laving  the  foundation   for  his  later 
prosperity  and  business  advancement.     He  was 


BAST    AND    FRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


595 


one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  county  and 
assisted  materially  in  its  growth,  lie  was  ac- 
tive in  reclaiming  the  wild  land  for  uses  of 
civilization  and  he  co-operated  with  his  fellow 
townsmen  in  promoting  many  measures  Eor  the 
general  good.  At  the  same  time  he  so  conduct- 
ed his  business  affairs  as  to  win  most  gratifying 
success  ami  as  his  financial  resources  increased 
lie  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  place  and 
added  to  his  realty  holdings  until  at  the  time 
of  his  death  he  owned  sixteen  hundred  acres  of 
land.  His  death  occurred  February  28,  1876, 
and  he  is  now  survived  by  four  of  his  children. 
His  wife,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Bost,  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 17.  1825.  and  passed  away  September 
12,  1857. 

A'.  A.  Bost  was  reared  in  Fayette  county. 
Illinois,  but  came  to  Montgomery  county  when 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  settling  upon  what 
is  now  his  home  place.  He  secured  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  from  his  father  and  he  has 
since  added  to  his  property  until  he  now  has 
three  hundred  and  thirty  acres  in  one  body. 
He  has  made  improvements  upon  his  land  and 
has  recently  erected  a  good  stock  barn:  in  fact, 
he  has  all  of  the  equipments  and  facilities 
needed  to  promote  Ins  business  affairs  and 
throughout  the  community  he  is  recognized  as 
a  representative  stock  dealer.  He  raises  cattle. 
sheep  and  hogs  and  also  line  horses,  mostly  of 
the  Norman  breed.  lie  also  raises  a  good 
grade  of  cattle  for  market  and  as  a  farmer  has 
ever  been  successful,  conducting  bis  business 
affairs  with  due  regard  to  the  ethics  of  com- 
mercial life.  He  has  always  been  familial'  with 
the  diseases  of  horses  and  cattle  and  has  been 
very  successful  in  his  treatment  of  the  same. 
In  1903  he  passed  the  examination  as  a  veteri- 
nary surgeon  ami  received  a  diploma  from  the 
Southern  Illinois  Veterinary  and  Medical  Asso- 
ciation. 

On  the  25th  of  November,  1875.  Mr.  Bost 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Scherer, 
who  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  duly  L2, 
1855.  Her  father.  Simeon  Scherer.  was  a  na- 
tive df  North  Carolina,  and  cue  of  the  early 
settlers  of  this  county,  locating  at  Hillsboro. 
He  engaged  in  farming  and  the  manufacture  of 
brick;  was  a  Republican  in  polities;  and  a 
member  of  the  Lutheran   church   of   Hillsboro. 


which  he  helped  to  build.  He  died  on  the 
24th  of  January,  1856,  and  his  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Blackwood  and  was 
horn  in  Montgomery  county.  November  26, 
is;;:;,  departed  this  life  January  20,  1900. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Host  have  had  ten  children: 
Lula  I...  who  was  born  March  1'9,  ]s;7,  and 
was  married  February  11.  1904,  to  Homer  Har- 
ris, of  Fillmore  township;  Mary  M.,  born  Aug- 
ust 15.  1878;  Daisy  E.,  bom  December  1.  1879; 
A.la  <>..  born  November  is.  1880;  William  Boy, 
born  April  22,  1883;  Ralph  S.,  bom  January 
-1.  1885;  a  twin  of  Ralph  S.  who  died  in  in- 
famy; Bessie  B..  born  dune  I.  1887;  Letta  O., 
who  was  born  October  2.  1890,  and  died  August 
10.  1891;  and  Leva  ML  born  September  6, 
1S9L 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bost  are  members  of  the  Luth- 
eran church,  are  interested  in  its  upbuilding 
and  generous  in  its  support.  Their  children 
also  belong  to  the  church.  Mr.  Bost  has  served 
as  president  of  the  Montgomery  County  Sun- 
day-school Association  ami  he  does  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  the  various  church  activities 
and  extend  the  cause  of  Christianity  in  his 
locality.  He  belongs  to  the  Court  of  Honor 
and  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being  made  a  Ma- 
son at  Fillmore  lodge,  No.  670,  in  1871.  and 
gives  his  political  support  to  the  Democratic 
party. 


WALTER   II.   TOBERMAN. 

Walter  11.  Toberman,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
grain  business  ami  in  the  operation  of  the  grain 
elevator  al  Coffeen,  was  bom  April  19.  1879, 
in  Fillmore  township.  Montgomery  county,  anil 
is  a  son  of  Isaiah  ami  Mary  Toberman,  who  are 
represented  elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  ac- 
quired his  early  education  in  the  country  schools 
of  bis  native  township  and  was  afterward 
graduated  from  the  high  school  of  Fillmore 
with  the  class  of  1898.  In  1900  he  entered 
into  partnership  with  his  brother  T.  A.  Tober- 
man in  the  creamery  business,  which  they  con- 
ducted at  both  Fillmore  and  Chapman,  re- 
maining in  that  line  of  business  for  a  year. 
Thev  then  established  a  grain  and  hay  commis- 
sion business  at  St.  Louis,  where  thev  remained 


596 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


in  1902  and  a  pari  of  1903.  In  the  latter  year 
they  purchased  the  elevator  at  Coffeen  and  em- 
barked in  the  grain  business  here  under  the 
firm  style  of  Toberman  Brothers.  This  rela- 
tion was  continued  until  the  30th  of  dune., 
1903,  when  T.  A.  Toberman  died.  Walter  H. 
Toberman  has  since  been  alone  in  business  and 
he  handles  a  large  amount  of  grain  annually. 
Ins  enterprise  furnishing  an  excellent  market 
for  farmers  of  the  surrounding  district. 

On  the  16th  of  September.  1903,  Mr.  Tober- 
man was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Stella 
Short,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  II.  S.  Short,  id'  Fill- 
more. He  belongs  to  the  Baptist  church,  while 
his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  of  Fillmore.  Fraternally  he  is 
connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp,  both  of  Fill- 
more, and  in  his  political  affiliations  he  is  a 
Democrat.  In  Coffeen  and  other  portions  of 
Montgomery  county  he  is  accounted  a  success- 
ful young  business  man.  well  liked  and  highly 
respected.  He  possesses  creditable  ambition, 
strong  purpose  and  untiring  diligence,  and  in 
this  way  is  developing  a  grain  business  which 
lias  already  reached  extensive  and  profitable 
proportions. 


HARVEY  BECHTEL. 

Harvey  Bechfel.  who  follows  farming  on  sec- 
tion 10,  Raymond  township,  where  his  place 
of  one  hundred  and  si\t\  acres  is  well  improved 
and  valuable,  was  born  in  Mid. can  county,  Illi- 
nois, near  Leroy,  on  the  20th  of  May.  1865. 
His  father.  Samuel  Bechtel,  was  a  native  of 
Ohio,  born  in  Piqua  county.  August  13.  1823, 
and  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth 
in  that  state  He  was  the  second  in  order  of 
birth  in  a  family  of  five  children,  whose  par- 
ents were  John  and  Esther  Bechtel.  In  Knox 
county.  Ohio,  he  was  married  in  1848  to  Cath- 
erine Koutz,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania 
and  in  childhood  removed  to  Ohio  with  her 
parents.  Samuel  Bechtel  carried  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits  in  Knox  county.  Ohio,  for  a 
number  of  years  and  in  1853  upon  his  removal 
westward  settled  in  McLean  county,  Illinois, 
near  the  village  of  Leroy,  where  he  opened   up 


a  farm  upon  which  he  reared  his  family  and 
remained  until  called  to  his  final  rest,  bis  death 
occurring  January  :!.  1901.  His  wife  depart- 
ed this  life  October  28,  1898,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-seven years.  She  left  five  children: 
George.  Samuel,  Joseph,  Harvey  and  Mrs.  L. 
A.  Kill  ion.  The  family  originally  numbered 
four  sons  and  six  daughters,  but  five  daughters 
died   in   infancy. 

Harvey  Bechtel,  the  youngest  of  the  family, 
was  reared  upon  the  old  family  homestead  and 
mastered  the  elementary  branches  of  English 
learning  in  the  district  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, lie  was  also  trained  to  farm  work, 
assisting  his  father  in  the  cultivation  and  de- 
velopnienl  of  the  fields  until  after  he  had 
reached  man's  estate,  lie  was  married  in  Mc- 
Lean county  December  8,  1891,  to  Miss  Minnie 
Eskew,  who  was  born  in  that  county  and  spent 
her  girlhood  days  there.  Tier  parents.  James 
M.  and  Mary  A.  (Collins)  Eskew,  were  pioneer 
settlers  of  McLean  county. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  Bechtel  carried  on 
the  old  home  place  for  several  years  and  then 
removed  to  Shelby  county,  where  he  purchased 
a  farm  of  eighty  aero,  which  he  improved  for 
a  year.  In  November.  1002.  lie  purchased  his 
present  property  mi  section  10,  Raymond  town- 
ship, and  he  now  lias  a  well  improved  farm, 
lie  ha-  added  to  his  house  a  good  summer  kitch- 
en and  his  place  is  one  of  the  neatest  and  most 
attractive  in  appearance  in  this  part  of  the 
county.  In  addition  to  his  commodious  resi- 
dence he  has  two  good  barns  and  all  flu1  out- 
buildings necessary  for  the  shelter  of  grain  and 
stock.  There  is  a  large  bearing  orchard,  con- 
taining many  varieties  of  fruit  frees  and  around 
the  place  is  a  well  trimmed  hedge  fence.  The 
lawn  is  adorned  with  fine  shade  trees,  and  the 
farm  presents  a  most  attractive  appearance. 
In  addition  to  the  cultivation  of  grain  Mr. 
Bechtel  is  also  engaged  in  the  raising  of  good 
grades  of  stock. 

Into  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bechtel  have  been  horn 
three  children,  who  are  yet  living:  Samuel 
M..  Harvey  F.  and  Flora  L.  They  also  lost 
two  children:  Catherine  A.,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  four  years,  and  one  that  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  parents  arc  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian church  at  Hand  and  he  is  serving  as  one 


MR.    AND    MRS.     HARVEY    BECHTEL 


UNIVi  :  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


599 


of  Us  elders  and  also  on  its  official  board.  In 
politics  he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  where  na- 
tional issues  are  involved,  liut  he  has  never 
sought  or  desired  office,  as  his  business  affairs 
have  claimed  his  entire  attention.  He  lias 
worked  hard  as  the  years  have  gone  by  and 
as  the  result  of  his  indefatigable  energy  he  is 
now  the  owner  of  valuable  property. 


WILLIAM  GREENWOOD. 

William  Greenwood,  a  resident  of  Fillmore 
township,  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  land- 
owners of  Montgomery  county,  his  holdings 
comprising  eight  hundred  acres,  but  it  is  not 
alone  his  posesssions  that  enable  him  to  rank 
with  the  representative  men  of  Montgomery 
county.  He  lias  always  commanded  the  con- 
fidence and  good  will  of  those  with  whom  he 
has  been  associated  and  his  business  affairs  have 
been  conducted  along  lines  which  have  proven 
of  benefit  to  the  county  as  well  as  a  source  of 
individual  profit.  Mr.  Greenwood  is  a  native  of 
Germany,  bora  January  1.  1840,  and  with  his 
parents  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America,  the 
family  home  being  established  in  New  Jersey, 
lie  is  a  son  of  William  and  (Catherine  Green- 
wood, who  were  also  horn  in  Germany.  The 
father  learned  and  followed  the  carpentei  - 
trade  in  that  country,  hut  after  coming  to  the 
1'nited  States  he  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits. Several  years  were  passed  in  New  Jersey 
and  be  then  came  with  his  family  to  Mont- 
gomery county.  Illinois,  about  1850,  hut  in 
1857  he  removed  to  Alton,  this  state.  In  1867, 
however,  he  located  near  Nokoniis,  where  his 
death  occurred  in  is;:!.  lie  had  lost  his  wife 
during  the  early  boyhood  days  ,,f  their  son. 
William. 

William  Greenwood   ace panied  bis  parents 

on  their  various  removals,  going  to  N"okomis 
in  18(57.  Since  1881  be  has  resided  upon  what 
is  now  his  home  property  in  Fillmore  township 
He  started  nut  in  life  for  himself  on  attaining 
his  majority,  first  earning  bis  living  as  a  farm 
hand,  in  which  capacity  he  was  employed  for 
four  years.  He  then  rented  land  for  two  years 
and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  purchased 
onp  hundred  and  fifty  acres  on  the  prairie  at 


Nokomis.  On  leaving  there  in  1881  he  came 
to  his  present  farm,  buying  a  tract  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  from  Mr.  Landers. 
This  formed  the  nucleus  of  his  present  ex- 
tensive possessions.  His  diligence  and  perse- 
verance resulted  in  producing  good  crops  and 
the  profit  which  accrued  from  his  sales  enabled 
him  to  invest  in  more  land  from  time  to  time 
until  he  is  now  the  owner  of  eight  hundred 
acres,  constituting  a  very  valuable  and  desir- 
able  property.  He  raises  both  grain  and  stock 
and  has  a  well  equipped  farm,  supplied  with  all 
modern  conveniences  ami  the  facilities  that  will 
promote  his  business  along  profitable  lines. 
His  present  desirable  financial  condition  is  in 
greal  contrast  to  his  surroundings  in  youth, 
for  he  began  working  as  a  farm  hand  at  eleven 
dollars  per  month.  He  also  worked  in  brick- 
yards ami  on  a  steamboat  and  thus  by  follow- 
ing any  pursuit  that  would  yield  him  an  honest 
living  be  gained  a  good  start  in  life.  He  has 
won  success  in  his  agricultural  operations  and 
he  has  also  assisted  his  sons  in  gaining  a  start, 
for  in  former  years  they  aided  him  to  the  best 
of  their  ability. 

On  the  1 1th  of  March.  1865,  Mr.  Greenwood 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Christine  Krum- 
mell,  id'  Madison  county,  Illinois,  and  unto 
them  were  born  eight  children,  all  of  whom  are 
now  living:  Emma,  born  May  23,  1866,  mar- 
ried William  Boekstruck,  a  resident  of  Bond 
county,  and  has  three  children.  Henry,  horn 
August  '.'1.  1867,  married  Bertie  Boekstruck, 
by  whom  he  has  two  sons,  and  they  reside  in 
Bond  county.  Mary,  born  October  17,  1st;:), 
is  at  home  with  her  parents.  William  ('..  born 
October  1.  1871,  married  Kosa  Jenserous,  by 
whom  he  has  four  children  and  they  live  in 
Fillmore  township.  August,  born  January  '.':'>. 
is;:!,  is  mentioned  below.  Louis,  born  De- 
cember 1.  1874,  married  Anna  Becker,  by  whom 
he  has  three  children,  and  they  live  in  Fillmore 
township,  otto,  horn  January  11.  1877,  was 
married  Oct. .her  87,  1904,  t"  Dora  S.  Bracke- 
liuscb.  a  cousin  of  bis  brother  August's 
wife,  and  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrew 
Brackebusch,  who  are  prosperous  farming  peo- 
ple of  Fayette  county.  Otto  Greenwood  fol- 
lows farming  and  stock-raising  and  supports  the 
Republican  party,  and  both  he  and  bis  wife  are 


1,1  HI 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


members  of  the  German  Methodisl  Episcopal 
.lunch.  Bertha,  bom  .March  L5,  1879,  is  the 
wife  of  August  Brackebusch,  of  Pillmore 
township,  and  they  have  two  daughters. 

Mr.  and  Mrs:  Greenwood  belong  to  the  Meth- 
odist church  and  are  deeply  interested  in  its 
promotion  and  growth.  Be  is  a  Local  preacher, 
having  engaged  in  Uie  work  of  the  ministry 
in  Nokomis  and  ether  parts  of  Montgomery 
county.  Whatever  tends  to  advance  the  cause 
of  Christianity  receives  h's  earnest  endorsement 
and  in  as  Ear  as  possible  his  co-operation. 
The  cause  of  education  also  finds  in  him  a 
warm  friend  and  he  believes  in  providing  good 
schools  that  will  give  to  the  children  excellent 
educational  privileges.  Por  thirty  years  he 
has  been  a  school  director.  His  political  sup- 
port is  given  tlie  Republican  party.  Mr.  Green- 
wood is  a  man  whom  to  knew  is  to  respect  and 
honor,  for  his  entire  life  has  been  straightfor- 
ward ami  unassailable.  His  history  will  bear 
the  closest  investigation  and  scrutiny  and.  in 
fact,  is  well  worth}  of  study  by  these  who  have, 
r,  -aid  for  the  value  of  character  and  who  wish 
to  progress  in  life  along  lines  that  net  only 
win  success,  hut  also  gain  an  untarnished 
name. 


with  his  father  until  L899,  when  he  removed 
tn  the  place  upon  which  he  new  resides.  He 
and  Ins  brother  each  have  one  hundred  and  five 
acres  el'  land,  which  was  given  them  by  their 
father  and  August  Greenwood  now  devotes  his 
attention  to  the  raising  of  both  grain  and 
stock.  His  fields  are  well  tilled  and  in  his 
pastures  are  found  high  grades  of  cattle,  horses 
an. I  hogs.  On  the  6th  of  January,  1902,  he 
was  appointed  administrator  for  the  estate  of 
Henr\    Bockstruek,  of  Van   Burensburg. 

On  the  19th  ..I  February,  1  s;t!».  Mr.  Green- 
wood was  married  to  Miss  Emma  Brackebusch, 
a  daughter  of  Henry  Brackebusch,  of  Fayette 
county.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and.  like  her  husband,  she 
has  gained  the  friendship  of  many  with  whom 
she  has  been  brought  in  contact.  Mr.  Green- 
wood votes  with  the  Republican  party  and  in 
1890  he  was  appointed  to  take  the  census  for 
town  8  in  Fillmore  township.  He  is  well 
known,  having  a  wide  circle  of  acquaintance 
and  is  classed  with  the  representative  young 
farmers  of   Montgomerv   county. 


AUGUST  GREENWOOD. 

August  Greenwood,  son  of  William  Green- 
wood, one  of  the  leading  pioneer  settlers  of 
Montgomery  county,  was  horn  in  Christian 
county,  Illinois,  near  Nokomis,  January  23, 
ls,:i.  and  was  a  youth  of  seven  years  when  his 
parents  removed  to  the  old  homestead  in  Fill- 
more township.  He  attended  school  in  Van 
Burensburg  and  later  was  a  student  in  Dan- 
Mile  College  in  Indiana  ami  in  the  Central 
Normal  College,  being  graduated  on  the  com- 
pletion of  a  commercial  course  with  the  class 
of  1893.  He  was  reared  to  the  occupation  of 
farming,  early  becoming  familiar  with  the 
duties  and  labors  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the 
agriculturist  and  has  always  carried  on  gen- 
eral farming  pursuits  with  the  exception  of 
one  winter,  in  which  he  was  engaged  in  selling 
hooks.      He    then     returned    home    and     farmed 


T.  II.  EDWARDS. 


T.  II.  Edwards,  who  is  engaged  in  coal  min- 
ing and  makes  his  home  in  Coffeen,  was  born 
in  Grisham  township.  Montgomery  county,  in 
1866  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old 
families  of  this  part  of  the  state,  his  parents 
being  George  and  Sarah  (Clark)  Edwards. 
His  father  was  also  horn  in  Grisham  township 
at  Edwards  Chapel  and  during  his  business 
career  has  followed  the  occupation  of  farming, 
owning  and  occupying  a  farm  which  is  situated 
on  the  boundary  line  between  Bond  and  Mont- 
gomery counties,  lying  partly  in  Grisham  town- 
ship. The  first  of  the  name  living  in  this 
county  was  T.  H.  Edwards,  the  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  and  since  that  time  representa- 
tives of  the  family  have  home  an  active  and 
helpful  part  in  the  work  of  upbuilding  here. 
George  Edwards  i-  a  Democrat  in  hi-  political 
views  and  affiliations  and  takes  a  deep  interest 
in  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  .lav.  keeping 
well  informed  thereon  so  that  he  is  able  to  give 
intelligent  rcson  for  his  political  position. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF  MONTGOMERY    COUNTY                        601 

T.  II.  Edwards  remained  in  Grisham  town-  his  home  in  St.  Louis.  About  a  year  prior  to 
ship  until  about  sixteen  years  of  age.  when  he  his  death  he  Left  the  river  and  took  up  his 
entered  upon  his  business  career  in  the  employ  abode  in  Hillsboro,  where  he  passed  away  on 
of  J.  W.  Majors,  with  whom  he  made  h  s  home  the  23d  of  October,  1896,  at  the  age  of  fifty 
until  his  marriage.  On  the  11th  of  October,  years.  In  his  fraternal  relations  he  was  a 
1891,  he  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss  Flor-  Mason  and  also  a  Modern  Woodman,  and  his 
ence  Hendricks,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Hendricks,  of  political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  Republican 
Coffeen,  and  their  home  has  been  blessed  with  party.  Through  his  business  capacity  and 
two  children,  Harry  Alfred  and  Ruby  Belle,  careful  management  lie  accumulated  a  compe- 
ars. Edwards  is  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Hendricks  tence,  and  he  was  ever  open-handed  and  liberal, 
and  Tillie  (Coffeen)  Hendricks,  the  latter  a  his  generosity  being  one  of  the  salient  traits 
daughter  of  the  founder  of  the  town  of  Coffeen.  of    his    character.     His    wife,    who     bore     the 

Upon  removing  to  Coffeen  Mr.  Edwards  eon-  maiden  nana'  of  Johnanna  ('line,  was  horn  in 
ducted  a  I, ut.  her  shop  for  about  a  year.  Hi'  st-  Louis  in  1849,  and  was  a  daughter  id'  John 
then  began  work  in  a  coal  mine  an, I  has  since  D.  and  Nancy  M.  (Tne.  Her  lather  built  the 
been  employed  in  that  capacity.  His  business  first  frame  house  in  Hillsboro  and  was  actively 
career  has  been  attended  by  success  and  he  now  identified  with  the  early  development  ami  prog- 
owns  seven  lots  in  the  town,  upon  which  he  ress  of  the  city.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mr-.  Chacey 
lnnlt  a  pretty  home  on  removing  to  Coffeen.  were  born  four  children :  Ezra  C. ;  Anna  Olive, 
He  also  owns  forty  acres  of  land  in  East  Fork  who  was  graduated  from  the  University  of 
township.  Of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  of  Illinois  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 
this  plaee  he  is  a  charter  member  and  in  his  and  is  now  assistant  in  the  Hillsboro  high 
political  views  he  is  a  Democrat.  At  the  pres-  school;  Blanche  Holmes;  and  Geneva  Rhodes, 
ent  writ  in-  he  i-  serving  as  a  member  id'  the  Captain  Chacey,  of  this  review,  was  afforded 
school  board  of  the  town  and  is  interested  in  excellent  educational  privileges,  for  after  corn- 
public  affairs  and  this  has  prompted  his  co-  pleting  a  high  school  course  in  Hillsboro  by 
operation  in  many  measures  for  the  general  graduation  he  entered  the  University  of  llh- 
,,,„„]  nois,  where  he  spent  the  years   hs!>">  and    1896. 

On    Leaving    that    institution    he    entered    the 

engineering  department  of  the   Missouri   River 

&  Bonne  Torre  Railroad  in  Missouri,  where  he 

.,,„.,..    ,,.,,.,      ,      ,„,„„,,  remained    for   a    year,      lie   spent    one   year    in 

CAPTAIN    EZRA  C.  CHACEY.  TT.n  ,           ,.         ■    ,    ,.      ,  ,  !    .  ,,           ,  ,, 

Hillsboro  alter  the  death  of  Ins  lather  and  then 

Captain  Ezra  ('.  Chacey,  a  leading  druggisl  entered  the  service  of  the  Spanish- American 
of  Hillsboro,  and  prominent  in  the  military  war.  He  was  second  lieutenant  of  Company 
circles  of  the  state  as  a  member  of  the  Illinois  E  of  the  Fifth  Regimenl  of  Illinois  National 
National  Guard,  was  horn  in  St.  Louis.  Mis-  Guard.  This  regiment  was  accepted  and.  with 
souri.  September  'id.  1878.  His  father.  Ezra  his  command.  Captain  Chacey  went  to  Camp 
.1.  Chacey,  was  a  native  id'  Ohio,  and  was  one  Tanner  at  Springfield  and  afterward  to  Chick- 
of  a  family  of  seven  children,  four  sons  and  amauga  Park,  Tennessee,  on  to  Newport  News, 
three  daughters.  Two  of  his  brothers  were  later  to  Lexington,  Kentucky,  and  then  re- 
soldiers  in  the  Civil  war  and  one  of  these,  turned  to  Camp  Lincoln.  When  at  Camp  Tan- 
I'.  1>.  Chacey.  is  now  a  member  of  the  state  ncr  he  was  elected  by  bis  company  to  the  rank 
legislature  of  North  Dakota,  while  the  other,  of  captain,  but  owing  to  his  youth — he  was  then 
Washington,   died    at    his   home   following   the  hut    nineteen   year-   of   age— Governor   Tanner 

war.   his  health   having   I n    impaired    by    his  would  not  issue  the  commission.      In  January, 

service.     Both  were  with  Sherman  on  the  cele-  1899,  he  was  again  elected  captain  of  the  com- 

brated   march  to  the  sea.      Ezra  .1.  Chacey  was  pany,  and  this  time  was  commissioned,  while  in 

a  captain  on  the  Mississippi   river  throughout  1902,  he  was  re-elected,     lie  is  ven   prominent 

almost  his  entire  life  and  for  many  years  made  and  popular  among  the  officers  of  the  regimenl 


602 


\ST    AND 


RESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


and  the  men  of  his  own  command,  is  an  excel- 
lent disciplinarian  and  is  thoroughly  conversant 
with  the  tactics  of  war.  On  the  8th  of  March, 
1899,  following  the  return  of  the  regiment. 
.Mr.  Chacej  purchased  the  drugstore  formerly 
owned    by    Edwards   &    Company,   and    is  now 

proprietor  thereof.     He  is  conducting  a  g 1 

business,  having  a  well  equipped  establishment 
and,  through  his  enterprising  efforts,  he  lias  se- 
cured a  good  pat  ronage. 

Mr.  Chacey  was  married  on  the  24th  of  April. 
1901.  to  Miss  Sarah  B.  Allen,  a  daughter  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  M.  Allen,  of  Pilot  Grove. 
Missouri.  Her  father  was  horn  at  Lexington, 
Kentucky,  and  was  a  member  of  Shelby  Cavalry 
Corps  in  the  Confederate  service  during  the 
Civil  war.  Mrs.  Chacey  is  a  cousin  of  Roar 
Admiral  James  E.  Jouett,  who  was  known  as 
Bghting  Jim  Jouett.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chacey 
have  one  child,  Sara  Menefee.  Mrs.  Chacey  is 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
there.  Fraternally.  Mr.  Chacey  is  connected 
with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge,  with  the 
Order  of  the  Maccabees  and  with  the  Spanish- 
American  War  Veteran's  Association.  I  lis  po- 
litical allegiance  is  given  to  the  Republican 
party.  Well  known  in  Hillsboro,  he  is  held  in 
high  esteem  by  many  friends,  is  popular  with 
all  who  know  him  and,  although  a  young  man, 
he  already  occupies  a  notable  position  in  busi- 
ness and  military  circles. 


RUFUS  ('.   PADEN. 


Rufus  C.  Pader  is  proprietor  of  an  excellent 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixteen  acres  in  tlills- 
boro  township  and  is  numbered  among  the  sue- 
cessful  agriculturists  of  his  community.  He 
has  placed  his  dependence  upon  the  substantial 
qualities  of  energy,  strong  determination  and 
laudable  ambition  and  has  gradually  worked  his 
way  upward  until  he  is  one  of  the  prosperous 
residents  of  his  locality.  Moreover,  he  is  a 
native  son  of  Montgomery  county  and  has  for 
almost  1  alf  a  century  witnessed  tin-  growth  and 
development  of  this  portion  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Paden  was  born  in  Hillsboro  township 
mi  the  Ith  of  February,  1856,  a  son  of  James 
and    Mary    Paden.      IPs    father   died    in    1871 


at  about  the  age  of  forty-four  years,  but  the 
mother,  who  is  now  Mrs.  McHenry,  is  still  liv- 
ing, making  her  home  in  Hillsboro.  Rufus  C. 
Paden  acquired  a  common  school  education  and 
when  not  occupied  with  the  duties  of  the  school- 
room he  assisted  in  the  labors  of  the  home 
farm,  becoming  familiar  with  all  of  the  duties 
that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agriculturist.  When 
twenty-one  years  of  age  he  began  business  on 
Ins  own  account  by  operating  the  home  farm  in 
connection  with  his  brothers.  He  was  at  one 
time  associated  with  his  brothers  in  the  owner- 
ship and  control  of  a  lumberyard  in  Hillsboro, 
continuing  that  business  for  four  years.  Later 
he  was  connected  with  the  agricultural  imple- 
nu  nt  business  for  two  years  and  about  the  time 
of  his  marriage  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  the 
farm  which  is  now  his  home.  He  here  owns 
one  hundred  and  sixteen  acres  of  rich  land  de- 
voted to  general  farming.  He  raises  diversified 
crops  and  as  the  result  of  modern  methods  and 
careful  management  he  has  won  desirable 
success. 

On  the  4th  of  November,  1885.  Mr.  Paden 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mattie  Lewey 
and  they  have  one  son.  Lester  Lewey,  born 
November  9,  1890.  In  his  political  affiliations 
Mr.  Paden  is  a  Republican  and  keeps  well  in- 
formed on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day. 
He  has  served  for  three  terms  as  highway  com- 
missioner, but  otherwise  has  not  sought  nor 
held  office,  preferring  to  give  his  attention  to 
bis  business  affairs.  He  was  made  a  Mason  in 
L882,  belongs  to  the  lodge  at  Hillsboro  and  has 
served  as  junior  warden,  lie  is  thoroughly  in 
sympathy  with  the  teachings  and  tenets  of  (be 
craft  and   in  bis  life  exemplifies  its  beneficent 

principles. 


HON.  ROBERT  M<  WILLIAMS. 

Robert    MeWilliams,  of  Litchfield,  is  one  of 

Montgomery  county's  most  distinguished  citi- 
zens and  has  Left  the  impress  of  his  individu- 
ality upon  public  interests  here.  He  was  born 
in  Dalton,  Wayne  county.  Ohio,  in  1830,  and. 
removing  to  Illinois,  joined  his  brother  Amzi 
MeWilliams  in  Bloomington  in  1854.  dust 
prior  (o  his  arrival  here  he  bad  been  admitted  to 


UNIVI  INOJS 


ME.  AM)  .MRS.  R.  C.  PADEN. 


ME.   AMI   MKS.  JAMES   I'ADEN. 


UN!V;  ILLINOIS 


•AST    AND    PKESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


GO", 


the  bar  in  Coshocton,  Ohio.  At  a  later  date 
he  established  his  home  in  Sullivan,  Moultrie 
county,  ami  thence  removed  to  Shelby,  Illinois, 
where  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Judg 
Anthony  Thornton  and  was  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  for  two  years. 

On  the  expiration  of  that  period  Mr.  Me- 
Williarns  took  up  Ins  abode  in  Hillsboro,  where 
he  lived  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war, 
being  at  that  time  associated  in  a  law  practice 
with  Judge  Jesse  J.  Phillips.  In  1862  he 
started  in  a  wagon  with  life  and  drum,  canvass- 
ing the  county  for  recruits.  A  man  distribut- 
ing Union  bills  preceded  him.  Be  succeeded 
in  raising  great  enthusiasm  and  raised  three 
companies  of  men.  In  Springfield  they  were 
mustered  into  service  and  Mr.  McWilliams  was 

elected  captain  of  oi E  the  companies,  which 

became  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Seven- 
teenth Illinois  Infantry.  With  this  command 
he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war  and  in  the 
meantime  was  promoted  to  the  rank'  of  major. 
lie  did  loyal  and  valuable  service  in  the  Red 
River  expedition  and  other  campaigns. 

Mr.  McWilliams  wedded  Miss  Mary  Allen, 
who  was  born  in  Bond  county,  Illinois,  in  1836. 
a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Elizabeth  (Burn- 
side)  Allen.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation and  was  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
old  families  of  North  Carolina  and  became  one 
of  the  early  residents  of  Montgomery  county. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McWilliams  were  born  three 
children:  Benjamin,  an  attorney  of  Chicago; 
Grace,  who  died  in  1898;  and  Paul,  now  city 
judge  of  Litchfield. 

Mr.  McWilliams"  patriotic  citizenship  has 
been  manifest  in  days  of  peace  as  well  as  in 
days  of  strife  and  his  devotion  to  the  general 
good  was  shown  by  his  service  as  a  member  of 
the  state  legislature,  being  called  to  represent 
Montgomery  county  in  the  general  assembly. 
Resuming  the  practice  of  law  upon  his  return 
to  Litchfield,  he  easily  maintained  a  foremost 
position  in  the  ranks  of  the  legal  fraternity 
and  was  in  active  practice  until  1898,  when  he 
retired  from  the  profession.  He  has  been  con- 
nected with  much  of  the  important  litigation 
tried  in  the  courts  of  his  district,  was  logical 
in  his  reasoning  and  ever  presented  a  strong 
ease  to   judge  or  jury  because  of    his  careful 


preparation    and    his    thorough    understanding 

of  the  facts  and  the  law  applicable  thereto.  In 
his  political  \iews  he  has  ever  been  a  stalwarl 
Republican,  endorsing  the  principles  of  the 
party  since  its  organization,  and  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  Re- 
ligiously lie  i>  connected  with  the  I 'resl i yt erian 
church  and  for  many  years  has  served  as  one  id' 
its  trustees. 


JOSEPH    MITCHELL. 

Joseph  Mitchell,  who  is  engaged  in  general 
merchandising  in  Paisley,  and  whose  influence 
in  behalf  of  the  moral  development  of  the 
communitv  has  keen  far-reaching  and  effective 
was  horn  in  England  on  the  20th  of  October, 
1874.  He  was  brought  to  the  United  States 
in  his  infancy  and  his  education  was  acquired 
in  the  common  schools  of  Montgomery  county 
and  in  Nokomis.  He  remained  at  home  until, 
twenty-one  years  of  age.  and  then  began  farm- 
in"-  for  himself  on   a  tract   of   land   a  half  mile 

O 

west  of  Witt.  After  a  year  he  removed  to  a 
place  about  two  and  a  half  mile-  west  of  that 
town  ami  continued  its  cultivation  and  improve- 
ment for  three  years.  He  ne\t  sold  that  prop- 
erty ami  took  up  his  abode  in  Paisley,  where 
he  became  identified  with  commercial  pursuits 
as  a  general  merchant.  His  busines  here  had 
grown  and  he  carries  a  large  and  well  selected 
line  of  goods,  such  as  is  demanded  by  the  gen- 
eral trade.  His  success  is  well  merited,  because 
in  his  business  dealings  he  has  never  been 
known  to  take  advantage  of  the  necessities  of 
his  fellow  men  and  he  also  puts  forth  earnest 
effort  to  please  his  customers. 

On  the  26th  id'  January,  1896,  Mr.  Mitchell 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  May- 
Settle,  a  daughter  id'  John  Settle,  of  Oconee, 
Illinois.  They  have  one  child.  Mildred  E. 
who  is  now  six  years  of  age  Mr.  Mitchell  and 
his  wife  belong  to  the  Presbyterian  church  and 

he  has  taken  a  very  active  and  pi inent  part 

in  its  work,  serving  as  Sunday-school  superin- 
tendent for  the  past  three  years,  and  also  as 
president  of  the  Christian  Endeavor  for  that 
period.  He  is  likewise  president  of  the  town- 
ship  Sunday-school    Association    and    lie    con- 


G08  PAST    WD    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTS 

tributes  generously  to  the  support  of  the  church  aiile  track  upon  his  farm,  on  which  he  trains 

and  does  everything  in  his  power  to  promote  its  h  s    horses.     He   imu    owns    a    three-year-old, 

activities.     He    belongs    to    Quinn    City   lodge,  Highlander,  which  is  registered  in  class  A,  Vol- 

No.  622,  K.  P.,  and  he  is  now  a  school  trustee  nine  l.     He  has  gained  a  reputation  throughout 

of    Witt    township.      In    politics    he    is    a    Re-  tins    portion    of    Illinois   as   a    breeder   of    fine 

publican  and   in  all    matters  of  citizenship  lie  horses  and  has  made  sales  of  some  very  valuable 

is  progressive  and  enterprising.  stock.     Everything  about  his  place  is  neat  and 

attractive  in   appearance,  giving   indication  of 

the  careful  supervision  of  a  progressive  owner. 

In  ls;n  Mr.  Boyd  was  united  in  marriage  t<| 

W.  A.  BOYD.  Miss  Ida  Edwards,  a  daughter  of  William  Allen 

W.  A.  Boyd  is  the  owner  id'  a  valuable  farm  Edwards,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  three 
of  two  hundred  aires  situated  on  section  22,  children,  of  whom  two  are  now  living,  Iva  and 
East  fork  townhsip,  and  to  the  propertv  he  has  Nellie,  both  at  home.  The  parents  belong  to 
added  all  modern  improvements  and  accesso-  ''"'  Methodist  Episcopai  church  at  Goffeen  and 
ries,  which  constitute  one  of  the  host  farms  of  Mr  Boyd  is  identified  with  the  Court  of  Honor. 
the  locality.  Hi'  was  horn  In  Coles  countv,  Deeply  interested  in  political  questions  and 
Illinois,  in  1854,  and  is  a  son  of  A.  .1.  and  the  success  of  the  Republican  party  he  gives  to 
Sarah  Boyd.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Ken-  ''  il"  unfaltering  support  and  docs  everything 
tueky,  spending  his  boyhood  days  in  that  slate  '"  Mls  power  to  promote  its  growth  ami  insure 
and  in  Indiana.  Removing  then  to  Illinois.  ts  success.  lie  has  never  sought  office,  how- 
he  settled  in  Coles  countv.  where  he  engaged  ever;  as  ;|  reward  for  party  fealty,  preferring 
in  carpentering  and  in  1874  he  removed  to  l"  give  his  time  and  enemies  to  his  business 
Kansas,  where  he  died.  He  led  a  useful,  active  cfi'airs.  which  are  now  crowned  with  prosperity. 
and  honorable  life,  although  he  never  soughl  to  He  certainly  deserves  great  credit  for  what  he 
figure  prominent  l\    in  public  affairs.  has  accomplished  and   he   may  well  he  called  a 

W.  A.  Boyd  was  reared  in  Coles  county  and  self-made  man.   for  he  owe-  his  prosperity  not 

pursued   his   education    in   the  schools  id'    Mat-  to  any   fortunate  combination  of  circumstances 

toon.   Illinois.     When  he  was  hut  eleven  vears  '  l,t    his   own    determination,   capable    manage- 

of  age  his  mother  died  ami  about  the  same  time  incut    and    husiness    foresight.      He    has    perse- 

his  father  lost  all  that  he  had  by  going  security  vered  in  the  face  of  obstacles  and  by  the  utiliza- 

I'or  a  supposed  friend.     It   was  thus  necessary  Hon  of  his  opportunities  he  has  steadily  worked 

that    the  subject    id'  this    review   earn   his  own  ''is  way  upward   from  a  humble  financial  posi- 

living  and  at  that  tender  agehe  started  out   in  lion  to  one  of  affluence. 

life    For   himself,    securing    employment    on    a 

farm.      He     worked     in     the     fields,      fed      and 

handled    fancy   horses,   being  employed    l>v    the 

at        i      1  finn  i                     i                  ,  \  FRANK   \\ .    \  I  EI' T. 
month.      In    1880  he  came  to  his  present  home 

where  his  wife  owned  eighty  acres  of  land.  Frank'  W.  Xieft.  who  follows  farming  on  sec- 
Mr.  Boyd  purchased  eighty  acres  additional,  tion  9,  Witt  township,  was  horn  in  Jefferson 
erected  a  good  residence  and  barn  and  added  county,  Kentucky,  .lime  15,  1864,  ids  parents 
"'her  modern  equipments.  He  now  owns  two  being  Car]  and  Henrietta  (Ernest)  Xieft.  hoth 
hundred  acres  of  rich  land,  well  improved,  hi.-;  of  whom  were  natives  of  Germany,  whence  thev 
farm  being  iii  excellent  condition.  Upon  it  is  came  to  the  United  States  about  1845.  They 
found  good  machinery  to  facilitate  the  labors  located  in  Kentucky,  where  thev  remained  for 
ol  the  fields  and  he  annually  harvests  good  crops  s  vera!  years,  and  thence  came  to  Montgomery 
as  the  reward  for  the  care  and  labor  which  he  county.  Illinois,  in  the  spring  of  1866.  The 
bestows  upon  his  place.  However,  he  is  giving  father  purchased  a  farm  from  the  railroad  111111- 
"nieh  attention  to  the  raising  of  stock,  making  pany  and  he  is  still  living  upon  a  tract  of  land, 
■''    specialty    of   line  horses   and    lie  has   a   half  which  he  there  developed  and  improved,  making 


PAST    AND    PBESENT    OF  MONTGOMEEY    COUNTY                      609 

it  a  good  and  productive  property.     He  is  now  added    to    Ins    property.      He    arrived    m    tnis 

seventy-six   years  of   age,   but   Ins   wife   passed  country  ere  he  attained  his  majority  and  in  its 

awa\  in  1892  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  business   conditions   he    found   the  opportunity 

Frank   W.    Nieft    is   indebted   to  the  public-  for  success  which  he  desired  and  which  led  him 

school  system  of  this  county  for  the  educational      from    humble    financial    c litions    to    one   of 

privileges  which  he  enjoyed   in  his  youth.     At  affluence  and   he  died   in    L89-J    upon  the  farm, 

the  age  of  twenty-one  years  he  began  farming  where  his  son  George  was  born  and  upon  which 

on  his  own  account   on  the  old   1 lestead  and  his    widow    is   still    residing.      In    their    family 

in  1895  he  purchased  one  hundred  acres  of  land  were  ten  children,  of  whom  George  W.  is  the 
where  he  now  resides  on  section  9,  Witl  town-  oldest.  The  others  are  Minnie,  who  died  when 
ship.  His  entire  Life  has  been  devoted  to  agri-  about  six  years  of  age;  Emma,  who  died  at  the 
cultural  pursuits  and  he  now  has  a  well  im-  age  of  one  year;  Charlie  J.,  who  married  Louisa 
proved  property,  Ins  land  being  highly  culti-  Movers  and  resides  in  [rving  township;  Henry 
vated  and  returning  to  him  -cod  harvests.  F..  of  [rving;  Frank  II..  who  is  living  with  Ins 
On  the  29th  of  October,  1895,  occurred  the  mother;  Etta  M..  Lewis  II..  Jesse  and  Joseph- 
marriage  of   Mr.   Xiel't  ami    Miss  Anna    lloilm.  me.  all  at    home. 

a  daughter  of  Bernard   Hoehn,  who  is  now  liv-  George  W.   Fesser,  having  acquired  his  edu- 

ing   retired    in    Paisley.      Unto    Mr.   and    Mrs.  cation    in    the    district     schools,    has     followed 

Xiel't  have  been  bom  four  children:     Clarence,  farming    throughout    Ins    entire    life,    having 

Irene.    Mattie    and    Walter,    aged    respectively  gained  practical  knowledge  of  the  work  in  early 

eight,  six.  four  and  two  years.    The  parents  are     boyh I   l>\    assisting  Ins   father   in  the   labors 

members  of  the  Catholic  church  of  Nokomis  of  field  and  meadow.  He  has  one  hundred  and 
ami  Mr.  Xiel't  belongs  to  the  Mutual  Protective  sixty  acres  where  he  resides,  a  part  of  which 
League,  No.  90,  of  Witt.  He  is  a  Republican  he  has  rented  and  the  other  part  he  farms  him- 
in  his  political  views  and  served  as  collector  of  self.  He  has  bough!  improved  land,  has  built 
his  township  for  two  terms,  while  for  seven  three  barns  ami  has  otherwise  carried  on  the 
vears  he  was  assessor  and  for  three  vears  town-  work  of  improvement  until  he  now  has  an  ex- 
ship  trustee,  lie  has  also  been  a  member  of  cellent  farm  property  and  is  meeting  with  a 
the  school  board  for  three  years  and  is  deeply  merited  degree  of  success  as  a  farmer  and 
interested  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  sub-  stock-dealer. 

stantial    upbuilding;   and    improvement    of   the  On  the  22d  of  September,  1899,  Mr.   Fesser 

locality,    in    which    he    has   so    long    made    his  was    united    in    marriage    to    Miss    Minnie    L. 

home,  his  residence  in  the  county  covering  nl-  Morain,  a   daughter  of  dames   M.   Morain,  of 

most  the  entire  period  of  his  life  [rving  township,   who  came    from   Ohio   in   an 

early  day  and  purchased   land   in   Montgomery 

—  county.      Both    he   and    his   wife   are    now    de- 
ceased.    Unto  Mr.  and   Mrs.   Fesser  have  been 

GEOEGE  W.  FESSEE.  ,„„.„    |iv(.  ,,„,,,,,,„ .      ,,„,    M.   ,„„,,   May    ,,. 

George  W.  Fesser,  numbered  among  the  sue-  1890;   Lester   1L.  January   1,   1893;   Viola    L.. 

cessfnl   and   enterprising   farmers   of    Nokomis     November  3,  189'J  :  G -ge  W.,   November  12, 

township,  was  born  on  the  8th  of  September,  1901;   and    Ivan.  June    I,    1904.     The   family 

1865     in    Rountree    township,   and    has   always  circle   yet    remains    unbroken    by    the    hand    id 

lived    in    Montgomery    county.       His    parents,  death  and   the  first   three  children  are  attend- 

llenrv  and  Mary   (Westphal)    Fesser,  were  na-  ing  school,  it  being  the  desire  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 

tives  of  Germany  and  the  father,  on  emigrating      Fesser    to    provide    their    children    with    g I 

to  America,  established  his  homo  in  Sangamon  educational   privileges  and  thereby  lit  them  for 

county,  whence  he  afterward  removed  to  Mont-  life's  practical  duties.     In   politics  he  is  a  Ee- 

o-omery  county  during  the  period  of  its  early  publican.     Tie  has  served  as  highway  commis- 

settlement    and    development.      lie    purchased  sioner    and    school    director    ami    manifests    a 

four    hundred    acres    of     land     and     afterward  helpful    interest    in    matters    pertaining    to    the 


CIO 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    OOLNTY 


genera]  good  and  the  welfare  of  his  community. 
In  addition  to  his  farming  pursuits  he  has  pro- 
vided for  Ins  family  by  carrying  a  policy  in 
the  New  York  Life  Insurance  Company.  In 
his  business  he  is  manifesting  the  sterling  traits 
of  character  which  always  lead  to  success  and  he 
is  accounted  one  of  the  able  and  enterprising 
farmers  of  Nokomis  township. 


CHARLES  A.  TOLLE. 

Charles  A.  Tulle  who  is  closely  associated 
with  business  interest.-  in  Litchfield  as  manu- 
facturer of  soda  and  mineral  waters,  his  busi- 
ness having  reached  extensive  and  profitable 
proportions,  so  that  it  is  a  valued  factor  in  the 
commercial  life  of  the  city,  was  born  in  Han- 
over. Germany,  in  1863,  his  parents  being 
Louis  and  Caroline  Tolle,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Germany.  The  father  was  a  miller 
by  occupation,  who  conducted  that  business  in 
his  native  land  until  Ins  death,  which  occurred 
in  1881,  when  he  was  forty-seven  years  of  age. 
He  had  served  his  country  in  the  German  war 
of  1866.  His  wife,  who  still  survives  him,  is 
now  living  in  Hanover  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three  years,  and  (diaries  A.  Tolle  paid  a  visit 
to  her  in  the  winter  of  1903-4.  In  their  fam- 
ily were  seven  children,  of  whom  five  are  yet 
living,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  subject 
of  this  review  all  are  vet  residents  of  the 
fatherland. 

Charles  A.  Tolle  acquired  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Germany  and  there  learned  the 
miller's  trade,  hut  the  opportunities  of  the  new 
world  attracted  him  and.  hoping  that  he  might 
benefit  by  the  business  advantages  of  America, 
he  came  to  the  United  States  in  1880  when 
seventeen  years  of  age,  locating  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  lie  there  worked  at  the  miller's 
trade  for  two  years  and  on  the  expiration  of 
that  period  removed  to  Greene  county.  Illinois. 
where  he  was  employed  in  a  mill  for  one  year. 
He  afterward  spent  three  or  four  years  in  a 
similar  way  in  Carlinville,  Illinois,  and  snhse- 
quently  went  to  Mount  Olive  where  he  worked 
at  his  trade  for  six  months.  He  next  located 
at  Union,  Missouri,  where  he  also  spent  six 
months  as  an  employe  in  a  mill   and   in   1888 


lie  turned  his  attention  to  the  grain  trade,  con- 
ducting Ins  own  business  on  his  own  account 
lor  two  years. 

In  1890  he  came  to  Litchfield  and  estab- 
lished a  bottling  business  for  the  manufacture 
of  soda  and  mineral  waters,  ginger  ale.  cider 
and  vinegar.  He  also  has  a  distilled  water 
plant,  which  is  one  of  tin.'  important  depart- 
ments of  Ins  business.  He  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful in  this  new  undertaking  and  his  trade 
covers  a  large  territory,  extending  over  a  ra- 
dius of  sixty  miles  from  Litchfield.  This  is 
the  only  enterprise  of  the  kind  in  the  city, 
lie  has  a  well  equipped  plant  and  his  manu- 
factures are  absolutely  chemically  pure  and  are 
recommended  by  physicians  because  of  the  ex- 
cellence of  the  quality  and  the  fair  dealing  of 
the  proprietor.  The  bucruess  has  continually 
increased  and  Mr.  Tolle  is  realizing  therefrom 
a  very  gratifying  profit. 

In  1889  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Tolle 
and  Miss  Kate  Houser,  a  daughter  of  Christian 
and  Virginia  Houser.  She  was  horn  in  Walsh- 
ville  May  4.  18G0.  Her  father  was  a  harness- 
maker  and  also  owned  considerable  land.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Tolle  were  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren, of  whom  two  are  now  living.  Florence 
and  Julia.  They  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church  and  Mr.  Tolle  belongs  to  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  fraternity,  tin'  Modern  Woodmen 
camp  and  the  Mutual  Protective  League,  the 
Fire  Association  and  the  United  State>  Com- 
mercial Travelers.  He  i^  interested  in  all  that 
pertains  to  the  city's  progress  and  his  political 
allegiance  is  given  to  the  Republican  party.  He 
has  served  as  alderman  of  the  fourth  ward, 
has  acted  as  treasurer  of  the  fire  department 
and  Litchfield  numbers  him  among  her  enter- 
pri.-ing  business  men. 


MICHAEL  d.  BUS'CHER. 
Among   the   more  enterprising   and    capable 
young  business  men  of  Montgomery  county  is 
numbered    Michael    .1.    Buscher,   the   secretary 

and  assistant  cashier  of  the  Litchfield  Bank. 
He  was  born  April  13,  1875,  in  Atlanta.  In- 
diana, bis  birthplace  being  his  father's  farm,  on 
which  he  spent  the  first  seventeen  years  of  his 


L'HAHLES  A.  TOLLE. 


JNOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF  MONTGOMERY    COUNTS                        G13 

life,  early   becoming  familiar  with   the  duties  !!<■  was  born  m  Calhoun  county,  Illinois,  and 

;i,i,l   labors  thai    fall  to  the  Loi  of  the  agricul-      when  he  was  bu1  eleven  iths  old  his  parents 

turist.  During  thai  period  he  acquired  his  edu-  removed  to  Douglas  county,  settling  near  Tus- 
cation  m  the  public  schools  and  he  afterward  cola,  upon  a  farm.  There  he  remained  until 
began  teaching  in  the  country  and  city  schools,  sixteen  years  of  age.  At  thai  time  he  lost  Ins 
following  thai  profession  for  five  years,  during  father  and  he  began  earning  his  own  living  by 
which  lime  he  gave  excellent  satisfaction  be-  working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month  in  Doug- 
cause  he  had  the  ability  to  impart  clearly  and  las  county.  After  a  shorl  time  he  removed  to 
readily  to  others  the  knowledge  thai  he  had  Montgomery  county,  settling  in  Litchfield  town- 
acquired.  He,  in  1894,  came  to  Illinois  and  ship,  where  he  was  employed  as  a  farm  laborer 
entered  the  services  of  the  Mundy-Settlemin  by  the  month  until  he  attained  Ins  majority. 
Grain  Company,  of  Litchfield,  in  the  capacity  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  began  runt- 

of  secretary  and  I kkeeper.     He  was  thus  en-  ing  land,  thus  starting  out  upon  an  independent 

gaged  until  1902,  in  which  year  he  entered  the  business  career.  Not  leng  afterward  he  went 
services  of  the  Litchfield  Bank  &  Trust  Com-  to  Springfield,  where  he  remained  for  sixteen 
pany,  and  is  now  secretary  and  assistant  cashier,  years  and,  during  thai  time,  he  was  engaged 
His  position  at  first  was  practically  that  of  in  carpentering  and  in  conducting  a  meat  mar- 
office  boy,  but  his  business  capacity  and  faith-  ket  and  grocery  store.  He  continued  a  resident 
fulness  won  ready  recognition  in  promotion  and  of  that  city  until  1889,  when  he  took  up  his 
he  has  teen  advanced  from  time  to  time  until  abode  upon  the  farm  which  he  now  occupies. 
he  is  now  occupying  a  responsible  pos'tion  in  and  to  its  development  and  cultivation  he  has 
connection  with  the  institution.  sine,,  devoted  his  energies  with  good  success. 
On  the  loth  of  July,  L903,  Mr.  Buscher  was  lie  has  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
married  to  Miss  Eliza  C.  MeElligott,  a  daugh-  which  is  arable  and  productive,  situated  on 
ter  of  John  MeElligott,  of  Litchfield.  They  section  1.  Grisham  township.  In  addition  to 
have  one  son.  John  Paul,  whose  birth  occurred  general  farming  he  is  also  engaged  in  the  dairy 
April  27,  1904.  The  parents  are  members  of  business  and  milks  about  twenty  cows. 
the    Catholic    church    and     Mr.    Buscher    is    a  F.    Marion   Jones   was   married   to   Catherine 

D,. -r-it  in  his  political  views,  but  is  not  bit-  Lovely,    and    they    have    two    children,    Laura 

terly  partisan.     He  belongs  to  the  Elks  lodge.  B.    and    Ray    S.     Alter    losing    his    first    wife 

of    Litchfield,    and    also    holds    membership    re-  he   welded    Mrs.    Laura    B.    Beck,   the   widow   of 

lations  with  the  Knights  of  Columbus,      lie  has  George   Beck,  and  a  daughter  of   Hiram   Long, 

steadily  worked  his  way  upward  by  study,  close  who  was  one  of  the  early  pioneer  residents  oi 

application,   by    intelligent    effort    and   by  cour-      Montg ery  county,  born  in  Kentucky,  whence 

teous  treatment   to  these  with  whom  he  is  as-  be  came  to    Illinois,  settling   firsl    near   Litch- 

sociated    in    the    business    world.      He    is    well  field,      lie     afterward     removed     to     Hillsboro 

rked  by  all  and  be  and  his  accomplished  and  township,  where  his  remaining  days  were  passed, 

amiable  wife  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  the  By    her   first    marriage    Mrs.  Jones   had    three 

social  circles  of  their  adopted  city.  children:     Jessie  T..  G.  Clarence  ami   [ola  G. 

Unto    Mr.    and     Mrs.    Jones    has    been    horn    a 

son,  Harold   K.      In  his  political  affiliations  Mr. 

,l,,nes   is  a    Republican   ami   has  served    as  con- 

F.  MARION  JONES.  st.lU(.  .,,„,  .,s  sch( Hreetor.     He  is  also  con- 

F.  Marion  Jones  is  the  owner  of  „   farm  of  nected  with  the  Red  Men  and  his  brethren  of 

one   hundred   ami  sixty  acres,  and   is  also  con-  these    fraternities    esteem    him    because    of    Ins 

ducting  a  dairy  of  twenty  cows.     He  is  alert,  fidelity   to  the  principles  of   the  organization, 

enterprising  and    farsighted  in  business  affair-  Dependent    upon   his   own    resource,    from    the 

and  his  strong  determination  ha.-  enabled  him  age  of  sixteen  years,  his  advancement    in   hie 

to    overcome    difficulties    and    obstacles    such    as      an s  success   in   business  are   attr. billable  to 

come  to  every  individual    in  a  business  career,  bis  own  efforts. 


014 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


WILLIAM  A.  ALLEN,  M.  I). 

Dr.  William  A.  Allen,  who  is  interested  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  and  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits as  well,  resides  two  miles  south  of  Don- 
nellson  and  in  the  town  and  throughout  the 
surrounding  district  has  acquired  a  large 
patronage  which  is  indicative  of  the  confidence 
reposed  in  his  professional  skill  by  his  fellow 
citizens.  He  was  born  in  Fast  Fork  township, 
January  28,  1856,  his  parents  being  Robert  S. 
and  Harriet  (Ohmart)  Allen.  The  father  was 
bom  in  North  Carolina  in  L832  and  was  a 
young  man  of  about  twenty-two  years  when 
in  1854  he  emigrated  westward  to  Illinois,  set- 
tling in  East  Fork  township,  Montgomery 
county.  Developing  a  farm  there,  he  reared  his 
family  upon  that  place  and  William  A.  Allen 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  there 
and  attended  the  district  schools  of  the  town- 
ship. He  afterward  engaged  in  teaching  school 
for  two  years,  but  regarded  this  merely  a*  an 
initiatory  step  to  further  professional  labor. 
Desirous  of  making  the  practice  of  medicine 
his  life  worlc,  he  began  reading  with  Dr. 
Haynes  and  subsequently  he  attended  the  Mis- 
souri Medical  College  of  St.  Louis,  in  which 
institution  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1878.  He  then  located  where  George  Allen 
now  resides  and  practiced  there  for  many  years. 
In  1882  he  opened  an  office  in  Donnellson, 
where  he  maintained  his  home,  until  1899.  when 
he  removed  to  his  presenl  location.  He  has 
been  verj  successful  in  practice,  for  he  is  care- 
ful in  the  diagnosis  of  a  case  and  in  the  admin- 
istration of  medicines,  and  his  knowledge  is 
proven  by  the  excellent  results  which  have  at- 
tended him  in  his  professional  labors.  H^ 
also  continues  farming  ami  stock-raising  in 
Montgomery  county  ami  in  addition  to  his 
property  here  be  has  twelve  hundred  acres  of 
land  in  the  northern  part  of  Bond  county. 

On  the  5th  of  May,  1881,  Dr.  Allen  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Clara  Clotfeltei-, 
of  Hillsboro,  who  is  a  most  estimable  lady,  hav- 
ing many  warm  friends  in  Montgomery  county 
She  is  a  daughter  of  James  W.  Clotl'elter, 
whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
She  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  church  ami  by 
her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of  one 
daughter,  Rubie      Dr.  Allen  affiliates  with  the 


Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity  and  with  the 
Masonic  lodge  at  Sorento.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Democrat,  Km  lias  never  sought  or  desired 
public  office,  preferring  to  devote  bis  attention 
to  his  professional  labors  and  other  business 
interests.  Anything  that  tends  to  bring  to  man 
a  more  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  science 
of  medicine  and  thus  render  bis  labors  more  ef- 
fective in  checking  the  ravages  of  disease  is  ot 
interest  to  Dr.  Allen,  who  is  continually  broad- 
ening bis  knowledge  by  reading  and  investiga- 
tion. He  belongs  to  the  P>ond  and  Montgomery 
Counties  Medical  Societies  and  also  to  the  Dis- 
trici  Medical  Society,  the  Illinois  State  Medical 
Society  and  the  American  Medical  Association. 
He  is  now  numbered  among  the  prosperous 
residents  of  the  county  and  yet  all  that  he  has 
acquired  has  been  won  through  his  own  un- 
aided efforts  during  a  quarter  of  a  century. 


JOHN  IT.  LOTJCKS. 

John  II.  Loucks,  a  lifelong  resident  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  whose  activity  as  an  agricul- 
turist has  led  to  substantial  success,  was  born 
in  Hillsboro  township,  December  31,  1866,  his 
parents  being  William  and  Louisa  (Langford) 
Loucks,  who  remoyed  from  Indianapolis.  In- 
diana, to  Montgomery  county  in  1864.  Thej 
located  on  a  farm  two  mile-  west  of  Hillsboro, 
ami  at  the  old  home  place  John  II.  Loucks  was 
reared.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the 
common  schools  and  when  twenty  years  of  age 
be  began  earning  bis  own  living.  He  has  made 
agricultural  pursuits  his  principal  occupation 
since  attaining  manhood.  lie  is  very  indus- 
trious and  is  both  practical  and  progressive  in 
his  methods  of  farming.     The  farm  consists  of 

two    hundred    acres    in    Monti; er\    county,   of 

ulccb  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  is  the  home 
place  Mr.  Loucks  has  made  many  improve- 
ments upon  the  farm,  which  is  now  a  model 
property,  supplied  with  all  the  equipments  and 
accessories  needed  to  facilitate  farm  work  and 
render  his  efforts  more  effective  in  gaining  a 
good  living  from  the  soil.  He  raises  various 
cereals  and  is  also  raising  stock  of  good  grades. 
The  farm  is  located  about  fixe  mile-  southwest 
of  Hillsboro  and   its  neat  and   thrifty   appear 


iS 


JOHN    II.    LOUCKS   AND    KAMI  I. V 


ME.  AND  MRS.  WILLIAM    LOUCKS. 


UN1VI 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


619 


anee  renders  it  one  of  the  attractive  features 
(if  the  landscape. 

On  November  30,  1892,  at  Litchfield,  Illi- 
nois, Mr.  Loucks  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Lavina  Atterbury,  a  daughter  of  William 
Atterbury,  and  they  have  two  children,  Omar 
and  Paris.  The  parents  are  members  of  the 
Woodsboro  Methodisl  Episcopal  church  and 
take  a  helpful  interest  in  many  of  the  church 
activities.  Mr.  Loucks  is  now  serving  as  super- 
intendent of  the  Sunday-school  and  he  con- 
tributes generously  to  the  support  of  the  church 
and  does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  its  growth 
and  extend  its  influence.  He  is  also  church 
treasurer  ami  clerk  of  the  board  of  trustees. 
Politically  a  Democrat,  lie  has  never  held  office 
and  is  yet  a  public-spirited  citizen.  His  life 
shows  the  power  of  industry  in  achieving  suc- 
cess, and  of  honesty  in  winning  an  untarnished 
name. 


M.  I).  HOLMES. 

M.  P.  Holmes,  now  living  in  Hillsboro,  is  a 
representative  of  the  farming  interests  of 
Montgomery  county,  owning  and  operating  a 
tract  el'  hind  on  sect  inn  31,  Easi  Pork  town- 
ship. He  is  one  id'  the  native  sons  df  the 
enmity,  his  birth  having  here  occurred  in  1848, 
his  parents  being  Joel  D  ami  Miranda  I). 
Holmes.  The  father  was  born  in  Maine  and  at 
an  early  age  was  left  an  orphan,  lie  was  then 
reared  in  New  York,  where  lie  remained  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  lie  came  across 
the  country  and  purchased  what  is  now  known 
as  the  old  family  homestead.  He  was  one  of 
i  he  earliest  settlers  in  East  Fork  township,  and 
though  he  had  to  endure  hardships  and  trials 
incident  to  pioneer  life  in  early  days  lie  gradu- 
ally won  success  through  his  enterprising  labors 
and  was  enabled  to  secure  the  advantages  mid 
conveniences  known  to  the  older  east.  He  was 
ii  progressive  man,  a  fact  which  was  mani- 
fested in  his  business  career  ns  well  as  in  citi- 
zenship, and  he  became  an  extensive  farmer, 
owning  about  nine  hundred  acres  of  land  at  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  was  accounted  one  of 
the  leading  men  of  his  community,  respected 
for   his   fidelity   in   citizenship,  his   interest   in 


business  transactions  and  his  loyalty  to  his 
home  ties.  In  his  political  views  he  was  a 
Republican,  lie  died  in  1871,  while  his  wife, 
surviving  him  lor  about  twelve  years,  passed 
away  in  1883.  They  are  survived  by  three  liv- 
ing children,  hut  M.  I  >.  Holmes  is  the  only  one 
residing  in   Montgomery  county. 

On  the  old  family  homestead  M.  D.  Holmes 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth. 
Me  was  reared  to  farm  life,  early  becoming  fa- 
miliar with  the  duties  and  labors  that  fall  to 
the  lot  of  an  agriculturist.  His  prelimi- 
nary education  was  acquired  in  the  schools 
of  his  township  and  when  he  had  mastered 
the  branches  of  learning  therein  taught  he 
entered  the  Hillsboro  Academy,  where  he 
spent  one  winter.  He  began  business  life  upon 
a  farm  which  his  father  gave  him  when  he 
was  twenty-two  years  of  age  and  there  car- 
ried on  agricultural  pursuits  for  five  years, 
at  tin'  end  of  which  time  he  traded  the  prop- 
erty to  his  In-other,  who  was  living  on  the 
home  place,  and  since  then  Mr.  Holmes  has 
resided  upon  the  old  family  farm.  He  has 
given  most  of  his  attention  to  stock-raising, 
feeding  cattle  for  the  market  for  many  years. 
At  the  present  writing  he  is  practically  living 
retired.  while  his  sons  conduct  the  farm. 
His  rest  is  well  earned  because  he  has  been 
a  busy  man.  diligent  in  his  business  affairs 
mill  conducting  all  interests  so  as  to  merit  the 
esteem   and   confidence  of  his    fellow   men. 

In  October.  1871,  occurred  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Holmes  to  Miss  Amanda  Barnett,  a 
daughter  of  Jesse  Barnett.  Their  marriage 
was  blessed  with  eight  children.  hut  only 
three  are  now  living:  Fred  D.,  who  lives  at 
Raymond;  Chester  D..  who  is  living  on  the 
home  place;  and  Hiram  Marshall,  who  resides 
in  Missouri.  Mi's.  Holmes  was  horn  in  Mis- 
souri. 1  ut  was  reared  in  Montgomery  county 
and  her  death  occurred  here  in  August.  1898. 
She  was  laid  to  rest  in  Waverly  Cemetery 
;i mid  the  deep  regret  of  many  friends. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holmes  held  membership  in 
the  Presbyterian  church  and  he  is  a  Republi- 
can in  his  political  views.  Tin  home  farm 
comprises  two  hundred  and  twelve  acres  of 
land,  well  equipped  with  modern  conveniences 
and    accessories,    the    buildings   beinc   substan- 


W.    F.    BOTE. 


620                        PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF  MONTGOMEBY    COUNTY 

iial    and    i lern.      Mr.    Holmes    has    worked  Leeame  the  wife  of  George  Neece,  of  Nokomis 

earnestly  and  persistently  year  after  year  to  township,  and  ditd  in  1895;  Bertha,  who  is  the 
obtain  a  comfortable  competence.  lie  lias  wife  of  X.  I.  Fitgner  and  resides  on  the  old 
realized  that  there  is  no  royal  mail  to  wealth  homestead;  Liddie,  the  wife  id'  Aaron  Piatt,  of 
and  that  there  is  no  excellence  without  labor  Witt:  W.  V..  of  this  review;  and  Sadie,  the 
and  by  his  persistent  industry  he  has  grad-  wife  of  John  Andersen,  of  Nokomis  township, 
ually  advanced  financially,  at  the  same  time  \\ .  |-\  Bote  was  educated  in  the  district 
gaining  the  trust  of  his  fellow  men  by  his  schools  of  his  township  and  at  the  age  of  nine- 
honorable   business    methods.  teen  years  started   upon  his  business  career  as 

a  lirakcman  on  the  Big  hour  Railroad,  being 
ilus  employed  for  six  months.  He  later  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  two  years  and  subse- 
quently he  assisted  in  sinking  the  Montgomery 

W.    V.    Bote,   who    is    filling   the    position   of  coal   shaft.     He   has  been   working  there  since 

check    weighman    with    the    Montgomery    Coal  that  time  and  in  1900  he  was  appointed  to  his 

Company,   was    born    in    Madison    county    near  present    position   as  check   weighman.      He  has 

Bethalto,    Illinois,   on   the    17th    of    May,   1871.  also  conducted  a  restaurant  in  Witt  and   is  one 

lie  is  a  son  of  A. lam  and  Man    (Zolzar)   Hole,  "r  lllr  enterprising,  industrious  business  men  of 

both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Germany,  whence  '"s  locality. 

they   came  to   America    in    1845,   locating  at   St.  On   the  1st  of   December,   IS!)."),   Mr.    Bote  was 

Louis,   Missouri.     There  the   father  conducted  married  to  Miss  Anna   Holmes,  a  daughter  of 

a    blacksmith   shop    for  eighteen    years   and    on  William     and     .lane     (  Roberts)     Holmes,     the 

the  expiration  of  that   period  removed  to  Madi-      former  an  engi] r.      Mr.  and    Mrs.   Bote  now 

son  county.  Illinois,  in  1863.  He  purchased  have  three  children  :  Newell  S.,  seven  years  of 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  and  en-  age;  Mildred  May,  a  little  daughter  of  four 
gaged  in  farming  thereon  until  February,  is;;,  summers;  and  Floyd  C,  two  years  old.  The 
when  he  sold  that  property  and  came  to  Mont-  parents  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
gomery  county,  purchasing  a  farm  of  two  hun-  church  and  ^\lr.  Bote  belongs  to  Twin  City 
dred  and  twenty  acres  a  half  mile  southeast  of  lodge,  Xo.  622,  K.  1'..  of  Witt  :  to  the 
Witt.  It  is  now  located  within  the  corporal  ion  Modern  Woodman  camp,  No,  5628,  of  Witt: 
limit-  of  the  town  and  a  portion  of  it  has  been  and  to  the  United  Mine  Workers,  Xo.  167.  His 
subdivided  and  sold  as  town  lots.  Adam  Bote  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  Republican 
was  for  almost  a  quarter  of  a  century  a  re-  party  and  he  keep.-  well  informed  on  the  <|iies- 
spected  and  valued  resident  of  Montgomery  tions  and  issue.-  of'  the  day.  thus  being  able  to 
county  and  his  death  here  occurred  November  support  his  position  by  intelligent  argument. 
27,  1900,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years.  His  lie  has  lone  resided  in  this  locality,  where  his 
widow  still  survives  and  is  now  living  in  the  sterling  worth  has  made  him  widely  and  favor- 
town  of  Witt  at  tin'  a  Lie  of  seventy-two  years.  ahlv  known  as  a  reliable  and  trustworthy  busi- 
fhe  anniversary  of  her  birth  being  June  8,  1904.  ncss  man. 
Mr.  Bote  was  deeply  interested  in  church  work, 
took  a  very  active  pari   in  promoting  the  cause 

of     Christianity     in     his    community    and    was  .. 
also  influential  in  public  affairs  relating  to  the 

government    of    bis    township,    filling    various  I.  M.  Chamberlin,  who  is  engaged  in  general 

township  offices.     In  the  familv  of  this  worthy  Farming   in    Hillsboro   township   and    owes   his 

couple    were    the     following    children:        Katie.  prosperity     to     his     own     intelligently    directed 

who  died  at  the  age  of  twentv-seven  years ;  Dan-  efforts  ami   unfaltering  diligence,  was  horn  in 

iel,  a  resident  of  Nokomis :  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Bert,  South    Litchfield   township.   October   15,   1*64. 

who  is  living  in   Nokomis.  where  her  husband  IDs  boyhood  days  were  unmarked  by  any  event 

is    filling  the   office   of   postmaster:   Lizzie,   who  of    special    importance    that    varied    the    routine 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


621 


of  farm  life  for  him.  lie  worked  in  the  lielils 
and  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  Litchfield,  and  throughout  his  entire  life 
has  been  connected  with  farming  interests. 
The  experience  which  he  gained  in  youth  lias 
proven  of  practical  value  to  him  since  he  be- 
gan farming  on  Ins  own  account,  and  his  work 
is  carried  on  along  progressive  lines,  leading 
tn  desirable  results. 

On  the  22d  of  December,  188S,  Mr.  Cham- 
berlin  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Flor- 
ence Simpson,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
one  child,  Vonnie.  The  wife  and  mother  died 
in  lsoi  and  in  1892  Mr.  Chamberlin  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  villi  Miss 
Mary  Sims.  They  have  three  children,  Inez, 
Delbert  and  Edna. 

A1  the  time  of  his  first  marriage  Mr.  Cham- 
berlin located  upon  a  farm  which  he  rented  for 
a  year,  when  his  father  purchased  the  prop- 
erty. He  continued  renting  until  1897,  when 
with  the  capital  he  had  acquired  through  his 
own  labors,  economy  and  careful  management 
he  purchased  two  hundred  and  eighteen  acres 
of  land,  of  which  eighty  acres  is  rich  bottom 
land.  The  place  is  now  well  tilled  and  the 
fields  return  to  him  good  crops.  In  addition  to 
general  farming  he  is  engaged  in  the  feeding  of 
cattle  and  hogs,  and  the  sale  of  his  stock  adds 
materially  to  his  annual  income.  TT is  farm  is 
situated  on  sections  21  and  28,  Eillsboro  town- 
ship, about  five  miles  from  Hillsboro.  Hi? 
political  support  is  given  the  Democracy,  but 
lie  has  neither  time  nor  inclination  for  public 
office,  prefering  to  devote  his  energies  to  his 
business  affairs,  which,  capably  conducted,  have 
made  him  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  the 
community.  Having  always  lived  in  this  coun- 
ty, he  has  witnessed  many  changes  here,  has 
seen  its  rapid  development  in  the  last  forty 
years,  and  has  felt  just  pride  in  what  has  been 
accomplished. 


CnRTSTf  AX  D.  ZUBER. 

Christian  I  >.  Zuber,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  cigars  in  Litchfield,  is  also 
actively  interested  in  the  welfare  and  develop- 
ment  of  the  city  and  has   been  a    co-operant 


factor  in  many  movements  which  produce  com- 
mercial  stability  and  promote  the  progress  and 
improvement  of  the  city.  Fie  has  spent  his 
entire  life  here,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
latch  held  .March  L7,  1872.  His  father.  Chris- 
tian Zuber,  Sr..  was  born  in  Germany,  and 
when  fourteen  years  of  age  came  to  the  United 
States.  After  spending  a  short  time  in  St. 
Louis  and  other  places,  he  came  to  Litchfield 
in  LSol).  He  was  a  butcher  by  trade  ami  car- 
ried on  business  along  that  line  until  1881, 
when  he  retired  From  active  life.  He  married 
Amelia  Warebolt,  who  was  horn  in  St.  Louis, 
and  they   became  the  parents  of  five  children, 

two  sons  and  thr laughters.     Mr.  Zuber  voted 

with  the  Republican  party  ami  fraternally  was 
identified  with  the  (>t\t\  Fellows  lodge.  He 
died  January  12.  1898,  at  the  age  of  fiity-eighl 
years,  and  his  widow  is  still  living  in  Litch- 
field at   the  age  of   fifty-four. 

Christian  I).  Zuber  continued  his  studies  un- 
til he  had  mastered  the  branches  of  [earning 
taught  in  tin'  high  school  of  Litchfield.  He 
afterward  learned  the  trade  of  cigar-making 
and  in  1896  engaged  in  business  for  himself, 
having  at  first  hut  one  employe.  That  he  has 
prospered  and  his  business  grown  is  indicated 
by  the  fact  that  he  now  employs  seven  journey- 
men cigar-makers  and  the  output  of  his  factory 
is  a  half  million  cigars  per  year.  The  brands 
of  cigars  which  he  manufactures  are  Zuber's 
Favorite,  a  five-cent  cigar:  Fl  Triumpho,  a 
feii-cenf  cigar;  and  also  the  Blue  Bonnet  and 
('.  I).  Z.  He  sells  largely  throughout  the  sur- 
rounding territory  ami  has  established   a  g 1 

market  for  his  product,  the  sale  of  which 
brings  to  him  a  very  desirable  financial  return. 

Mr.  Zuber  was  married  May  :!.  1899,  to  Dora 
I'.alke.  who  was  horn  af  Mount  Olive,  Macoupin 
county,  Illinois,  in  1875,  a  daughter  of  Henry 
Balke,  who  was  a  mining  boss.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Zuber  have  two  sons.  Carl  and  Arthur. 
The]  arc  members  of  the  Lutheran  church  and 
Mr.  Zuber  belongs  to  the  Benevolent  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  the  Odd  Fellows  society. 
Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  the  Modern 
Woodmen  camp  and  the  Cigar-Makers  Union. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Litchfield  tire  de- 
partment and  his  political  support  is  given  the 
Republican    party.     He   is  well    known    in    the 


622 


PAST    AM)    PKESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


city  which  has  always  been  his  home  and  his 
genial  manner  and  deference  for  the  opinions 
of  others  have  made  him  popular  in  the  social, 
circles  in  which  he  moves. 


SETH  E.  WASHBURN. 

Seth  E.  Washbnrn,  who  follows  farming  on 
section  32.  Irving  township,  was  horn  in  Syra- 
cuse. New  York.  April  IS.  1847.     His  parents 
were    Thomas    D.    and    Roxanna    M.    (Joslin) 
Washburn,   both    horn    on   the    25th   of   April, 
1819.    The  father  was  a  graduate  of  Burr  Sem- 
inary   of   Vermont,    of    Phillip    Academy,    the 
Andover  Academy  and    Harvard   College.     He 
completed   a  course   in  Harvard   Medical    Col- 
lege and  also  attended  the  New    York  Univer- 
sity, and  in  the  year  1849  he  came  to  Illinois, 
establishing  his  home  in  Grayviile,  but  in  1851 
be  removed  to  Lawrenceville.  and  in  1856  came 
to  Hillshoro,  where  he  afterward  made  his  home, 
practicing  his  profession  continuously  with  the 
exception  of  a  short  period  spent  in  the  mili- 
tarv  service  of  his  country.     In  1862  he  joined 
the   Union   Army   as   assistant   surgeon  of  the 
One  Hundred  and   Twenty-sixth    Illinois  Vol- 
unteer   Infantry  ami    during  the  last   eighteen 
months  of  the  war  was  post  surgeon  at  Little 
Rock,  Arkansas,     lie  was  always  deeply  inter- 
ested   in    his   profession    and    its   advancement, 
and    was   likewise   active   in    support   of   many 
measures  for  public  progress  and  improvement 
in    his   community.      He   died    September    30, 
1893,   after    almost    forty     years'    residence   in 
Montgomery    county,    in   which    period    he   had 
proved    himself    a    valued     citizen.     His    wife 
passed  away  dune  25,  L904,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
five  years  and  two  months, 

Seth  E.  Washburn  supplemented  bis  early 
educational  privileges  by  study  in  the  academy 
at  Hillshoro  and  also  in  Jacksonville  College. 
When  hut  fourteen  years  of  agejie  joined  the 
Union  army  as  a  messenger  boy  at  Alton.  Illi- 
nois, and  in  1864  he  regularly  enlisted,  becom- 
ing a  member  of  Company  H.  One  Hundred 
and  Forty-third  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 
After  the  close  of  the  war  he  spent  three  years 
in  Missouri  and  three  in  Kansas,  after  which 
he   returned   to   Montgomery  county.     He  has 


made  agriculture  his  life  work  and  about  1875 
he  removed  to  the  place  upon  which  lie  now 
resides,  comprising  one  hundred  and  nineteen 
acres  of  land,  which,  now  under  a  high  state 
of  culivation.  is  very  productive.  He  also 
breeds  Jersey  cattle  and  has  some  fine  stock 
upon  his  place. 

On  the  3d   of   November,  1874.  Mr.  Wash- 
burn Mas  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Josephine 
M.    Richmond,  who  was  born  in  1850  and  is 
a    daughter    of    William    and    Harriet    Newell 
(Doty)    Richmond.      The    father   was   born    in 
Licking  county,   Ohio,   in    1822.   and    followed 
the  occupation   of  farming.     The  mother  was 
horn    in    1824   and   died    in    1855,    being   bug 
survived  by  Mr.  Richmond,  who  departed  this 
life   in    1886.     He   had   come   to    Montgomery 
county  with  his   parents.   Henry  W.  and   Eliza 
Richmond,    in   the   early   '40s.   and   the   grand- 
father of   Mrs.   Washburn   died   here   in    1874, 
while  his  wife,  who  was  a   native  of  Trenton. 
New  Jersey,  passed  away  in   ls80.     Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Washburn  have  been  horn  three  chil- 
dren:     Ruth,    who   died   at    the   age   of   eleven 
months;  Harriet  E.,  the  wife  of  J.  B.  Turner, 
Jr..  of   Montgomery    county;  and  William   B., 
who  is  married  and  lives  in  Hillshoro,  Illinois. 
Mr.  Washburn  belongs  to  F.  D.  Hubble  Post, 
No.    in".  G.  A.  R..  of  Hillshoro,  and  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  Camp,  while  his  wife  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  church.    His  political 
allegiance    is   given    to    the    Republican    party 
and  he  is  now  highway  commissioner,  also  school 
trustee  and  has  been  assessor  of  his  township. 
Few  men  of  his  age  can  boast  of  military  ex- 
perience and  service  in  the  Civil  war.     Since 
that  time  he  has  lived  the  quiet  but  useful  and 
honorable  life  of  the  farmer  and  in  his  busi- 
ness    career   has    not   onl\    gained    success   but 
has   also    made   a    name   which    is   synonymous 
with  straightforward  dealing  in  his  community. 


W.   F.    SCHLUCKEBIER. 

W.  F.  Schluckebier,  who  is  living  in  Fast 
Fork  township  on  what  is  the  old  family 
homestead,  was  born  May  21,  1871,  his  par- 
ents lieing  Christian  and  Fredericka  ( Ort- 
niver)     Schluckebier.    His  father  was  born    in 


S.  E.   WASHBURN. 


MRS.   S.   E.   WASHBURN. 


WILLIAM    RICHMOND. 


MRS.    T.    I).    WASHBURN. 


DR.   T.   D.   WASHBURN. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
.ANA 


PAST    AND    PKESENT    OF    MONTGOMEKY    COUNTY 


625 


Waldeek,  Prussia,  Germany,  on  the  22d  of 
February,  1829,  and  is,  therefore,  seventy-five 
years  of  age.  lie  remained  in  his  native 
country  during  the  period  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  and  for  some  years  after  attaining  his 
majority,  hut  when  twenty-eight  years  of  age 
arrived  in  St.  Louis,  .Missouri.  He  secured 
employment  as  a  farm  hand  in  the  vicinity 
of  thai  city,  where  he  remained  for  about  live 
or  six  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  took  a  half  interest  with  the  Krumel 
Brothers  in  a  rented  farm  of  forty-five  acres. 
now  lying  within  the  corporation  limits  of 
St.  Louis,  which  they  operated  in  1861  and 
1862.  They  paid  for  this  a  rental  of  four 
hundred  dollars  per  year  and  Mr.  Sehlucke- 
hier  remained  thereon  for  about  ten  years.  He 
then  came  to  the  old  home  place  in  East  Fork 
township,  Montgomery  county,  establishing 
his  home  thereon  aboui  thirty-four  years  ago. 
'The  place  comprised  one  hundred  ami  twenty- 
two  acres  at  the  time  of  his  purchase,  hut  lie 
afterward  added  to  this  until  he  had  four 
hundred  and  twenty-four  acres  in  the  home 
tract  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  acre-  in 
Bond  county.  Upon  his  farm  he  was  largely 
engaged  in  the  raising  id'  cattle  and  hay. 
When  he  arrived  in  St.  Louis  he  had  hut 
three  dollars.  lie  is  a  self-made  man  for  all 
thai  he  now  possesses  has  been  acquired 
through  his  unfaltering  enterprise  and  labor. 
He  made  enough  within  ten  years  to  pn\  lor 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  and  his 
example  is  one  well  worthy  of  emulation,  show- 
ing  what  can   he  ace plished   by   unfaltering 

diligence,  careful  economy  and  strong  pur- 
pose. <»n  the  l.Mh  of  October,  1861,  in  St. 
Louis,  he  married  Fredericka  Ortmyer,  who 
was  born  in  Germany  in  1834,  and  died  De- 
cember 26,  1873.  In  June  of  the  following 
year  he  was  again  married  in  Shelby  county, 
Illinois,  his  second  anion  being  with  Doretta 
Hazelmyer,  who  died  January  18,  1878.  Il'i 
now  resides  upon  the  old  home  place  with  the 
subject  of  this  review  and  has  retired  from 
farm  life,  enjoying  now  a  well  merited  rest. 
Of  his  three  children.  Julia,  who  died  Au- 
gusl  25,  1903,  was  the  wife  of  Omer  Cooper, 
Mary  F.,  the  older  daughter,  is  the  wife  of 
Allie    Edwards. 


W.  I''.  Schluekebier,  the  only  son,  attended 
school  in  Donnellson,  Illinois,  pursuing  his 
studies  through  tin'  winter  months,  while  in 
the  summer  seasons  he  worked  upon  the  old 
home  farm.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  years  he 
entered  upon  an  independent  hiisiness  career 
by  renting  Land  from  his  father.  This  he 
operated  for  eight  years.  Me  then  purchased 
half  of  the  tract  and  his  father  gave  liini  the 
other  half,  so  that  he  now  lias  four  hundred 
and  twenty-four  acres.  His  sister  was  given 
one  hundred  ami  twenty-five  acres  of  another 
farm,  lie  has  Mwavs  been  very  successful  as 
a  farmer  and  his  familiar.!  v  with  modern 
husiness  methods  is  shown  by  his  capable  and 
successful  conduct  of  his  farm.  He  built  the 
barn  upon  his  place,  1ml  his  father  erected 
the  rest  of  the  buildings  except  the  house. 
This  is  now  ;i  well  improved  property  and  Mr. 
Schluekebier  keeps  everything  about  the 
place    in    excellent    repair. 

Near  Donnellson,  February  Li,  1898,  was 
celebrated  the  marriage  of  W.  1-'.  Schluekebier 
and  Miss  Louisa  M.  Heckel,  who  was  born  in 
Grisham  township.  October  27,  1868.  Her 
parents  were  Jacob  ami  Wilhelmina  (Hei- 
fers) Meckel,  the  former  born  in  Alsace-Lor- 
raine, Germany,  August  IS,  1840,  and  the  lat- 
ter near  Hanover,  Germany,  June  6,  1851. 
The  father  came  to  America  in  1841  and  first 
settled  near  Belleville,  Illinois,  hut  in  1866 
came  lo  Montgomery  county  and  he  and  his 
wife  are  now  living  in  Grisham  township. 
Of  their  seven  children  four  are  still  living, 
namely:      Louisa    M.,    wife    of      our      subject; 

Lotta,   wile    of    Fred    Km I.     of      Gris'iam 

township;  and  John  and  Bertha,  both  at 
home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schluekebier  have  four 
children:  Nellie  M.,  horn  January  22,  L899; 
Charles  ('..  horn  October  21,  1900;  Minnie  A.. 
horn  . I  line  22,  1902;  ami  Mary  L..  horn  Feb- 
ruary   (I,    1904. 

ilrs.  Schluekebier  is  a  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church  ami  Mr.  Schluekebier  gives 
his  political  support  to  (lie  Republican  pari  v. 
of  which  his  father  has  also  been  an  advocate 
for  a  long  period.  Mr.  Schluekebier  is  an  old 
settler,  representing  one  of  the  pioneer  fami- 
lies of  the  county  and  his  life-long  experience 
at    farming  has  made  him  very  capable  m  the 


626 


PAST    AMi    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


department  of    industry   which   he   has   chosen 
as  his  regular  occupation. 


MRS.    MARY    EMILY    BECK. 

Mrs.  Mary  Emily  Beck,  residing  in  Hills- 
bo  ro,  is  one  of  the  native  citizens  of  Mont- 
gomery county  and  has  lung  been  a  witness  of 
the  development  and  [ingress  here  that  have 
wrought  great  changes  and  placed  this  county 
on  a  par  with  the  leading  counties  of  the  com- 
monwealth. Mrs.  Beck  was  born  in  Hillsboro 
township  in  1842.  Her  father,  Michael  Smith 
Harry,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  born  in  1818, 
and  when  fourteen  years  of  age  he  was 
brought  Id  Montgomery  county  by  his  parents, 
Richard  and  Nancy  (Smith)  Barry,  who  lo- 
cated in  Hillsboro  township,  where  the  grand- 
father of  Mrs.  Beck  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming.  The  family  is  of  English  lineage  and 
representatives  of  the  name  moved  from  Vir- 
ginia to  Kentucky  at  an  early  period  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  latter  state. 

Michael  S.  Barry  was  reared  on  the  old 
family  homestead  in  Montgomery  county,  also 
became  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  for  many 
years  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits,  thus 
acquiring  a  competency  and  providing  a  com- 
fortable living  for  his  family.  lie  was  reared 
in  the  Baptist  faith,  and  in  his  political  views 
he  was  originally  a  Whig,  hut  upon  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Republican  party  he  joined 
its  ranks.  His  death  occurred  in  L899,  when 
be  was  more  than  eighty  years  of  age.  His 
wife,  wlio  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth 
Clotfelter,  was  horn  in  North  Carolina  in  1815 
and  died  in  1858.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
David  and  Nancy  (Short)  Clotfelter.  Her 
father  started  for  Montgomery  county  when 
this  district  was  just  opening  up  to  civilization, 
but  died  ere  he  reached  his  destination.  The 
others  of  the  family  came  to  the  west.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Barn  became  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren: Mary  Emily:  John  Richard,  who  died 
in  early  manhood  in  1872;  and  Amos,  a  resident 
farmer  of  Hillsboro  township. 

Mary  Emily  Barry  spent  her  childhood  days 
in  her  parents'  home  and  was  trained  to  the 
duties  of  the  household.     She  acquired  her  edu- 


cation m  the  district  schools  and  afterward  en- 
gaged in  teaching,  but  in  1864  she  gave  her 
hand  in  marriage  to  George  W.  Beck,  who  was 
born  in  Maine  in  1837.  He  was  brought  to 
Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  when  but  three 
years  of  age  by  his  parents,  Thomas  and 
Isabel  Beek.  In  their  family  were  nine 
children.  George  W.  Beck  acquired  Ins  educa- 
tion in  the  district  schools,  was  trained  to  farm 
labor,  and  throughout  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  lie  was 
seventeen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his 
father's  death  ami  he  then  started  out  to  make 
his  own  way  in  the  world.  He  had  no  capital, 
but  he  possesssed  strong  resolution,  determined 
courage  and  energy,  and  as  the  years  passed  he 
succeeded  in  acquiring  a  competency,  and  in 
1886  he  put  aside  business  cares  and  removed 
to  Hillsboro.  where  he  lived  retired  until  called 
to  bis  final  home  on  April  20,  1896. 

At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Beck 
espoused  the  Union  cause  and  enlisted,  in 
July.  1861,  as  a  member  of  Company  E  of  the 
First  Illinois  Cavalry.  He  was  taken  prisoner 
at  Lexington.  Missouri,  in  1862,  and  ^oon  aft- 
erward was  given  his  parole.  He  then  returned 
home,  and  in  1864  he  was  drafted  for  service, 
but  having  a  parole  he  sent  a  substitute.  He 
held  the  rank  of  first  sergeant  and  was  mus- 
tered out  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Missouri,  after 
which  he  was  honorably  discharged,  lie  had 
one  \erv  narrow  escape  in  battle,  his  collar  but- 
ton being  shot  away  by  a  rebel  bullet.  Had  the 
bullet  swerved  even  a  fractional  part  of  an 
inch  he  would  have  been  wounded. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beck  were  bom  seven 
children:  Carrie  Adelaide,  who  married  Amos 
Edwards  and  lives  in  East  Fork  township ;  Amy 
Alice,  who  became  the  wife  of  George  Seymour 
and  died  in  1898:  Elizabeth,  who  married  S'e- 
born  Emery  and  is  living  in  Hillsboro;  Edith 
('.,  the  wife  of  Fred  Ludwig,  a  merchant  of 
St.  Louis:  Charles  II..  who  died  in  infancy; 
Roscoe  E..  who  is  living  on  the  old  homestead; 
ami  Man  Isabel,  who  is  at  home  with  her 
mother. 

Mr.  Beck  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Meth- 
odist church,  with  which  he  was  long  identified, 
hut  in  his  later  years  he  joined  the  Presbyte- 
rian  church,   to  which   his   widow  now  belongs. 


UNiV!  JNOIS 


GEORGE  W.  BECK. 


MRS.   MAEY  E.   BECK. 


UNWEPT  GF  HXH 


PAST    AXD    PRESENT    OF    MOXTCOM KKY    Col'NTY 


63  J 


His  life  was  ever  upright  and  honorable,  being 
in  consistent  harmony  with  his  professions. 
There  were  no  exciting  chapters  in  his  career, 
yet  his  history  proves  the  force  of  energy  and 
capable  management  in  the  active  affairs  of 
life.  Wishing  to  gain  a  competence,  he  placed 
his  dependence  upon  the  substantial  qualities 
of  untiring  labor,  careful  management,  and 
upon  these  foundation  stones  he  built  Ids  suc- 
cess, lie  won  the  warm  regard  of  his  many 
friends  by  his  fidelity  to  every  duty,  and  in 
his  own  home  he  was  a  devoted  husband  and 
father. 


II.  C.  HAWKINS. 

11.  ( '.  Hawkins,  a  retired  farmer  now  re- 
siding in  Donnellson.  is  enjoying  the  fruits 
of  his  former  toil,  for  in  earlier  years  he  fol- 
lowed agricultural  pursuits  and  worked  ear- 
nestly and  energetically  to  gain  a  competence 
to  be  enjoyed  by  him  in  the  evening  of  life. 
He  is  one  of  Illinois'  native  sons,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Georgetown,  Vermilion 
county,  January  21.  1845.  His  parents  were 
Cozba  and  Sarah  (Milner)  Hawkins.  His 
father  was  horn  in  Kentucky,  September  26. 
1815,  and  with  his  parents  came  to  Illinois 
where  amid  pioneer  conditions  he  was  reared. 
After  attaining  his  majority  he  married  Miss 
Sarah  Milner.  who  was  also  born  in  Kentucky. 
June  24,  1813,  and  they  became  the  parents 
of  seven  children,  of  whom  two  are  now  living: 
H.  C.  and  Madison,  who  is  a  resident  of  Ok- 
lahoma. The  father  died  November  6,  1889, 
and  the  mother  passed  away  April  1.  1893, 
The  Hawkins  family  was  established  in  Illi- 
nois at  a  \er\  early  period  in  its  development, 
for  the  grandfather  of  our  subject  settled 
within  the  herders  of  the  state  before  Chicago 
was  a  town.  The  great  prairies  were  unbroken 
and  over  them  roamed  wild  deer.  Almost  the 
entire  state  still  waited  the  awakening  touch 
of  civilization  to  make  the  field  productive. 

Mr.  Hawkins  was  reared  in  Montgomery 
county  from  the  age  of  twelve  years,  for  his 
father  brought  the  family  to  this  county  in 
March,  1857.  He  was  but  a  youth  of  seven- 
teen years  when  he  responded  to  the  country's 


call  for  aid,  his  patriotic  spirit  being  aroused 
by  the  attempt  of  the  south  to  overthrow 
the  Union.  He  enlisted  in  Company  B,  One 
Hundred  and  Seventeenth  Illinois  Infantry, 
and  was  always  with  Ids  company,  participat- 
ing in  many  important,  engagements,  includ- 
ing the  battles  of  Tupelo,  Nashville,  Port 
Blakeley,  and  many  others,  over  thirty  in  all. 
lie  was  also  in  the  movements  of  the  Red  River 
Campaign  and  the  battle  id'  Mobile.  He  was 
never  wounded  or  captured,  although  he  was 
in  a  number  of  hotly  contested  engagements 
and  never  faltered  in  the  performance  of  any 
duty.  When  the  company  was  organized  he  was 
then  the  youngest  member  and  after  the  close 
of  the  war  he  was  mustered  out,  receiving  an 
honorable  discharge  in  Springfield  in  1865. 
He  now  has  in  his  possession  three  cents  in 
paper  money,  which  he  drew  from  the  pay- 
master at  Montgomery,  Alabama,  while  in 
the  army. 

11.  ('.  Hawkins  then  returned  to  Montgomery 
county  and  in  connection  with  his  brother 
rented  his  father's  farm,  while  later  he  began 
farming  on  his  own  account,  continuing  to 
conduct  the  old  homestead  alone  for  six  years. 
He  then  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
East  Fork  township  and  afterward  added 
forty  aires  additional.  Still  he  continued  to 
aihl  to  the  place  as  opportunity  afforded  and 
his  financial  resources  permitted  until  he  now 
has  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  East  Pork 
township.  Il>'  also  has  some  property  in  Don- 
nellson and  in  Grisham  township  where  he  was 
engaged    in   general   farming   and   stock-raising. 

On  the  27th  of  November,  1867,  Mr.  Haw- 
kins was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  J. 
Donnell,  who  was  horn  April  25,  1847.  Her 
father.  T.  ( '.  Donnell,  was  born  in  Greenbury. 
Guilford  county.  North  Carolina,  August  12 
1812,  and  died  March  21,  1904,  in  this  county. 
The  town  of  Donnellson  was  named  in  his 
honor,  for  he  entered  the  land  from  the  gov- 
ernment and  resided  thereon  for  sixty-six 
years,  being  ninety-one  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
venerable  and  honored  citizens  of  the  county 
ami  took  a  very  active  and  helpful  part  in  pro- 
moting its  progress  and  upbuilding.  A  strong 
Republican    in    politics,    he    never    missed    an 


632 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


election  but  did  nut  care  for  office.  Religiously 
both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  She  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Jane  Findley,  was  hum  in  Wilson 
county,  Tennessee,  March  11,  1812,  ami  died 
July  31.  1900.  Thc\  were  married  on  Pleas- 
ant Prairie,  two  miles  northwest  of  Sorento, 
Illinois,  and  were  the  parents  of  ten  children, 
iif  whom  two  died  in  infancy,  while  eight 
grew  to  mature  years  and  seven  are  still  liv- 
ing, namely:  Nancy,  the  wile  of  Rev.  W.  \\ . 
M.  Barber,  of  Windsor,  Illinois;  John  M.,  a 
resident  of  Wilber,  Oregon:  George  W.,  of 
Shelbyville,  Illinois;  James  G.,  of  Donnellson; 
Sarah,  wife  of  B.  F.  McLean,  living  near 
Donnellson;  Mary  .1..  wife  of  our  subject; 
and  Thomas   E.,  living  near  Donnellson. 

Both  Mr.  ami  Mrs.  Hawkins  belong  to  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  church  and  Mr. 
Hawkins  is  also  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army 
Posi  of  Hillsboro.  In  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  while  he  has  never  sought  or  desired 
office  for  himself  he  has  vet  given  stalwart 
support  to  the  principles  of  bis  party  and 
keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and  is- 
sues of  the  day.  He  is.  moreover,  an  enter- 
prising business  man  who  deserves  much 
credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished  as  be 
bad  only  three  dollars  when  he  started  out  in 
life  for  himself;  Nearly  all  that  be  possesses 
has  been  acquired  through  Ins  diligence  and 
capable  management  and  his  farming  property 
is  the  visible  evidence  of  bis  life  of  thrift  and 
industrv. 


.TOITX  M.  WAGGONER. 

Prominent  at ig  the  business  men  of  Wag- 
goner and  the  representatives  of  farming  inter- 
est- in  the  northwest  part  of  Montgomery 
county  is  John  M.  Waggoner,  a  man  of  rare 
capacity  and  enterprise,  who  lias  been  an  im- 
portant factor  in  community  interests  and 
wdiose  labors  have  resulted  not  only  in  benefit  to 
himself,  but  have  also  promoted  general  prog- 
ress and  the  substantial  growth  of  his  locality. 
He  is  the  president  of  the  Bank  of  Waggcner 
and  as  a  farmer  and  stoekdealer  has  extensive 
interests,    owning   a    large   and    well    improved 


tract  of  land,  covering  more  than  six  hundred 
acn  s. 

The  life  record  of  ibis  gentleman  is  a  credit 
to  Montgomery  county,  for  he  is  numbered 
among  her  native  sons,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred on  the  old  family  homestead  in  Pitman 
township  on  the  8th  of  March.  1864.  His 
father,  George  W.  Waggoner,  was  born  in 
Hardin  county.  Kentucky,  October  S.  1826,  and 
was  a  -on  of  Adam  and  Mary  A.  (Terry)  Wag- 
goner, who  were  among  the  early  settlers  that 
removed  from  theBlueGrass  state  to  Illinois. 
Adam  Waggoner  established  his  home  in  Jersey 
county  when  its  population  was  limited,  the 
work  of  upbuilding  and  development  being 
scarcely  begun  there.  It  was  in  Jersey  county 
that  George  W.  Waggoner  was  reared.  He  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  McCul- 
lougb.  who  was  born  in  Rockingham  county, 
Virginia.  March  22,  IS'.';,  and  in  1833  re- 
moved to  Macoupin  county,  Illinois,  where  they 
were  married  on  the  2d  day  of  December,  1851. 

Early  in  the  '.Mis  George  W.  Waggoner  pur- 
chased land  in  Pitman  township.  Montgomery 
county,  also  entered  some  land  from  the  gov- 
ernment and  thus  acquired  possession  of  sev- 
eral hundred  acres.  Before  him  lay  the  ardu- 
ous task  of  developing  a  new  farm,  but  be  reso- 
lutely set  to  work  to  reclaim  the  tract  for  the 
purposes  of  cultivation  and  in  due  course  of 
time  reaped  harvests  as  the  reward  of  bis  labors. 
He  died  in  the  prime  of  life,  passing  away 
September  29,  1866,  a!  the  age  of  forty  year-, 
hut  already  he  had  achieved  success  that  many 
an  older  man  might  well  envy.  His  wife,  sur- 
viving him.  capably  reared  their  family,  doing 
a  mother's  full  duty  to  her  children.  Their 
family  numbered  four  sons,  all  of  whom  reached 
mature  years.  Horace  G.,  who  was  the  eldest, 
was  married  and  was  then  engaged  in  farming 
and  stock-raising.  He  later  established  the 
Banli  at  Waggoner  and  was  the  president  and 
manager  of  that  institution  until  his  death  in 
September,  1901.  His  loss  was  deeply  deplored 
by  many  friends  and  was  also  felt  in  the  busi- 
ness circles  of  the  town.  George  P.  Waggoner, 
the  second  son.  is  a  prominent  farmer  of  Pit- 
man township:  and  Henry  Q.  Waggoner  is  the 
third  son.  Sketches  of  these  gentlemen  will 
be   found  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 


MR.  AND  MRS.  GEORGE  W.  WAGGONER. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


635 


John   M.   Waggoner,  the  youngest  son,   was 

reared  to  maul I  on  tl M  homestead  and 

as  soon  as  old  enough  took  charge  of  the  farm, 
which  lie  operated  successfully  for  a  number  of 
years.  At  length  he  succeeded  to  a  part  of  the 
estate,  including  the  old  home  and  he  yet  owns 
that  property.  In  connection  with  his  farm 
interests  he  lias  been  very  actively  and  largely 
engaged  in  the  stock  business,  raising,  feeding, 
buying  and  shipping  stock,  his  broad  and  prac- 
tical experience  in  youth  making  him  well 
qualified  to  carry  on  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count and  his  farming  interests  are  now  ex- 
tensive and  valuable,  while  the  products  of  Iris 
place  bring  a  gratifying  financial  return,  owing 
to  the  careful  management  which  he  displays 
in  his  stock-raising  interests  and  the  capable 
manner  in  which  the  fields  are  cultivated.  After 
the  death  of  his  eldest  brother  he  succeeded 
to  the  presidency  of  the  Bank  of  Waggoner, 
but  continued  to  reside  upon  the  farm  until  the 
fall  of  1903,  when  he  removed  to  an  attractive 
residence  in  the  village.  He,  however,  con- 
tinues to  supervise  his  agricultural  interests  and 
yet  buys  and  ships  stock.  His  life  is  indicative 
of  the  progressive,  enterprising  spirit  of  the 
middle  west,  which  lias  led  to  the  rapid  and 
substantia]  development  of  this  section  of  the 
country. 

John  M.  Waggoner  was  married  on  the  7th 
of  November,  1887,  to  Miss  Ella  Wall,  a  native 
of  Montgomery  county,  who  was  reared  and 
educated  here  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Sarah  Wall,  of  Pitman  township.  Mr.  and 
Mi-.  Waggoner  have  had  three  children: 
Maude  F..  born  January  3,  1889;  Alice,  who 
was  born  March  26,  1892,  and  died  June  13, 
Is'.''.':   and    J.    Marcus,  hem    October   6,    1899. 

Mr.  Waggoner  \<>\r*  with  the  Republican 
party  and  has  firm  faith  in  iis  principles,  hut 
has  ii"  desire  for  political  preferment.  His 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church  and 
he  also  attends  its  services  and  contributes  to 
its  support.  Every  measure  for  the  genera] 
good  receives  his  endorsement  and  in  matters 
of  citizenship  he  is  public-spirited,  his  inter- 
est in  his  community  being  manifest  in  tangible 
way  by  the  helpful  part  he  has  taken  in  pro- 
moting its  business  development  and  substantial 
growth.     He  is  a  man  of  strong  individuality, 


of  native  force  of  character  and  persevering 
spirit  and  he  carries  forward  to  successful  com- 
pletion whatever  he  undertakes. 


GEORGE  SPINNER. 


George  Spinner,  deceased,  who  for  over 
thirty  years  was  an  honored  resident  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany, 
on  the  25th  of  October.  1838,  and  was  a  son  of 
Valentine  Spinner,  also  a  native  of  that  coun- 
try. Reared  in  Baden,  George  Spinner  there 
became  familiar  with  farming  methods,  but  be- 
lieving that  he  might  have  better  business  op- 
portunities in  the  new  world,  he  disposed  of  his 
interests  in  his  native  country  and  crossed  the 
Atlantic  to  the  United  Stales,  arriving  on  the 
tth  of  July,  1864. 

Making  his  way  into  the  interior  of  the 
country,  Mr.  Spinner  settle,!  in  Clinton  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  worked  by  the  month  for  a 
year  and  a  half,  and  then  engaged  in  operating 
rented  land  for  about  two  years.  On  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  he  came  to  Montgomery 
county  in  the  spring  of  1869  and  established 
his  homo  in  East  Fork  township,  renting  the 
farm  on  which  his  brother  Frank  Spinner  now 
resides.  In  1871  be  purchased  the  home  place 
which  i^  now  occupied  by  his  son  Louis  Spinner. 
At  first  he  had  but  seventy  acres,  which,  how- 
ever, proved  the  nucleus  of  more  extensive  pos- 
sessions, As  bis  financial  resources  increased 
be  added  to  his  property  until  he  bad  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy  acres  am]  likewise  a  house 
and  iwo  lots  in  Hillsboro  and  a  house  in  Cof- 
fecn  at  the  time  of  his  death,  lie  brought  to 
this  country  about  eight  hundred  dollars  in 
gold,  which  was  then  at  a  premium  and  could 
have  been  exchanged  for  twenty-one  hundred 
dollars  in  other  currency,  but  he  kept  il  until 
after  tie  Civil  war  was  over,  at  which  time  lie 
was  i  nabled  to  obtain  only  a  small  premium. 
This  money,  however,  he  invested  in  a  team  of 
horses  ami  besran  farming.  Tie  made  for  him- 
self all  that  he  possessed  and  his  life  demon- 
strated the  value  of  industry  and  perseverance 
in  overcoming  obstacles  and  difficulties  in  win- 
nine-  prosperity. 

Mr  Spinner  was  married  in  the  spring  of 
lSf>f>  to  Ernestine  Huber  and  thov  became  the 


636 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


parents  of  three  children,  who  arc  yet  living: 
Louis  and  Joseph,  who  are  both  represented 
elsewhere  in  this  relume;  and  Mrs.  Ann  Buber, 
a  resident  of  Easl  Fork  township.  Mr.  Spin- 
ner was  a  Democrat  in  his  political  views  and 
was  accounted  one  of  the  representative  men  of 
his  township  1  m t  always  refused  to  hold  public 
office,  lie  died  January  14.  1901,  honored 
and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him,  but  his 
widow  is  still  living,  making  her  home  in  Hills- 
boro. 


EDWAED  HILT. 

Edward  Hilt,  a  fanner  and  breeder  of  fine 
stock,  is  living  on  section  16,  Rountree  town- 
ship. He  was  bom  in  New  Jersey.  April  2, 
1851,  a  son  of  Phil  and  Emma  (Ross)  Hilt, 
who  were  natives  of  Germany.  After  emigrat- 
ing to  America  they  became  residents  of  New 
Jersey  and  in  lsso  they  arrived  in  Montgom- 
ery  county.  Illinois,  where  the  father  spent  his 
remaining  days,  his  death  occurring  in  1899, 
when  he  was  sixty-seven  years  of  age.  His  first 
wife  died  in  is:,;  and  he  afterward  married 
her  sister  Louisa,  who  is  now  living  in  Irv- 
ing township   at   the  age  of  sixty-three  years. 

Edward  Hilt  was  educated  in  Jersey  county, 
Illinois,  and  remained  with  his  parents  in  his 
boyhood  days,  working  as  a  farm  lad  when  not 
engaged  with  the  duties  of  the  school  room, 
lie  was  afterward  employed  as  a  farm  hand 
by  the  month  until  twenty-two  years  of  age 
ami  in  1872  he  came  to  Montgomery  county. 
Here  he  rented  a  farm  in  Rountree  township 
and  with  characteristic  energy  and  determin- 
ation began  the  task  of  acquiring  a  capital 
that  would  enable  him  at  some  future  dale  to 
hicnie  a  landowner.  Winn  ten  years  had 
passed  he  purchased  fifty-three  acres  and  later 
he  sold  that  property  and  bought  one  hundred 
and  seventeen  acres,  where  he  now  lives,  also 
forty  acres  additional.  He  has  placed  some  of 
the  improvements  upon  this  property  and  has 
a  good  farm  well  equipped  with  modern  con- 
veniences.  He  i-  engaged  in  the  breeding  of 
Duroc  Jersey  hogs,  having  many  full  blooded 
animals,  and  lie  also  breeds  the  red  polled  cattle 
and  keeps  a  high  grade  of  horses.     His  fences 


constitute  one  of  the  attractive  features  of  his 
place  ami  yet  his  well  cultivated  fields  are 
worthy  of  attention  and  indicate  his  careful 
supervision  and   progressive  methods. 

(tn  the  10th  of  July.  1872,  Mr.  Hilt  was 
married  to  Miss  Haidee  Bridge,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Margaret  (Parker)  Bridge,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  England  who  came 
to  America  about  1849  ami  located  in  Jersey 
county,  Illinois,  where  they  bought  land  and 
continued  to  live  until  death,  dying  during  the 
earh  girlhood  of  their  daughter.  Mrs.  Hilt 
ha-  made  two  trip-  to  England,  where  she  has 
enjoyed  pleasant  visits.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hilt  have  been  horn  eleven  children:  Charles, 
who  is  living  in  Raymond.  Illinois;  Tessie, 
the  wife  of  11.  J.  Warnsing,  of  Rountree  town- 
ship; Celia,  the  wife  of  William  House,  of  this 
township:  Katie,  the  wife  of  John  Shore,  of 
the  same  township:  Mabel.  Etta.  Essie.  James, 
Charlotte  and  Frances,  all  at  home;  and  Walter, 
wdio  died  at  the  age  of  two  years. 

Mr.  Hilt  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church  and  also  belongs  to  the  Mutual  Protec- 
tive League,  Xo.  131.  of  Rountree.  His  polit- 
ical views  an-  in  accord  with  the  principles  of 
the  Democracy  and  be  has  served  in  some  local 
positions,  having  been  assessor,  town  master 
and  a  member  of  the  school  board.  In  his  busi- 
ness affairs  he  has  won  the  prosperity  which 
is  the  direei  result  of  untiring  effort  and  capa- 
ble management  and  in  his  business  career  he 
has  also  gained  the  respeel  and  confidence  of 
his  fellow  men  by  reason  of  his  straightforward 
methods. 


BEX  ROHLFING. 


Ben  Rohlfing,  a  liquor  dealer  in  Paisley 
was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  September 
31.  1878,  his  parents  being  Christ  and  Dora 
(Cassily)  Rohlfing.  Her  father  was  a  brother 
of  Mrs.  George  T.  Seward,  of  Hillsboro,  who 
is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Christ 
Rohlfing  was  born  in  Hillsboro.  while  bis 
wife  was  a  native  of  Germany.  He  became  a 
bookkeeper  for  a  commission  company  of  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  and  was  retained  in  that  po- 
sition   up   to   the  time   of  his   death,  which   oc- 


MB.  AND  MRS.  EDWAED  HILT. 


LIBRARY 
UWVi.  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


639 


curred  in  1882,  when  lie  was  thirty-seven  years 
of  age.  In  the  family  were  five  children: 
William,  who  is  now  a  gate  keeper  at  the 
Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  in  St.  Louis; 
Lulu,  the  wife  of  J.  L.  Kimball,  who  is  en- 
gineer with  the  Montgomery  Coal  Company ; 
Ben,  of  this  review;  George,  a  shoemaker  of 
St.  Louis;  and  Christ,  who  died  when  only 
two  weeks  old. 

Ben  Rohlfing  acquired  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  St.  Louis  and  after  putting  aside 
his  textbooks  he  learned  the  trade  of  paper- 
hanging,  which  he  followed  continually  until 
1901,  when  he  came  to  Paisley  and  began 
working  in  the  mines  for  the  Montgomery  Coal 
Company.  He  was  thus  employed  for  two 
years  or  until  December  10,  1903.  He  estab- 
lished a  saloon  which  he  is  now  conducting, 
having  secured  a  good  trade  in  Paisley  which 
makes  his  business  a  profitable  one. 

On  the  10th  of  March,  190-1,  Mr.  Rohlfing 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Lorena 
Kimball,  a  daughter  of  Calvin  and  Lneretia 
(Gbeen)  Kimball,  who  were  natives  of  North 
Carolina  and  came  to  Montgomery  county 
about  1869.  The  father  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing here  for  a  number  of  years,  but  he  and  his 
wife  are  now  living  in  Hillsboro.  Mr.  Rohl- 
fing is  a  member  of  the  Mine  Workers'  Union 
and  he  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the 
Democracy. 


LEWIS  McPHERSON. 

Lewis    MePherson,    a    representative    farmer 
and  a  native  son  el*  Montgomery  county,  is  also 

well    known   as   a    member   of   one   of   t! Id 

and  honored  pioneer  families  of  this  portion 
of  the  state.  He  was  born  in  Litchfield  on 
the  loth  of  January,  L867.  His  father,  .lames 
II.  MePherson,  was  born  in  Kentucky,  De- 
cember  13.  1826.  and  there  remained  until 
about  twelve  years  of  age,  when  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Greene 
county.  Illinois.  He  was  there  reared  upon  a 
farm  amid  scenes  of  frontier  life  for  the  work 
of  development  and  progress  was  then  in  its 
primitive  stages  in  the  locality  in  which  the 
family    home    was    established.      He   was    mar- 


ried there  to  Rebecca  J.  Ash  ami  after  his 
marriage  be  devoted  his  attention  to  the  oper- 
ation of  his  grist  and  saw  mill.  Subsequently 
he  built  the  first  saw  mill  in  Litchfield  and 
did  the  sawing  for  the  first  building  of  the 
town.  His  mill  stood  near  the  site  of  the  old 
Planet  mill.  In  partnership  with  his  brother, 
William  A.,  he  continued  in  the  manufacture 
of  lumber  for  many  years,  conducting  a  suc- 
cessful  business.  They  removed  the  saw  mill 
from  Litchfield  to  Zanesville  and  subsequently 
to  Grisbam  township,  continuing  the  business 
on  Slioal  creek.  There  Mr.  MePherson  was 
in  partnership  with  William  A.  Lewis  and 
this  relation  was  maintained  from  L861  until 
1885,  when  he  retired  from  business.  About 
1870  he  removed  to  the  farm  where  he  now 
lives  and  where  he  has  made  his  home  contin- 
uously since,  with  the  exception  of  two  years 
spent  near  Walshville.  His  wife  passed  away 
in  the  year  1870.  There  were  six  children  by 
that  marriage:  George,  who  resides  in  SI. 
Louis,  where  he  is  shipping  agent  for  the  Em- 
bree  &  McLean  Carriage  Company;  .Matilda, 
the  wife  of  Isaac  Price,  of  Hillsboro;  Lewi-;; 
Henrietta,  deceased;  Lucy;  and  one'  that  died 
in  infancy.  In  his  business  affairs  James  11. 
MePherson  has  been  very  successful  and  at  one 
time  was  the  owner  of  eight  hundred  acres  of 
land,  of  which  he  has  now  about  four  hundred 
and  forty  acres.  Of  this  three  hundred  acres 
is  bottom  land  and  is  very  rich  and  valuable. 
In  1902  he  suffered  from  a  paralytic  stroke, 
which  has  since  confined  him  to  the  house. 

Lewis  MePherson  obtained  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  and  in  the  business  college 
at  Jacksonville.  He  was  married  in  1889  to 
Miss  Sarah  E.  Stevens,  ami  they  have  three 
sens:     James    S..   Lewis   O.   and    Albert   S. 

Mr.  MePherson  of  this  review  is  the  owner 
of  one  hundred  acres  id'  land  adjoining  the 
old  homestead  and  in  addition  to  the  operation 
of  his  farm  he  has  the  managemenl  of  bis 
father's  estate.  Throughout  his  entire  life 
he  has  been  connected  with  agricultural  in- 
terests and  the  practical  experience  which  lie 
gained  in  youth  has  proven  of  much  value  to 
him  as  be  has  conducted  his  private  interest-; 
in  later  life.  In  his  work  be  is  very  progres- 
sive and  determined  and  hi'  utilizes  the  various 


640 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


model     methods     of     farming,     which     have 
proven  of  practical  benefit  in  his  work. 


s.  W.  KESSINGER. 
S.  W.  Kessinger,  the  well  known  and  popular 
editor  of  the  Litchfield  Monitor,  who  lias  been 
called  the  historian  of  Litchfield,  was  born  in 
that  city,  September  25,  L867,  and  is  a  son  of 
Thomas  G.  and  Rebecca  I*;.  Kessinger.  The 
southern  Illinois  conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  convened  in  tins  city  on  the 
da\  of  Ins  birth  and  shaped  his  name  to  Sam- 
uel W.,  the  middle  initial  standing  for  a  name 
highly  honored  and  respected  in  Methodist 
circles.  He  attended  school  hero  from  1873 
until  1875.  and  as  the  family  removed  to  But- 
ler in  the  fall  of  the  latter  year  he  continued 
his  studies  in  the  schools  of  thai  place  for  four 
months,  hut  in  January,  1876,  they  took  up 
their  abode  in  Raymond.  Mr.  Kessinger  re- 
sinned his  education  at  Litchfield  on  the  1st 
of  January,  1883,  but  quit  school  in  March, 
1884,  and  entered  Blackburn  University  at  Car- 
linville  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1887.  In 
March,  1887,  he  lefi  college  to  lake  possession 
of  The  Monitor,  bul  was  graduated  at  Black- 
burn University  in  dime.  1888,  being  given 
the  Master's  degree  by  his  alma  mater  in  1894. 
On  the  27th  of  .Tune.  1888,  Mr.  Kessinger  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Bessie  E.  Cald- 
well, of  Zanesville,  and  to  them  have  been 
horn  four  children,  namely:  Harold.  Ruth, 
Samuel  W.,  Jr.,  and   Elizabeth. 

Mr.  Kessinger  at  first  leased  The  Monitor  for 
four  years  and  a  half  but  purchased  it  from 
B.  S.  Hood  September  1.  1891,  and  has  now 
published  the  paper  for  eighteen  years.  This 
journal  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  Hillsboro  Free- 
Press,  established  in  1850.  In  the  campaign 
of  1860  the  Free-Press  suspended  publication 
and  early  in  the  summer  of  1863  the  Union 
Monitor  was  established  by  the  Republicans  of 
this  county  with  John  W.  Kitchell,  of  llillshoro 
and  recently  of  Tana,  as  editor.  Tt  published 
a  Litchfield  edition,  of  which  B.  S.  Hood  was 
editor.  After  undergoing  many  changes  the 
office  was  moved  to  Litchfield  in  1807.  Since 
that   time  it   has  swallowed   several   competitors 


and  was  swallowed  h\  a  competitor  in  1873, 
hut  the  name  of  Monitor  was  still  used.  The 
Monitor  has  had  the  following  editors:  J.  W. 
Kitchell,    1863    to    1865;    E.    J.    C.    Alexander, 

1865    to    1867;    1'..    S.    II I.    1867    to    1870; 

BaiiL>  &  Gray,  1870  to  1872;  H.  A.  Coolidge, 
is;-.'  (Kimball  &  Taylor,  owners);  Edward 
Feagan,  1872  (Taylor  owner);  A.  J.  Coolidge 
and  George  B.  Litchfield,  L873  to  1874;  H.  A. 
Coolidge,  1874  to  1878;  1'..  S.  Hood  and  ('.  A. 
Walker.  1878;  B.  S.   Hood.  1879  to  1881;  B. ' 

S.  II 1  and  John  0.  Campbell,  1881  to  1883; 

John  <;.  Campbell  and  Charles  Hood.  1884  to 
1885;  1'..  S.  Hood.  1885  to  1887  ;  Kessinger  & 
Warden,  March  1  to  November  1,  1885;  and 
S.  W.  Kessinger,  tss;  to  tin'  present  time. 
It  will  thus  he  seen  that  The  Monitor  has  had 
a  number  of  editors.  Xn  matter  what  his 
abilities  may  or  may  not  he.  it  is  easy  to  see 
that  the  present  editor  ha-  been  at  the  helm 
for  a  longer  period  than  any  of  his  predeces- 
sors. When  lie  took  control  The  Monitor  was 
issued  weekly,  on  Saturdays,  hut  after  a  vear 
he  changed  the  day  of  publication  to  Friday. 
In  April.  1892,  the  Daily  Monitor  was  estab- 
lished and  the  weekly  issued  on  Thursdays. 
The  Cleveland  times  struck  the  country,  and 
this  particular  section  of  it.  with  severity.  On 
the  3d  of  January.  1896,  the  daily  was  discon- 
tinued and  for  three  years  The  Monitor  was 
issued  weekly,  on  Thursdays.  On  the  1st  of 
January.  1899,  a  somi-weoklv  issue  of  the  pa- 
per was  begun,  on  Tuesday  and  Friday  of  each 
week,  and  this  has  been  continued  up  to  the 
present  time. 


LEIGHTON  W.  CLINE. 
Leighton  W.  ('line  is  the  proprietor  of  a 
Large  department  store  in  Litchfield  and  in  his 
life  history  he  displays  the  force  of  business 
enterprise,  capability  and  keen  foresight,  for 
he  owes  hi-  success  to  hi-  own  efforts  and  bis 
record  demonstrates  the  possibilities  that  are 
open  to  young  men  of  strong  determination 
and  ambition.  lie  is  numbered  among  the  na- 
tive sons  of  Madison  county.  Illinois,  where 
his  birth  occurred  in  1866.  His  father.  James 
W.    Cline,    was    horn    in    Montgomery    county 


S.  W.  KESSTNGEE. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


643 


near  Walshville  and  became  a  farmer  and 
stockman.  He  was  also  engaged  in  mercan- 
tile business  at  one  time  and  at  his  death  he 
lilt  a  good  farm  and  other  realty.  At  the 
tune  of  the  Civil  war  he  responded  to  his 
country's  call  for  aid.  enlisting  in  Company 
E  of  the  First  f llinois  Cavalry  near  the  be- 
ginning of  hostilities.  He  was  captured  at 
Lexington,  Missouri,  by  Price,  but  was  after- 
ward paroled.  Subsequently  he  was  drafted, 
but  on  account  of  his  parole  was  discharged. 
He  took  part  in  several  engagements  and  sub- 
sequent to  the  war  he  became  a  valued  mem- 
ber of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He 
gave  his  political  support  to  the  Republican 
parti  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  In  early  manhood  he 
wedded  Mary  E.  Thompson,  a  daughter  of 
Rudolph  and  Susan  Thompson.  She  was  horn 
in  Ohio  and  is  living  in  Litchfield  at  the  age 
of  sixty-live  years.  Her  father  was  a  farmer 
and  came  from  Ohio  to  Illinois  at  an  early 
day,  settling  in  Jersey  county,  where  his  last 
davs  were  spent.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cline  trav- 
eled life's  journey  together  for  many  years 
and  were  separated  by  death  in  March,  1904, 
when  James  W.  Cline  in  his  sixth-eighth 
year  was  called  to  bis  final  rest.  They  were 
the  parents  of  four  children:  Leighton  W. ; 
Chassie,  who  married  F.  W.  Cooper  and  is 
living  at  Xihvood  Illinois:  Cullen.  who  is 
employed  in  his  brother's  store:  and  J.  Sun- 
ley,  who  is  local  editor  for  the  Daily  Herald. 

Leighton  W.  Cline  acquired  bis  education 
at  Carbondale,  Illinois,  in  the  State  Univer- 
sity, in  the  Wesleyan  University  at  Blooming- 
ton,  and  in  the  Blackburn  University  at  Car- 
linville,  Illinois.  On  leaving  school  he  (al- 
tered the  employ  of  1!.  F.  Milner,  a  druggist 
of  Litchfield,  for  whom  he  worked  for  nine 
months.  In  LSS7  he  became  identified  with 
business  interests  of  this  city  as  a.  merchant. 
purchasing  the  grocery  store  of  M.  A.  Par- 
rish.  There  he  conducted  business  Eot  seven 
years  as  a  grocery  merchant  and  then  began 
adding  other  lines  of  goods,  but  bis  stock  de- 
veloped from  what  was  a  small  business  in 
L881  to  his  fine  department  store,  which  is 
one  of  the  largest  enterprises  of  the  kind  in 
this    portion   of    Illinois.      He    carries    a    stock 


valued  at  forty  thousand  dollars  and  his  store 
building  is  forty-four  by  one  hundred  and 
thirty  feet,  two  stories  in  height  with  basement, 
lb'  owns  this  business  and  he  employs  twenty- 
seven  people  in  the  conduct  of  his  enterprise. 
In  1889  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Cline 
ami  Miss  Delina  Cooper,  a  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Mary  Cooper.  Her  father  is  a  railroad 
contractor,  is  also  interested  in  coal  mines  and 
is  a  large  landowner.  He  is  now  living  at 
Xihvood  and  it  was  in  the  vicinity  of  that, 
town  in  Macoupin  county  that  Mrs.  Cline 
was  bom  in  18G6.  By  her  marriage  she  has 
become  the  mother  of  two  children:  Gladys 
and  Leighton  W.  In  his  political  views  Mr. 
Cline  is  a  Republican,  who  has  comprehensive 
knowledge  of  the  political  situation  in  the 
country  and  the  questions  and  issues  of  the 
day,  but  has  never  soughl  office,  preferring  to 
devote  his  attention  to  his  business  interests 
which  have  developed  rapidly  under  his  care- 
ful management,  honorable  methods  and  un- 
faltering enterprise.  He  is  yet  a  young  man. 
but  has  attained  a  success  that  many  a  man 
of  twice  his  years  might  well  envy. 


GEORGE    W.    COLLINS. 

George  W.  Collins,  who  is  the  proprietor  of 
a  good  farm  of  eighty  acres  on  section  14, 
Witt  township,  was  born  in  Urbana,  Illinois. 
onthel5thof  October,  1858, his  parents  being 
Peter  S.  and  Susan  C.  (Starling)  Collins, 
who  were  natives  of  Lancaster,  Fairfield 
county.  Ohio.  They  started  from  that  place 
for  Oregon,  but  at  Covington,  Indiana,  while 
en  route,  members  of  the  family  were  taken 
ill  and  they  remained  there  for  two  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  they  removed 
to  Urbana.  where  the  father  engaged  in  con- 
tracting and  building.  He  took  the  contract 
for  the  construction  of  the  first  street  railway. 
extending  from  Champaign  to  Urbana,  the 
motive  power  for  the  road  being  furnished  by 
horses.  He  also  built  under  contract  the  first 
university  building  at  Champaign.  He  after- 
ward bought  a  farm  four  miles  west  of  Cham- 
paign, upon  which  he  took  up  his  abode  and 
there   he   spent    his   remaining   days,   dying   in 


644 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


1mm  ;it  the  age  of  forty-one  years.  His  wife 
was  again  married  in  July,  1875,  becoming  the 
wife  of  J.  H.  Van  Gundy.  Her  death  also  oc- 
curred near  Champaign  on  the  29th  of  June, 
1895,  when  she  was  sixty-four  years  of  age. 

George  W.  Collins  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Champaign  county  and  in  the 
academv  at  Logan,  Ohio,  where  he  remained 
until  1875.  He  then  returned  to  Champaign 
county,  where  he  made  his  home  until  Feb- 
ruary, 1901,  when  he  came  to  Montgomery 
county  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  on 
section  14,  Witt  township,  upon  which  he  now 
resides.  He  was  also  among  those  who  pur- 
ehased  coal  lands  in  this  county  in  (ho  spring 
of  1904.  Trior  to  coming  to  this  county  he 
spent  fourteen  years  as  a  traveling  salesman, 
first  selling  school  supplies  and  later  hard- 
ware and  machinery.  He  has  made  for  him- 
self an  enviable  record  as  an  honorable  busi- 
uess  man  and  is  now  displaying  the  same  char- 
acteristic enterprise  and  perseverance  in  the 
control  of  his  agricultural  interests. 

On  the  Huh  of  February,  1882,  Mr.  Col- 
lins was  married  to  Miss  Lida  M.  Gehrig,  a 
daughter  of  Charles  F.  and  Johanna  M.  Geh- 
rig, both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Baden. 
Germany.  After  a  residence  of  some  time  in 
Michigan  they  removed  to  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  in  1871,  and  the  father  there  engaged 
in  farming,  although  ho  was  a  millwright  by 
trade.  On  the  1 3  th  of  November,  L895,  when 
sixty-three  years  of  age,  ho  was  called  to  his 
final  rest,  hut  his  widow  is  still  living  and 
makes  her  homo  at  Seymour,  Illinois,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-two  years.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Collins  have  been  born  four  children:  Charles 
P..  who  is  twenty-one  years  of  ago:  Jesse  J., 
aged  seventeen  years;  Frank  II..  fifteen  years 
old;  anfl  Floyd  S.,  who  is   four  years  of  age. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Collins  hold  membership  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  taking  an 
interested  and  helpful  part  in  its  various  ac- 
tivities, and  Mr.  Collins  is  superintendent  of 
the  Union  Sunday  school  at  Prairie  Chapel. 
Ho  is  also  a  school  trustee  of  Witt  township 
and  he  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the 
Republican  party.  Fraternally  he  is  eon- 
Etei  I'd  with  Seymour  lodge.  No.  507.  T.  O.  O. 
F.      Without   an\    special    family   or   pecuniary 


advantages  to  aid  him  at  the  outset  of  his  ca- 
reer he  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward 
in  the  business  world  and  is  now  the  possessor 
of  a  good  farm.  lie  has  also,  by  a  genial 
manner  and  unfailing  courtesy,  gained  many 
friends,  who  entertain  for  him  genuine  re- 
spect. 


FEED    MONDHINK. 


I' I'd  Mondhink  is  a  prominent  fanner  and 
stock-feeder  and  shipper  of  Montgomery  coun- 
ty. That  his  business  affairs  bave  been  capa- 
bly conducted  along  modern,  progressive  lines 
is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  his  possessions  have 
been  increased  and  he  is  now  the  owner  of  four 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  which  is  pro- 
ductive  and  yields  to  him  good  harvests.  He 
was  horn  in  .Madison  county.  Illinois.  .March 
25,  1849,  his  parents  being  Henry  and  Char- 
lotta  Mondhink.  The  father  was  a  native  of 
Germany  and  there  spent  the  days  of  his  boy- 
fa I   and  youth,  while  in  that  country  he  was 

also  married.  Believing  that  he  might  have  bet- 
ter business  opportunities  in  the  new  world,  he 
severed  the  tics  that  hound  him  to  his  native 
land  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  United 
States.  Making  his  way  direct  to  Illinois,  he 
settled  in  Madison  county  and  there  reared  his 
family. 

Fred  Mondhink  spent  the  days  of  his  early 
youth  on  i\\r  old  family  homestead  in  Madison 
county  and  in  Litchfield.  Hi-  educational 
privileges  were  quite  limited,  ami  in  fad  he  is 
largely  a  self-educated  man.  lie  began  work- 
ing when  a  small  boy  for  neighboring  fanners. 
and  being  employed  in  the  fields  ho  assisted  in 
the  plowing  and  planting,  receiving  for  his 
services  twenty-five  cents  per  day.  lie  worked 
as  a  farm  hand  both  before  and  after  the  Civil 
war.  and  later  he  rented  a  tract  of  hind  which 
he  cultivated  for  twelve  years.  His  economy 
and  careful  management  during  that  period 
brought  to  him  the  capital  that  enabled  him. 
in  1881,  to  become  the  purchaser  of  a  tract 
of  land  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  lo- 
cated upon  this  farm  in  1882  and  it  has  since 
been  his  home.  That  quarter  section  formed 
the  nucleus  of  his  present  valuable  possessions. 


UNIV;  ILLINOIS 


MR.  AND   MRS.    FRED   MoNMII  \  K 


ME.  AND  MRS.  HENRY   M()NI>III\K. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


649 


As  his  financial  resources  increased  he  extended 
the  boundaries  of  his  farm  from  time  to  time 
by  additional  purchases  until  he  now  has  four 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  as  rich  land  as 
can  be  found  in  central  [llinois,  and  no  better 
farming  country  is  seen  in  all  the  United  States 
than  is  here  found.  He  lias  erected  a  large 
residence,  attractive  in  appearance,  and  has 
also  built  substantia]  barns  and  made  other  im- 
provements which  add  to  the  value  and  attract- 
ive appearance  of  the  place  and  also  indicate 
his  progressive,  practical  spirit.     He  is  dealing 

in   stock-,    buying,   shipping  and    £ ling,   and 

he  always  lias  good  grades  of  cattle  and  horses 
upon  his  place.  In  recent  years  he  has  fed 
from  three  1"  four  carloads  each  year,  and  his 
stock-deal in^'  interests  have  proven  an  im- 
portant source  of  income  to  him.  <  In  cue  oc- 
casion  he  shipped  five  carloads  and  at  another 
time  he  purchased  seven  carloads  of  cattle 
from  niie  person,  lie  is  now  one  of  the  most 
extensive  stock-dealers  in  this  part  of  Illinois, 
and  the  purchase  just  mentioned  was  one  of  the 
largest  ever  made  by  a  stock-dealer  of  this 
locality.  Tn  July.  1903,  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  ('.  F.  Mondhink. 

Mr.  Mondhink  was  married  on  the  farm 
which  is  new  Ins  home,  October  26,  1871,  the 
lady  nf  his  choice  being  Ann  Eliza  Wray,  a 
native  of  Montgomery  county,  born  upon  this 
farm  and  a  daughter  of  James  W.  Wray,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  Sangamon  county  and  who 
became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  part  of 
the  slate.  Sis  children  ha\e  been  horn  unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mondhink:  Mary,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  three  months:  Lulu,  who  reached 
mature  years,  was  married  and  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-three  years;  Lottie:  Charles  II., 
Harry  II. :  and   Perlie. 

Mr.  Miiiidliink's  study  of  the  political  ques- 
tions and  issues  of  the  day  has  led  him  to  give 
his  vote  to  the  Republican  parly,  but  he  never 
peeks  nor  desires  office,  preferring  to  give  his 
undivided  attention  to  his  business  affairs.  He 
is  a  Master  Mason,  belonging  to  the  blue  lodge 
at  Raymond.  Throughout  his  entire  life  he 
has  resided  in  Illinois  and  is  closely  identified 
with  the  people  and  the  development  of  Mont- 
gomery county.  He  started  upon  his  business 
career  empty-handed    and     had    no    assistance 


from  friends  or  Family,  but  he  realized  the 
value  of  unfaltering  labor  and  economy,  and 
owing  to  his  frugality  and  good  business  judg- 
ment has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward  un- 
til he  is  now  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  his 
community,  who  has  gained  not  only  success, 
luil  also  has  won  the  honorable  name  that  is 
the  result  of  strict  integrity  and  an  upright 
character. 


A.   G.    BUTLER. 


A.  (i.  Butler,  who  has  been  active  and  prom- 
inent in  public  affairs  in  Montgomery  county, 
being  recognized  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  the 
Democratic  party,  is  now  the  owner  of  a  well 
improved  farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  in  Fillmore  township,  and  his  business 
career,  like  his  political  record,  is  creditable 
and  commendable.  A  native  of  Tennessee,  he 
was  born  in  Buenavista,  Carroll  county, 
January  1,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  ('.  ,1.  and 
Martha  .1.  Butler.  lli^  father  was  born  in 
North  Carolina,  but  was  reared  m  Tennessee, 
in  winch  state  he  began  farming  on  bis  own 
account,  lie  remained  there  until  1865,  when 
he  came  to  Illinois,  settling  near  Ramsey, 
where  he  spent  his  remaining  days.  His  wile 
died  several  years  after  the  establishment  of 
their  home  near  Ramsey. 

A.  G.  Butler  is  indebted  to  the  public 
school  system  of  his  native  stale  for  the  edu- 
cational privileges  he  enjoyed.  lie  was  reared 
upon  his  father's  farm  and  in  1860  he  came 
to  Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  with  Ins 
elder  brother,  arriving  here  during  the  time 
of  the  political  campaign  when  Lincoln  was 
candidate  for  the  presidency.  He  started  in 
business  with  an  uncle  in  a  store  at  Donnell- 
son    and    continued    in    that    for    three   years. 

About  that  linn  Mr.  Butler  was  married, 
being  in  March.  L866,  joined  in  wedlock  to 
Miss  V.  J.  Casey,  a  daughter  of  John  G.  and 
Dmiisa  Casey,  who  were  residents  of  Fillmore 
township.  Her  father  was  an  early  settler 
and  very  prominent  man  and  had  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance in  (he  community  where  he  made 
his  home.  Mrs.  Butler  was  an  only  child  and 
by  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother 
of  five  children,  of  whom  two  died  in  infancy. 


650 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


while  three  are  still  living,  namely:  Charles 
F.,  who  resides  upon  the  home  farm;  Ora  J., 
who  is  living  near  Chapman;  and  Louisa,  the 
wife  of  J.  J.  Alexander,  Jr.,  of  Fillmore 
township. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Butler  began  farm- 
ing upon  the  old  family  homestead  and  has 
made  most  of  the  improvements  there.  He 
now  owns  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land  and  he  gave  to  each  of  his  three  children 
eighty  acres,  lie  is  largely  devoting  his  at- 
tention to  the  raising  of  stock,  having  line 
cattle,  hogs  and  sheep  upon  his  place  and  the 
grain  which  he  raises  is  used  for  feeding.  Be- 
ing an  excellent  judge  of  stock  he  always 
makes  judicious  purchases  and  because  his  an- 
imals arc  of  good  breeds  the\  find  a  ready 
salo  upon  tire  market.  Moreover,  he  is  al- 
ways reliable  in  his  business  transactions  and 
as  his  word  is  trustworthy  he  has  in  business 
circles  a  reputation  which  is  enviable. 

Since  L863  Mr.  Butler  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  lodge  at  Fillmore  and  prior  to 
that  time  he  held  membership  relations  with 
the  Masons  at  Ramsey,  Payette  county.  He 
also  took  the  chapter  degrees  in  Eillsboro  and 
is  now  a  Royal  Arch  Mason.  He  likewise  be- 
longs to  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  and  in 
his  life  he  exemplifies  the  beneficent  spirit  of 
these  fraternities.  His  study  of  political 
questions  has  led  him  to  give  earnest  alle- 
giance to  the  Democracy  and  on  that  ticket  be 
has  been  elected  to  several  positions,  including 
that  of  a  highway  commissioner.  He  was 
supervisor  for  a  number  of  years  and  in  1878 
he  was  elected  sheriff  of  Montgomery  county, 
receiving  the  largest  majority  of  any  man  ever 
elected  in  the  county,  his  opponent  Icing  Wil- 
liam Bolles.  In  office  lie  lias  always  been  loyal 
to  the  duties  which  have  devolved  upon  him 
and  bis  fidelity  has  been  one  of  the  notable 
elements  in  his  career.  He  has  ever  taken  an 
active  interest  in  all  that  he  has  believed  would 
prove  beneficial  to  the  town  and  county  and 
has  been  the  promoter  of  many  public  enter 
prises.  About  six  years  ago  be  removed  from 
his  farm  to  Fillmore  and  now  employs  a  man 
to  conduct  the  place,  while  be  gives  to  it  gen- 
era] supervision,  hut  is  not  actively  engaged 
in  the  labor  of  raisins  grain  and  slock-. 


Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butler  hold  member- 
ship in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  with 
which  they  have  been  identified  for  twelve  or 
fourteen  years  and  the)  have  taken  a  most 
helpful  interest  in  church  work  in  Fillmore, 
contributing  generously  to  its  support  and 
doing  all  in  their  power  to  advance  the  causa 
of  Christianity.  Mr.  Butler's  life  has  at  all 
times  been  in  harmony  with  his  professions 
and  his  is.  therefore,  an  untarnished  career, 
such  as  commands  good  will  and  confidence 
in  every  land. 


DAVID  DAVIS. 

David  Davis,  deceased,  was  one  of  the  early 
pioneers  who  did  much  to  promote  the  welfare 
and  growth  id'  the  city  of  Litchfield.  In  young 
manhood  he  settled  in  this  city,  and  throughout 
a  business  career  covering  more  than  forty 
rears.  was  connected  with  almost  every  pro- 
ject for  the  advancement  of  the  city.  He  was 
born  in  Madison  county.  Illinois,  in  December, 
1838,  and  received  his  education  in  that  coun- 
ty. At  tbi'  age  id'  sixteen  years  lie  came  to 
Litchfield  with  hi-  father.  David  Davis,  Sr., 
and  after  serving  various  merchants  as  book- 
keeper for  a  period  of  about  two  years,  lie  em- 
harked  in  the  grocery  business  in  an  old  frame 
building  on  East  Edwards  street.  He  was  one 
of  the  first  grocers  in  the  city,  and  prospered 
from  the  start.  In  1871  ho  erected  a  large 
three-story  brick  building  at  the  corner  of  State 
and    Edwards    streets,    and     embarked    in    the 

wholesale   business. 

In  1870  he  became  a  stockholder  in  the 
Litchfield  Bank,  and  the  following  year  became 
president  of  that  institution.  Shortly  after- 
ward the  concern  was  reorganized  under  the 
name  of  Beach.  Davis  &  Company,  and  Mr. 
Davis  was  actively  engaged  in  the  management 
of  the  business  until  he  retired  from  business, 
about  the  year  1892. 

He  was  an  uncompromising  Republican  and 
filled  many  positions  of  trust,  lie  served  sev- 
eral terms  as  mayor,  and  was  at  one  time  presi- 
dent of  the  school  board,  lie  also  served  sev- 
eral terms  as  alderman.  On  December  23, 
L867,  he  married  Miss  Blanche  Keating,  of 
Rockbridge.    Greene    county,    who    with     four 


££^?, 


u 


a^y-i^ 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    (OIVI'Y 


653 


children:  Captain  David  Davis,  of  Litchfield; 
Lieutenanl  Edward  Davis,  Eleventh  Cavalry, 
United  States  Amu  ;  Miss  Etegina  Davis,  and 
Mrs.  Blanche  Crabb,  of  Litchfield,  survive  him. 
Mr.  Davis  died  in  April.  1898,  the  evening  be- 
fore In-  sons  were  to  Leave  for  the  front  in  the 
Spanish-American  war. 

David  Davis,  the  father  oi  the  above,  was 
born  near  Genoa,  Italy,  of  Welsh  parents,  in 
1785,  and  a1  the  age  of  fourteen  years  came  to 
the  United  States.  In  thecityof  NewYork  he 
[earned  the  baker's  trade  and  came  west,  locat- 
ing in  St.  Louis  when  it  was  nothing  more  than 
a  typical  French  village.  He  served  for  five 
years  in  the  regular  army,  during  which  time 
hr  participated  in  the  war  of  1812.  In  the 
battle  of  Queenstown  he  was  wounded  by  a  saber 
and  was  taken  prisoner  and  as  such  was  taken 
to  Boston,  where  he  endured  all  of  the  hard- 
ships of  war.  At  the  close  of  the  war  lie  re- 
turned to  St.  Louis,  where  he  resided  until  about 
1837,  when  he  moved  to  Madison  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  engaged  in  farming.  In  1856,  two 
years  after  the  establishment  of  the  town,  he 
moved  to  Litchfield,  and  for  years  was  engaged 
in  business  with  his  son.  He  died  in  1872,  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years,  re- 
spected by  all  who  knew  him. 

The  present  David  Davis  was  horn  in  Litch- 
field. September  1'.'.  1868,  and  was  reared  and 
educated  here.  At  an  early  age  lie  accepted  a 
position  in  the  bank  with  which  his  father  was 
associated,  remaining  there  until  he  became 
connected  with  the  Litchfield  Gas  &  Electric 
Company,  of  which  he  is  secretary  and  man- 
ager, lie  is  also  largely  interested  in  the 
Reach  &  Lang  Milling  Company,  and  in  the 
Illinois    Brick   &    Tile   Company.     He   is   also 

chairman  of  the  committe i  industries  of  the 

Litchfield  Hoard  .if  Trade,  and  to  his  untiring 
efforts  is  ilue  the  location  of  the  Litchfield 
plant  of  the  American  Radiator  Company,  an 
institution  which  has  done  much  to  lift  Litch- 
field from  a  state  of  great  financial  depression. 
Mr.  Davis  is  a  tireless  worker,  making  the  in- 
terests of  Litchfield  his  own.  and  depending  en- 
tirely for  Ins  own  success  upon  the  success  of 
his  home  cil  \ . 

lie  served  during  the  Spanish-American  war 
as  captain  of  Company  K.  Fourth   Illinois  Vol- 


unteer Infantry.  He  has  just  completed  a 
term  as  commander  of  United  Spanish  War 
Veterans,  Department  of  Illinois.  He  is  well 
known  throughout  the  state  in  electric  circles, 
as  well  as  others  where  his  extensive  business 
engagements  have  given  him  a  wide  acquain- 
tance, lie  was  married  February  11.  1893,  to 
Miss  Estella  Beach,  daughter  of  Henry  H. 
Beach,  one  of  the  early  citizens  and  manufac- 
turers, of  Litchfield,  who  is  now  a  resident  of 
(  'anon  ( 'it  v.  ( 'olorado. 

His  brother,  Lieutenant  Edward  Davis,  of 
the  Eleventh  Cavalry,  United  States  Army,  was 
also  reared  and  educated  hen',  graduating  from 
tin1  Litchfield  high  school  in  1891,  and  from 
Cornell  University  four  years  later.  lie  then 
studied  law  and  began  its  practice  in  Chicago. 
lb'  went  to  the  Spanish-American  war  as  sec- 
ond  lieutenant  of  Company  A,  First  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  saw  service  in  the  cam- 
paign at  Santiago.  At  the  close  of  the  war 
he  enlisted  in  the  Thirty-third  United  States 
Volunteers  with  the  rank  of  captain,  and  served 
for  almost  two  years  in  the  Philippines.  At 
the  expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment  he 
joined  the  Eleventh  cavalry  with  the  rank'  of 
firsi    lieutenant. 


JOSEPH   SPTXNER. 


Among  the  resident  farmers  of  East  Fork 
township  is  numbered  Joseph  Spinner,  who 
was  horn  in  Clinton  county.  Illinois,  in  1868, 
and  is  a  son  of  George  ami  Ernestine  (Huber) 
Spinner,  of  whom  mention  is  made  on  another 
page  of  this  volume,  lie  was  reareclin  East 
Fork  township,  where  he  also  attended  school. 

g\ g  a   lair  practical  English  education.   In 

hi-  youth  be  assisted  in  the  labors  of  the  home 
farm  and  when  twenty-five  wars  of  age  he 
started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account  by  as- 
suming the  management  of  the  home  place. 
lie  has  made  many  excellent  im  pro\  ements 
here  and  now  has  a  property  which  is  neat 
and  thrifty  in  appearance,  a  glance  indicat- 
ing to  the  passerby  the  careful  supervision  of 
the  owner.  Mr.  Spinner  has  eighty-five  acres 
of  land  in  East  Fork  township  and  he  also 
owns  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  Fillmore 


65  I 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


township.  Ik-  has  been  very  successful  while 
farming  here,  raising  both  grain  and  stock, 
and  each  branch  of  his  business  returns  to 
him  a  desirable  income.  He  has  also  made 
excellent  improvements  upon  the  farm  in 
Fillmore  township  and  both  properties  are 
valuable. 

Mr.  Spinner  was  married  April  11,  1893. 
by  Rev.  Father  Storp,  at  St.  Louis'  Catholic 
church,  Xokomis.  to  .Miss  Lena  Huber,  a 
daughter  of  Andrew  Huber,  of  Witt  township, 
and  they  now  have  three  living  children: 
Minnie,  Genevieve  and  George.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Spinner  are  communicants  of  St.  Agnes'  Cath- 
olic church  in  Hillsboro  and  he  is  a  Democral 
in  his  political  affiliations.  He  is  connected 
with  the  Equitable  Life  Insurance  Company. 
Almost  his  entire  life  has  been  passed  in  East 
Fork  township,  so  that  he  has  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance and  Ins  many  excellent  traits  of 
character  have  made  the  opinion  in  which  he 
is  uniformly  held  a    favorable  one. 


GEORGE   ELLIS  OLLER. 

George  Ellis  Oiler,  eldest  son  of  his  parents. 
Judge  Amos  Odor  and  Ida  E.  Oiler,  was  horn 
October  22,  1879,  at  the  residence  of  hi- 
grandparents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sam  Huddleston, 
nine  miles  south  of  Carlinville,  Macoupin 
county.  Illinois,  lie  lias  been  noted  all  his 
Life  for  his  physical  and  intellectual  strength, 
happy  disposition  and  devotion  to  his  parents, 
grandparents,  brothers  and  sisters,  and  for  be- 
ing one  of  the  best  workers  wherever  em- 
ployed, either  in  school  or  on  the  farm,  fac- 
tory or  office  of  any  of  bis  co-laborers.  As 
-nun  a-  vacation  commenced  every  season  dur- 
ing his  scl I  days,  from  the  time  he  was  old 

enough  to  attend  school,  hi'  speni  his  holidays 
on  the  farm  with  his  grandparents  or  in  some 
of  the  factories  of  the  city,  earning  his  own 
spending  money,  and  when  thirteen  years  old 
In-  grandmother  made  him  foreman  of  her 
large  stock  and  grain  farm,  consisting  of  over 
a.  sect  ion  of  land. 

At  the  age  of  fifteen  lie  had  hauled  off  and 
marketed  aboul  a  thousand  bushels  of  wheat. 
collected    the  money   for  liis  grandmother,  but 


H  was  after  hanking  hours,  and,  having  some 
errands  to  attend  to  in  the  city,  he  sent  his 
teams  out  with  the  other  hands  and  was  m- 
tending  to  drive  out  in  the  buggy  after  some 
neees-an  repair.-  had  been  made  thereon. 
which  detained  him  until  after  dark,  lie  no- 
ticed a  couple  of  suspicions  characters  watch- 
ing him  while  he  was  paying  the  blacksmith  for 
the  work,  which  necessitated  him  showing  the 
large  roll  of  bills  he  carried  in  In.-  pocket. 
Becoming  alarmed,  but  never  the  least  fright- 
ened, he  went  and  bought  a  Smith  &  Wesson 
revolver,  loaded  it  ami  started  home,  and  while 
passing  through  a  dark  and  lonely  spot  in  Ma- 
coupin creek  bottom,  a  mile  south  of  Carlin- 
ville, he  was  stopped  by  two  men,  one  catch- 
ing hold  of  the  horse's  reins  and  the  other  pre- 
senting a  pistol  toward  him.  telling  him  to 
throw  up  his  hands,  hut  he  had  been  taught 
to  always  carry  his  weapon  in  his  hand  when 
expecting  danger,  lie  was  a  crack  snapshot 
and  (pucker  than  a  Hash  he  had  tired  twice, 
each  shot  taking  effect  on  the  bandits.  The 
horse,  a  high-blooded  animal,  made  a  lunge, 
jerked  from  the  one  holding  it  and  started 
down  the  road  at  lull  speed.  He  drove  heme. 
delivered  the  money  to  bis  grandmother,  said 
nothing  about  what  had  happened,  for  fear  it 
might  frighten  her.  hut  drove  to  Litchfield 
immediately,  a  distance  of  twelve  miles,  to 
inform  bis  father  of  what  had  transpired.  His 
father  secured  the  services  of  a  noted  character, 
whom  he  had  once  defended,  to  go  to  Carlin- 
ville and  sei'  if  be  could  learn  from  any  of  his 
pals  the  result  id'  the  shots,  and  afterward 
learned  that  each  of  the  robbers  had  been  se- 
riously but  not  fatally  wounded  and  had  been 
taken  to  a  private  hospital  at  St.  Louis  for 
treatment,  but  he  could  never  find  out  the 
identity  of  the  parties.  That  his  old  client 
would  never  reveal. 

Mr.  Oiler  graduated  from  the  Litchfield 
high  -el I  in  tin'  class  of  1899,  and  soon  there- 
after passed  a  civil  service  examination  and  ac- 
cepted an  appointment  under  (he  Hon.  Thomas 
M.  Jett,  member  of  congress,  in  the  census 
bureau,  where  he  has  continued  to  be  promoted 
from  time  to  time  until  he  is  now  section  chief, 
and  for  the  past  season  has  been  assigned  to 
special  work  for  the  department  in  Iowa,  Ne- 


GEORGE    E.    OLLER 


PAST    AXD    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


657 


braska  and  South  Dakota.  While  in  Washing- 
ton he  lias  worked  sixteen  hours  a  day.  eighl 
of  which  he  lias  devoted  to  his  duties  in  the 
office  and  eight  attending  tin1  Georgetown  Law 
University,  where  lie  has  attended  two  years, 
passing  high  grade  examination,  and  will  com- 
plete the  course  next  spring. 

Mr.  Oiler  lias  no  bad  habits,  and  says  that 
in  public  life  he  lias  been  brought  in  con- 
tact with  all  classes  of  people,  but  never  Eound 
it  necessary  to  drink  in  order  to  associate  with 
his  chums.  All  persons  acquainted  with  Mr. 
Oiler  predict  for  him  a  glorious  future. 


ROBERT    P.    BARNARD. 

Robert  P.  Barnard,  classed  with  the  diligent 
and  thrifty  fanners  of  Nokomis  township. 
was  horn  in  Livonia.  Livingston  county.  New 
York,  September  II.  1858.  His  father.  Ron- 
ton Barnard,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Empire 
state  and  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  John 
Alden  and  Priseilla  Mullen-,  who  came  to 
America  in  the  Mayflower  and  whose  romantic 
history  has  formed  the  basis  of  many  an  in- 
teresting tale.  Others  of  his  ancestors  were 
numbered  among  the  heroes  of  the  Revolution- 
ary war.  who  fought  for  independence  and 
Roperl  P.  Barnard  is  therefore  eligible  to 
membership  in  the  Sons  of  the  American 
Revolution.  Benton  Barnard  married  Lillis 
P.  Smaller  and  on  removing  to  Illinois  in 
1879  settled  in  Montgomery  county,  where  he 
purchased  a  farm  March  2,  1868.  One  of  his 
sons  had  already  come  to  this  state.  He  and 
his  wife  died  upon  the  farm  which  is  now  the 
home  of  their  son.  Robert,  the  father  passirjg 
away  on  October,  19,  1885,  and  the  mother  on 
the  10th  of  November,  1896,  hut  their  remains 
were  taken  hack  to  Livonia.  New  York,  for 
interment.  There  were  five  children  in  the 
family:  Melvin  Monroe,  who  married  Emma 
Smalley,  of  Bunker  Hill.  Illinois,  is  n<>\\  a 
farmer  of  Caldwell,  Kansas.  Solorj  Smalley 
died  and  was  buried  at  Livonia.  New  York. 
Lillis  J.  is  the  wife  of  George  Hoppough,  of 
Livingston  county.  New  York.  One  son  died 
in  infancy. 

Bohert    P.    Barnard,    the   youngest,   was    af- 


forded excellent  educational  privileges,  at- 
tending the  Genesee  Wesleyan  Seminary  of 
Lima.  New  York,  and  completing  a  course  in 
a  business  college  at  Lima  by  graduation.  He 
afterward  spent  a  year  here  ami  then  went  to 
Kansas  and  later  to  Oklahoma,  where  he  en- 
tered into  the  stock  business,  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  two  years.  He  purchased  five  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  at  that  time  and  has  since 
added  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  to  his  pos- 
sessions, which  he  still  owns,  lie  has  carried 
on  farming  on  his  present,  place  since  Decem- 
ber 17,  1879,  and  is  largely  devoting  his  farm 
in  Kansas  to  the  raising  of  wheat,  securing  ex- 
cellent crops  annually,  so  that  lie  derives  a 
good  income  therefrom.  He  is  very  progres- 
sive in  his  methods,  using  the  latest  improved 
machinery  and  carries  forward  his  work  along 
modern  business  lines  that  indicate  his  fore- 
sight and  enterprise  and  have  led  to  his  suc- 
cess. At  the  present  writing  Mr.  Barnard  is 
filling  the  position  of  secretary  and  general 
manager  of  the  Peoples  Mutual  Telephone 
Company,  with  lines  extending  into  Christian, 
Fayette.  Bond.  Madison  and  Macoupin  coun- 
ties, with  head  office  in  Hillsbcro,  Montgomery 
county,   Illinois. 

On  the  7th  of  April,  1891,  Mr.  Barnard 
was  married  to  Miss  Adelaide  1'.  Hamlin,  a 
daughter  of  Palmer  and  Jennie  (Squire) 
Hamlin,  the  former  a  native  of  New  York 
and  the  latter  of  England.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bar- 
nard are  the  parents  of  three  children,  but 
Virgie.  the  second,  born  September  26,  1893, 
is  the  only  one  now  living.  Leon,  horn 
August  15,  1892,  died  on  the  '.'1st  of  October, 
of  the  same  year  and  was  buried  in  Nokomis 
cemetery.  Robert  Parker,  born  January  17, 
1902.  died  nn  the  20th  of  the  same  month. 
In  his  political  views  Mr.  Barnard  is  a  Re- 
publican without  political  ambition,  yet  hav- 
ing a  citizen's  true  interest  in  the  success  of 
his  party,  because  he  believes  that  its  plat- 
form contains  the  best  elements  of  good  gov- 
ernment. He  holds  membership  with  the 
Mutual  Protective  League  and  also  with  the 
Methodist  church  and  his  career  has  not  only 
been  a  successful  one,  but  has  also  been  char- 
acterized by  the  commendable  qualities  which 
everywhere    command    respect    and    confidence. 


658 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


BENRY    P.   KASTIEN. 

Henry  P.  Kastien,  who  for  eighteen  years 
has  been  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Earvel, 
has  made  his  home  in  Montgomery  county  since 
the  spring  of  1883,  but  his  residence  in  Illi- 
nois dates  from  1865,  at    which   ti he  took 

up  his  abode  in  Madison  county,  so  that  he 
has  long  been  familiar  with  this  portion  of  the 
state,  lie  is  a  native  of  Germany,  where  his 
birth  occurred  September  13, 1849.  His  lather. 
Frank  ,1.  Kastien,  also  born  in  that  country, 
was  married  there  to  Louisa  Sehreve,  a  native 
of  Germany.  They  became  the  parents  of  four 
sons  anil  four  daughters,  who  readied  mature 
years,  anil  three  sons  and  four  daughters  are 
yet  living.  The  second  oldesi  son  came  to  the 
new  world,  Locating  first  in  St.  Louis.  The 
father  -pent  his  last  years  in  Madison  county. 
Illinois,  where  he  died  in  1901  at  the  age  of 
eighty-seven  years,  while  his  wife  passed  awa\ 
in  187  4  at.  the  age  of  sixty  years. 

Henry  P.  Kastien  spent  the  firs!  seven  years 
of  his  life  in  his  native  country.  He  had  but 
a  short  course  at  a  private  German  school  in 
St.  Louis,  he  is  largely  a  self-educated  as  well 
as  self-made  man.  lie  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
the  new  world  in  1855,  arriving  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  on  the  31st  of  December  of  that  year 
Subsequently  he  went  to  Madison  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  began  work  as  a  farm  hand,  con- 
tinuing his  residence  in  that  locality  until  1883, 
when  he  came  to  Rountree  township,  Montgom- 
ery county.  Here  he  continued  to  engage  in 
agricultural  pursuits  for  four  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  purchased  a  mercantile 
establishment    in    Earvel,  containing   a   line  of 

dr\    g Is  ami   groceries.     This  he  afterward 

traded  for  a  stock  of  hardware,  and  is  now 
engaged  in  the  hardware  and  implement  Imsi- 
ness,  in  which  he  has  built  up  a  good  trade. 
which  is  constantly  increasing.  lie  is  well 
Known  in  Earvel  and  the  surrounding  com- 
munity, is  thoroughly  identified  with  its  pro- 
gressive interests,  and  in  his  business  career 
displays  the  sterling  traits  which  command 
confidence  and  respect. 

Mr.  Kastien  was  married  in  Madison  county, 
Illinois.  July  s.  Is;  i.  to  Miss  Emma  Krums- 
sik.  who  was  horn  in  Madison  countv.  Illinois. 


and  is  of  German  lineage  They  have  three 
children:  Delia,  the  wife  of  E.  W.  Bockewitz, 
of  Earvel;  Frank,  who  follows  the  painter's 
trade :  and  Celia,  at   home. 

Politically  Mr.  Kastien  is  independent  in  his 
rating  at  local  elections,  hut  where  national 
issues  are  involved  he  supports  the  Democratic 

party.      He    has    1 n    elected    and    served    as 

president  id'  the  village  board,  has  also  been 
alderman  and  tax  collector,  and  for  four  con- 
secutive years  tilled  the  latter  office,  lie  be- 
longs to  Harvel  Lodge,  L  0.  0.  F..  in  which  he 
has  filled  all  the  offices  and  is  a  past  grand, 
and  is  likewise  u  member  of  the  Woodmen 
Lamp  at  Litchfield  and  the  Mutual  Protective 
League.  His  residence  in  Harvel  now  covers 
more  than  twenty  years,  during  which  time  lie 
has  made  here  a  good  home,  developed  an  ex- 
cellent husincss  and  won  an  honored  name. 


WILLIAM    S.    GRUBBS. 

William  S.  Grubbs.  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers id'  Montgomery  county,  dates  his  resi- 
dence in  this  locality  from  1858,  and  his  en- 
terprising efforts  as  a  general  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  have  made  him  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  the  community.  He  was 
horn  in  St.  Clair  county,  Illinois,  near  Belle- 
ville, on  the  25th  of  September,  1854,  and 
v.  hen  lour  year-  of  agi  was  brought  to  Mont- 
gomery county  by  his  parents.  Edwin  and 
Sarah  (McAdams)  Grubbs,  who  settled  upon 
the  farm  which  is  now  the  home  of  their  son 
William.  They  had  five  children,  and  after 
the  death  of  his  first  wife,  wdio  piassed  away 
in  1852,  the  father  was  again  married.  At  his 
death  the  county  lost  one  of  its  honored  pioneer 
settlers   and    leading    farmers. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  Wil- 
liam S.  Grubbs  was  reared.  Ee  attended  the 
public  schools,  his  time  occupied  by  his  text- 
books and  the  pleasures  of  the  playground, 
and  he  was  also  instructed  in  the  work  of  the 
fields,  becoming  familiar  with  every  labor  in- 
cident to  the  development  and  cultivation  of 
a  farm  from  (he  time  id'  early  spring  planting 
until  after  crops  were  harvested  in  late 
autumn.      He   remained   at    home  until   twenty- 


H.    P.    KAST1EN 


LIBRARY 
UNIV!  :  'NO!S 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF   MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


CGI 


four  years  of  age.  when  he  went  to  Colorado, 
where  he  remained  our  summer,  and  after  his 
return  he  rented  land  near  New  Corners  for 
two  years.  Ee  afterward  spent  one  year  in 
South  Litchfield,  and  one  year  in  Hillsboro, 
alter  which  lie  returned  to  the  old  homestead, 
where  he  has  since  remained,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  year  passed  in  Kansas,  lie  now  owns 
one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land  in  three 
tracts,  one  hundred  acres  being  in  the  home 
farm  on  section  9,  Billsboro  township,  about 
two  miles  west  of  the  county  seat  on  the  old 
Hillsboro  and  Litchfield  road.  Here  he  car- 
ries on  general  farming,  and  for  fourteen 
years  he  has  been  engaged  in  feeding  cattle 
and  hogs  for  the  market.  He  has  good  build- 
ings upon  his  place  and  his  carefully  directed 
labors  enabled  him  to  keep  everything  upon 
his  farm  in  good  condition.  lie  utilizes  the 
latest  improved  machinery  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  fields  and  the  care  of  the  crops  and 
his  energy  and  ambition  have  been  the  means 
of  bringing  to  him  very  creditable  and  grat- 
ifying success.  He  votes  with  the  Republican 
party,  with  firm  faith  in  its  principles,  but 
has  never  sought  office  as  a  reward  for  party 
fealty. 


LEOPOLD   SCHRATJT. 

Leopold  Schraut.  an  enterprising  business 
man  of  Hillsboro,  is  successfully  conducting 
a  meat  market  and  in  his  business  career  has 
demonstrated  what  it  is  possible  to  accom- 
plish through  energy,  enterprise  and  careful 
management,  for  he  started  out  in  life  empty 
banded  and  his  success,  therefore,  is  attributed 
entirely  to  his  own  efforts.  He  was  born  in 
Baden.  Germany,  in  1851,  a  son  of  Joseph 
Schraut,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
Leopold  Schraut  acquired  bis  education  in 
the  schools  of  bis  native  country  and  there 
learned  the  butchering  trade. 

In  1871  he  bade  adieu  to  friends  and  fam- 
ily and  sailed  for  the  new  world  that  he 
might  take  advantage  of  the  business  condi- 
tions in  America,  concerning  which  he  had 
beard  favorable  reports.  Locating  in  East  S't. 
Louis,  be  there  remained   for  twelve  vears  en- 


gaged m  the  butchering  business  and  he  also 
spent  some  time  in  the  employ  of  the  Clover 
Leal'  Railroad.  Removing  from  East  St.  Louis, 
he  took  up  Ins  abode  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis, 
where  he  conducted  a  meat  market  until  L881. 
In  1882  he  established  a  butchering  business 
at  Donnellson,  Illinois,  and  in  1893  came  to 
Hillsboro.  where  be  established  a  market  that 
be  has  since  conducted  with  gratifying  suc- 
cess. He  now  has  a  tine  establishment  and  a 
very  liberal  patronage  which  is  constantly 
growing.  At  one  time  be  was  proprietor  of 
three  shops,  one  in  Coffeen,  another  in  Don- 
nellson and  (he  third  in  Hillsboro.  His  busi- 
ness methods  will  bear  the  closest  scrutiny 
ami  investigation  and  his  reliable  dealing  has 
been  one  source  id'  his  prosperity.  He  now 
owns  a  pretty  home  south  of  town  and 
grounds  covering  seven   acres. 

In  L882  Mr.  Schraut  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Frances  Windhalt,  a  daughter 
of  Fred. 'rick  and  Jerusha  (Stanley)  Wind- 
halt,  the  former  a  farmer  by  occupation.  Mrs. 
Schraut  was  born  near  Coffeen  in  1864  and 
by  this  marriage  there  an-  (hive  children: 
Charles.  Annie  and  Lena.  Mr.  Schraut  be- 
longs tii  the  Catholic  church,  while  his  wife 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  Masonic  lodge,  the  Court  of  Honor  and 
the  Mutual  Protective  League.  His  study  of 
the  political  issue  and  questions  which  affect 
America's  welfare  has  led  him  to  give  his  al- 
legiance to  the  Democracy.  He  has  never  bad 
occasion  to  regret  bis  determination  to  seek  a 
home  in  America  for  he  found  that  the  re- 
ports of  business  conditions  were  not  exagger- 
ated and  that  the  new  world  offered  excellent 
opportunity  to  the  young  men  id'  determina- 
tion   and    resolute    purpose. 


LOUIS  SPINNEE. 
Louis  Spinner  is  one  of  the  younger  farm- 
ers of  East  Fork  township,  but  his  years  do 
not  seem  any  bar  to  his  ability  and  in  carry- 
ing on  agricultural  pursuits  he  has  gained 
very  gratifying  success.  He  was  born  in  East 
Fork    township.    October    27.    1S7.T.    and    is    a 


662 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


son  of  George  and  Ernestine  (Huber)  Spin- 
ner, who  are  represented  on  another  page  of 
this  volume.  In  that  township  he  was  reared 
and  attended  school.  Be  started  out  in  life 
for  himself  when  twenty-five  years  of  age,  up 
to  which  time  he  assisted  in  the  development 
of  the  home  farm,  as  did  his  brother.  In  his 
business  career  he  lias  been  successful  because 
of  his  perseverance  and  earnest  labor.  He  has 
eighty  acres  in  the  old  homestead  and  lie 
raises  both  grain  and  stock.  His  father  made 
all  of  the  improvements  upon  the  place,  save 
in  the  fall  of  1904  Mr.  Spinner  erected  a 
good  residence  upon  the  place. 

In  1900  at  St.  Louis"  Catholic  church  in  No- 
komis,  Mr.  Spinner  was  married  by  Rev.  C. 
Johannes,  to  Miss  Paulina  Mast,  a  daughter 
of  Charles  Mast,  of  Witt  township,  and  they 
have  two  children:  Cyril  Francis  and  Ma- 
tilda Frances.  The  parents  are  members  of 
St.  Agnes'  Catholic  church  at  Hillsboro.  and 
Mr.  Spinner  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political 
views.  lie  served  as  collector  in  1901  and 
1903,  1  >ii t  has  never  been  active  as  a  politician 
in  the  sense  of  office  seeking.  Me  has.  how- 
ever, been  deeply  interested  in  Hie  success  of 
his  party  and  for  several  years  he  has  been 
elected  by  a  large  majority  to  the  position  of 
school  trustee.  Fraternally  he  is  connected 
with  the  Modern  Woodmen  camp  and  with 
the  Equitable  Fife  Insurance  Company.  He 
has  always  lived  in  Montgomery  county,  is 
well  known  to  its  settlers,  especially  in  East 
Fork  town-hip,  and  in  his  life  has  displayed 
man;  strong  characteristics  that  have  ren- 
dered him  popular  with  his  many  friends. 


WILLIAM   ('.  GOODIN. 

William  C.  Goodin,  whose  record  for  fidel- 
ity ami  capable  service  as  chief  of  police  of 
Litchfield  is  unsurpassed,  received  substantia] 
evidence  of  the  trust  reposed  in  him  when  at 
his  re-election  he  was  given  the  largesl  vote 
that  has  ever  been  east  for  any  incumbent  of 
that  office.  He  was  born  in  Bond  county.  Illi- 
nois. July  3,  1866.  His  father,  Charles  M. 
Goodin,  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  was  of 
Irish   lineage,   his   parents    having    emigrated 


from  Ireland  at  an  early  day  and  established 
their  home  in  Ohio.  Charles  M.  Goodin  re- 
mained in  the  Buckeye  state  until  1857,  when 
he  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Bond  county 
upon  a  farm  which  he  cultivated  and  improved 
until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war.  He  then 
enlisted  in  the  Third  Illinois  Cavalry  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  D,  being  enrolled  at  Green- 
ville for  three  years'  service.  He  took  part 
in  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge  and  other  en- 
gagements and  never  faltered  in  his  allegiance 
to  the  nation's  starry  banner  and  the  cause  it 
represented.  When  the  war  was  over  he  be- 
gan taking  contracts  for  public  work  in  Louis- 
iana and  Mississippi,  building  levees  along  th» 
Father  of  Waters  from  St.  Louis  to  Louisiana. 
Later  he  engaged  in  the  dairy  business  at 
Greenville  and  there  his  death  occurred  on  the 
17th  of  March.  1894,  when  he  was  sixty-four 
years  of  age.  Be  was  a  member  of  the  Green- 
ville I'ost.  O.  A.  l«.  His  political  allegiance 
was  given  to  the  Democracy  until  the  outbreak 
of  the  war.  when,  being  a  great  admirer  of 
John  A.Logan,  he  voted  with  him  ami  became 
a  Republican,  remaining  a  stanch  advocate 
of  the  principles  of  the  party  until  his  demise. 
His  funeral  was  one  of  the  most  largely  at- 
tended in  Greenville  in  many  years,  a  fad 
which  indicated  his  personal  popularity  and 
the  high  regard  in  which  he  was  uniformly 
held.  He  was  married  in  early  manhood  to 
Miss  Mary  E.  Gillespie,  who  was  horn  in  Bond 
county,  Illinois,  and  is  now  living  with  her 
son,  William  ('..  in  Litchfield,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-seven  years.  Her  father  was  James  E. 
Gillespie,  a  farmer  and  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Bond  county,  who  served  as  the  first 
constable  there.  Mrs.  Goodin  in  her  younger 
days  wa-  a  school  teacher  in  Bond  county  and 
took-  a  ureal  interest  in  her  work.  She  has 
Hen  a  lifelong  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal  church  ami  a  most  earnest  and  consist- 
i  el  Christian  woman.  By  Inn-  marriage  she  be- 
came the  mother  of  six  children:  Jeanette, 
John,  Ella  ami  lee.  all  of  whom  have  passed 
away;  William  O. :  and  Maggie,  the  wife  of 
Jonah   Dodson,  of  Mayfield,  Kentucky. 

William  ('.  Goodin  acquired  his  education 
partly  in  Tennessee  and  partly  in  Greenville. 
Illinois.    After  leaving  school  he  wa-  employed 


W.    ('.    (iOoDIX 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


665 


for  two  years  on  a  farm  and  in  L885  he  eame 
to  Litchfield,  where  lie  [earned  the  blacksmith's 
trade,  following  that  pursuit  for  seventeen 
years  in  the  employ  of  the  Litchfield  Foundry 
&    Machine   Company.      He  afterward    worked 

for  a  year  for  the  C leaul  &  Pittsburg   Dock 

(' pany  a1  Conneaut,  <  >hio. 

Since  attaining  his  majority  Mr.  Goodin  has 

I n    an     advocate  of     Republican   principles, 

standi  in  his  support  of  the  party  and  its 
platform.  In  the  spring  of  1903  he  was  elect- 
ed chief  of  police  of  Litchfield  and  was  re- 
elected in  the  spring  of  1904.  He  lias  made 
a  clean  record  and  won  a  notable  reputation 
for  fearlessness  and  fidelity.  Because  of  his 
capable  service  he  is  a  menace  to  all  law- 
breakers, while  the  law-abiding  community 
has  the  utmost  confidence  and  trust   in  him. 

On  the  9th  of  January,  1901,  Mr.  Goodin 
was  married  to  Miss  Lottie  E.  Price,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Evan  and  Ann  Price,  the  former  a 
miner.  Mrs.  Goodin  was  burn  in  England  in 
1867.  Mr.  Goodin  holds  membership  with  the 
Catholic  church  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus 
and  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 
He  is  popular  in  Litchfield  among  all  classes 
and  has  a  large  circle  of  friends  who  esteem 
him  highly. 


ST.    FRANCIS    HOSPITAL. 

St.  Francis  Hospital  was  established  about 
1ST:.,  with  Sister  Freileline  as  the  sister  su- 
perior, the  mother  house  being  at  St.  Mauritz, 
Minster,  Germany.  There  were  twenty  sis- 
ters who  came  from  Germany  in  that  year,  leav- 
ing   that    country    on    account    of     religious 


troubles  there.  They  arrived  in  Litchfield  at 
il  e  tune  of  the  pastorate  of  Father  Michel,  who 
is  now  located  al  Alton.  Illinois,  and  they  be- 
gan their  work  in  a  little  frame  bouse  where 
they  continued  until  1889.  The  building  lots 
for  the  new  hospital  were  purchased  on  the 
L2th  of  April.  1889,  and  in  the  same  year  they 
in,, \mI  into  their  present  building,  which  is  a 
large  three-story,  brick  structure,  in  which  they 
are  treating  twenty  patients,  with  accommoda- 
tions for  thirty.  The  hospital  is  fitted  up  with 
all  modern  appliances  and  conveniences  for  the 
care  of  the  sick,  with  baths,  hotwater  heat, 
electric  lights  and  everything  to  facilitate  the 

work  of  caring  for  the  patients.     The  r is  are 

pleasant,  light  and  airy,  are  cool  in  summer 
and  warm  in  winter,  and  there  is  a  reading 
room  supplied  with  interesting  literature. 
There  is  a  beautiful  lawn  surrounding  the 
building,  which  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  ten 
thousand  dollars,  and  in  the  summer  of  1905 
I  here  will  be  an  addition  made,  costing  a  sim- 
ilar amount.  There  are  now  nine  sisters  in 
charge  and  the  sister  superior  is  Sister  Gerome, 
who  came  in  1900  from  St.  Francis.  Spring- 
field, while  Father  Unison  is  director.  Mother 
Pauler  is  mother  superior  of  the  whole  St. 
Fraud-  congregation  in  the  United  States  and 
in  Springfield  there  is  a  training  school  for  the 
sisters.  The  institution  first  had  a  struggle  for 
existence  but  it  is  now  on  a  substantial  basis 
and  it  is  the  only  hospital  in  this  section,  so 
that  patients  come  to  it  from  long  distances. 
The  new  building  was  dedicated  September  17. 
1891.  by  Rev.  L.  Huison,  director,  and  since 
thai  time  its  efficiency  has  been  continually  pro- 
moted and  the  work  has  I a  constantly  ex- 
tended. 


■ 

UNIVtKSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

mna 


JACOB    L.    TBAYLOR 


HISTORICAL 


By  JACOB  L  TRAYLOR 


INTRODUCTION 


"The  pleasant   hooks   that  silently   among 
Our  household    treasures   take    familial    places 

And  are  to  us  as  if  a  living  tongue 
Spake    from    the    printed    loaves    or    pictured 
faees." 


As  we  Look  upon  the  picture  of  the  past,  per- 
spective lengthens  the  lines  of  fact  until  they 
seem  lust  in  the  haze  of  traditions.  In  our 
preparation  of  the  presenl  volume  we  have  tried 
to  presenl  from  the  mass  of  materia]  at  hand 
onlv  the  credible.  Where  we  have  allowed  some 
interesting  anecdote  to  creep  in,  it  has  been 
done  but  to  illustrate  phases  of  character  that 
have  hail  to  iln  with  the  story  of  a  people.  It 
would  seem  an  easy  task  to  write  the  history 
of  some  particular  place  or  state,  especially  if 
appearance  in  time,  were  easily  determined,  vol 
wo  find  it  not  a  little  difficult  to  gather  proofs 
concerning  important  events  in  the  historj  of 
our  own  county.  It  is  much  easier  to  get  cor- 
rect biography  of  our  worthy  pioneers  than  to 
get  data  that  has  to  do  with  the  experiences 
of  those  brave  ami  noble  spirits.  Our  purpose, 
however,  is  in  assist  tin-  reader  in  bringing  him- 
self into  such  close  association  with  the  fathers 
that  we  may  he  able  to  share  his  joys,  his 
sorrows,  his  bounty  ami  his  privation.  The 
years  that  lill  up  the  gap  between  the  Then  and 
Now  we  shall  attempt  to  draw  aside  and  present 
I  ho  picture  which  shall  tell  the  story  of  a 
plain  people,  struggling  in  establish    for  them- 


selves and  for  their  children,  a  home  m  the 
wilderness.  In  other  words,  wo  hope  to  pre- 
serve In  other  generations  at  least  a  glance  into 
the  practical  life  of  the  fathers.  That  all 
those  who  came  to  settle  the  prairies  and  wood- 
lands of  Illinois  wore  model  characters,  we  shall 
mil  attempt  to  establish,  hut  that  quite  all  were 
men  ami  women  of  sturdy  habits  ami   unques- 

ii I  virtue,  is  matter  of  absolute  knowledge. 

Almost  a  century  has  gone  by  since  the  first 
settlers  rami'  from  Virginia,  Kentucky  ami  the 
Carolinas  to  plant  civilization  in  the  wilds  of 
what,  is  now  Montgomery  county.  That  these 
performed  well  their  part  in  laying  the  founda- 
tion nf  our  preseni  social,  political  and  moral 
conditions,  that  their  hopes  were  fully  realized. 
that  their  aspirations  have  long  since  realized 
their    fruition    furnishes    fur    our    picture    its 

-i  delicate  coloring  and  affords  to  us.  their 

children,  the  keener  appreciation  of  what  they 
have  done.  From  the  stately  and  palatial 
homes  that  cover  our  land  to-day  is  but  a  nar- 
row space  that  separates  between  the  settler's 
cabin  with  its  privations  and  the  former  with 
all  the  comforts  and  convenience  of  a  modern 
home.  Nowhere  in  the  annals  of  story  do  we 
lind  a  tale  so  pleasing,  so  full  nf  adventure  anil 
interest  as  is  1"  he  found  in  a  study  of  the 
experiences  nf  the  pioneers  in  American  life. 
The  men  and  I  he  women  who  braved  (he  wilder- 
ness "civ  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  self-imposed 
task'  nf  subduing  the  wild  woodlands  ami  (be 
broad  extending  prairies  into  safe  habitations 
fur  men.     The  wild  beasts  thai   prowled  about 


670 


PAST    AM)    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


the  settler's  cabin  and  made  night  hideous  with 
their  howlings,  the  treacherous  red  man.  who 
yel  lingered  in  the  forests,  doubtless  filled  with 
forebodings  the  settler  and  his  family.  While 
we  have  no  evidence  of  midnight  massacres. 
yei  the  story  of  their  atrocities  lingered  in  the 
minds  of  the  early  settlers.  We  know,  however, 
thai  the  Indian  children  often  soughi  the  play- 
grounds of  the  pioneer  schools  to  mingle  with 
the  boys  and  girls  of  that  early  day.  it  is  not 
surprising  to  us  that  the  red  man  yielded  the 
hunting  grounds  id'  Illinois  under  great  protest 
and  when  the  struggle  for  his  removal  beyond 
the  Mississippi  came  in  1832,  quite  a  number 
of  Montgomery  county's  pioneers  were  called 
upon  to  take  part  in  what  i-  known  as  Black 
Hawk's  war  id'  1832.  In  the  preparation  of 
this  work,  however,  it  is  not  our  province  to 


discuss  the  justice  of  the  removal  of  the  Sacs 
and  Fox  Indians  from  the  territory  of  Illi- 
nois. We  shall  content  ourselves  with  the  sim- 
ple narrative  without  embellishment  of  our 
earlier  inhabitants  as  we  find  it  told  in  the  sto- 
ries, legends  and  traditions,  extant  among  our 
people.     I  acknowledge  indebtedness  to  many  of 

our  older  citizens,  t"  I k-  and  papers  in  which 

they  have  left  records  of  their  experiences.  If 
this  volume  meets  the  approbation  of  the  chil- 
dren and  children's  children  of  those  who  strug- 
gled, ami  who-,,  triumph  is  told  in  these  pages, 
I  shall  feel  repaid  for  whatever  effort  has  been 
made  to  collect  some  of  the  more  interesting 
facts  concerning  the  fathers.     I   am. 

Very   truly  yours 

Jacob  L.  Traylor. 


ILLINOIS 


A  broad  and  fertile  plateau,  bounded  on  the 
west  by  the  Mississippi,  upon  the  south  by 
the  Ohio  and  the  oust  by  the  Wabash,  gives  us 
the  stato  of  Illinois.  Possibly  nowhere  in  the 
world  is  an  area  of  fertile  soil  of  such  extent. 
In  the  earlier  history  of  the  country  it  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  French  and  their 
occupation  of  it  is  evidence  that  they  con- 
sidered  it  of  greal    importance   in  the  building 

up  of  "New  France."     Fort  Chartres,  the  si 

impregnable  fortress  theri  known  in  the  western 
world,  was  built  by  France  thai  her  claim  to 
the  Illinois  countn  inigW  nol  be  disputed.  The 
earlier  settlements  of  Illinois  were  made  by  the 
French  at  Kaskaskia,  Prairie  Du  Rocher  and 
Cahokia.  Ii  was  here  thai  the}  remained  in 
undisputed  possess.on,  until  1759,  at  the  close 
of  the  French  ami  Indian  war,  when  by  the 
treaty  terminating  that  struggle,  it  came  into 
possi  ssion  of  England.  The  bitterness  of  the 
Indians  in  this  special  territory  toward  the  Eng- 
lish made  it  somewhat  difficull  to  establish  Eng- 
lish rule  over  the  different  Indian  tribes  of 
this  section.  The  passing  of  tin-  territory  from 
the  possession  of  the  French  to  that  of  the 
English  i-  marked  byafierce  and  bloody  strug- 
gle on  the  part  of  the  Indian  tribe,  who  were 
friends  of  the  former  ami  hitter  foes  of  the 
English.  One  of  the  mosl  persistent  and  stub- 
born resistance-  to  English  rule  was  made  by 
Pontiac,  possibly  the  greatest  Indian  leader  ever 
known  to  the  northwest.  Although  the  English 
held  this  territory  from  1763  until  the  close 
of  the  Revolutionary  war.  little  was  done  to 


colonize  it  or  to  take  advantage  of  the  greal 
opportunities  for  building  up  an  English  em- 
pire in  Illinois  territory.  The  French  popula- 
tion of  Illinois  villages  in  L763  was  about  2,000. 
There  were  also  about  five  hundred  slaves,  which 
latter  fact  establishes  the  point  that  Illinois, 
under  the  French,  was  slave  territory.  In  the 
autumn  of  1765  the  Forty-second  Highlanders, 
consisting  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  men 
under  Captain  Sterling,  arrived  at  Fort  Char- 
tres, and  on  the  loth  day  of  October,  lor  the 
first  time  within  the  limits  of  the  state  of 
Illinois,  thi'  Lillies  of  France  were  displaced 
by  the  Cross  of  St.  George.  The  early  French 
people  were  law-abiding,  simple  and  happy 
folks.  The  first  English  governor  of  Illinois 
was  Captain  Sterling,  who  lived  hut  three 
months  a  Iter  receiving  his  commission.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Major  Frazier,  who  in  turn  cave 
«a\  io  Colonel  Reed.  The  latter  made  him- 
self so  odious  to  the  inhabitants  by  his  op- 
pressive military  edicts  that  he  was  soon  dis- 
placed and  the  command  was  given  to  Colonel 
Wilkins.  who  established  a  court  of  justice  of 
seven  judges.  This  was  the  first  English  court 
ever  convened  in  Illinois,  and  held  its  lir-l  ses- 
sion at  Fort  Chartres,  December  9,  1  r68.  The 
proclamations  issued  by  George  III  clearh  -h<>» 
that  be  intended  to  divide  tin'  Illinois  country 
into  baronial  estates.  Private  ownership  to 
the  -od  was  forbidden,  and  had  it  nol  been  for 
the  Canadian  Frenchmen,  such  an  attempt  to 
establish  feudalism  mighl  have  been  successful 
in   Ibis  greal    northwestern   territory.     In   17T1 


672 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


the  British  parliamen!  passed  the  Quebec  bill. 

which  extended  'the  limits  of  Canada  so  as  to 
include  all  the  territory  north  of  the  Ohio 
river.  This  was  the  f i i .- 1  feudal  act  of  parlia- 
ment, to  which  the  colonists  took  offence.  The 
Virginia  colony,  which  claimed  the  territory 
north  of  the  olno.  took  exception  to  this  act  of 
intrusion  upon  territory  belonging  to  thai  col- 
ony. It  would  seem  that  at  the  dose  of  Wil- 
kins'  term  that  the  English  soldiery  were  with- 
drawn from  the  Illinois  country,  that  the  sweet- 
spirited  French  priest,  S't.  Ange,  returned  to 
take  charge  of  the  post  deserted  by  the  English 
conquerors.  Following  St.  Ange  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  settlement  comes  Rocheblave,  who 
was  in  command  of  the  Illinois  country  at  the 
time  of  the  conquest  by  George  Sogers  Clark. 
This  adventurous  spirit  was  a  native  of  Albe- 
marle county.  Virginia,  but  had  joined  the  Ken- 
tucky settlements  prior  to  October  17.  1777,  on 
which  date  we  find  him  arguing  before  Pat- 
rick Henry,  governor  of  Virginia,  for  a  com- 
mission to  invade  the  Illinois  country. 

After  several  interviews  Governor  Henry 
yielded  his  consent  to  the  plans  of  Colonel 
Rogers,  who  immediately  thereafter  set  about 
the  execution  of  them.  It  was  absolutely  neces- 
sary that  secrecy  as  to  the  purpose  of  lingers 
should  be  maintained,  and  covering  his  real 
purpose  by  rumors  that  his  expedition  was  to 
defend  the  Kentucky  settlemenl  against  the  at- 
tack of  the  Indians,  enabled  him  to  deceive  the 
English  who  might  have  thwarted  his  purposes 
by  strengthening  the  post  which  in  reality  he 
expected  to  capture.  Colonel  Clark's  expedi- 
tion embarked  at  Pittsburg,  and  after  an  une- 
ventful journey  down  the  Ohio,  they '•shot  the 
falls"  at  Louisville  and,  on  the  24th  of  .Tunc. 
landed  a  little  above  Fori  Massac  From  this 
point  he  marched  directly  across  the  country  to 
Kaskaskia.  It  was  on  the  evening  of  the  4th 
of  July  that  Clark  arrived  at  his  destination. 
The  complete  surprise  of  the  garrison  made  it 
a  bloodless  victory.  It  has  been  rumored  that 
the  surprise  was  nol  altogether  unpleasant  to 
the  French  inhabitants.  The  broad  humanity 
of  Colonel  Clark  was  shown  in  his  treatment  of 
this  people.  Seine  had  expected  to  be  driven 
from  their  homes,  to  be  plundered  of  their  prop- 
erty  and    to  bo  denied   the  rights  of  their  re- 


ligion, hut.  when  Clark  assured  them  that 
Americans  left  every  man  free  to  settle  bis  re- 
ligious matters  with  his  Cod.  a  shout  of  re- 
joicing went  up  from  the  assembled  multitude, 
and  when  Clark  further  told  them  that  France 
was  allied  to  the  new  government,  which  they 
sought  to  establish,  they  very  readily  promised 
allegiance.  Cabokia  and  all  the  adjacent  towns 
promptly  yielded  to  Clark's  authority,  and  the 
young  republic  became  firmly  established,  and 
on  the  soil  of  Illinois.  Clark's  conquesl  forever 
settled  the  destiny  of  Illinois.  The  tieat\  of 
Can.-.  1783,  all  rights  to  this  territory  was 
ceded  to  America.  The  general  assembly  of 
Virginia,  1778,  provided  a  temporary  govern- 
ment, and  in  1779  Illinois  became  a  comity  of 
Virginia,  styled  the  Illinois  county.  John 
Todd,  a  colonel  under  Clark',  administered  the 
affairs  of  government.  In  L782  Todd  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Timothy  Montbrun,  a  French  priest. 
From  this  time  until  the  occupation  by  St. 
Claire,  the  records  are  silent  and  we  are  led  to 
infer  that  the  priestTj  government  was  eminent- 
ly satisfactory,  both  to  the  state  of  Virginia 
and  to  the  people  of  Illinois  county.  The  first 
American  settlement  made  in  Illinois  was  made 
at  a  place  named  New  Design,  and  is  located  in 
tin'  present  county  of  Monroe.  Five  families, 
consisting  of  that  of  James  Moore.  Shadrack 
Bond,  James  Garrison,  Roberl  Kid  and  Larkin 
Rullaford,  made  tip  this  firsi  primitive  settle- 
ment. Kid  and  Rullaford  had  been  soldiers  in 
General  Clark's  army.  This  notable  settlement 
was  made  in  the  summer  of  1781.  Having 
crossed  the  Allegheny  mountains  from  their 
homes  in  Virginia,  they  embarked  from  Pitts- 
burg on  a  vessel  called  the  Ark.  and  on  reach- 
ing the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  river.no  little  dif- 
ficulty was  found  in  directing  their  crude  vessel 
up  the  current  of  the  Mississippi.  These  Vir- 
ginia settlers  had  no  sympathy  for  the  Indians 
and  in  consequence,  a  spirit  of  hostility  soon 
manifested  itself,  ami  it  became  necessary  to 
build  block  houses  for  protection.  In  1784  the 
stale  of  Virginia  ceded  all  her  rights  in  the 
northwest  country  to  the  general  government, 
thus  severing  her  connection  with  the  territory 
which  at  no  distant  day  should  lead  in  the  grand 
galaxy  of  states.  In  17'S.~>  lands  purchased  from 
the  Indians  were,  by  previous  act  of  congress, 


PAST    AM)    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMEEY    COUNTY 


G73 


to  be  surveyed  so  as  to  facilitate  settlements 
and  guarantee  to  the  purchaser  such  lands  as 
he  selected  and  paid  for.  it  was  at  this  time 
that  the  system  of  public  surveys  began.  One 
Thomas  Hutchins  mapped  out  the  territory 
along  the  Ohio  and  formulated  .1  basis  of  de- 
scription  that  obtains  in  every  farm  and  village 
lot  in  the  entire  northwest.  In  L781  Arthur  St. 
Claire,  a  venerable  Revolutionary  soldier,  re- 
ceived the  appointment  of  governor  of  all  the 
country  north  of  the  Ohio  river,  which  was 
designated  as  the  northwest  territory.  In  1790 
the  governor,  with  Winthrop  Sargent,  secre- 
tary of  the  territory,  organized  the  settled  por- 
tions of  the  Illinois  country  into  the  county  of 
St.  Claire.  In  1795  settlements  had  so  in- 
creased as  to  make  the  organization  of  a  new 
county  necessary  and  Randolph  county  was  laid 
out,  occupying  the  territory  south  of  an  east 
and  west  line  drawn  through  the  settlement  of 
New  Design  Erom  the  Mississippi  to  the  Wabash 
river,  all  territory  north  of  this  Line  was  Si. 
Claire  county,  all  south  of  this  line  was  Ran- 
dolph county.  In  1S09  Illinois  territory  was 
separated  from  the  Indiana  territory  ami  Ni- 
nian  Edwards  appointed  governor,  his  commis- 
Biou  bearing  dale  April  24,  1809.  The  seat 
of  government  was  fixed  at  Kaskaskia,  where  it 
remained  until  1820,  when  it  was  removed  to 
Vandalia.  By  act  of  congress  May,  1812,  the 
first  grade  government,  which  consisted  only 
nf  governor  and  judges,  gave  way  to  what  was 
known  as  the  second  grade  government.  Under 
tin'  first  grade  government  all  county  and  town 
officers  had  been  appointed  by  the  governor, 
hut  under  the  second  grade  government  these 
officers  were  to  he  elected  by  the  people,  hut  the 
right  of  suffrage  was  granted  only  to  tax  payers. 
The  counties  of  Madison,  Gallatin  and  John- 
son were  organized  at  this  time  and  an  election 
was  ordered  in  each  of  the  five  counties,  to 
elect  members  of  the  legislative  council,  seven 
representatives  and  one  delegate  to  congress. 
The  first  delegate  to  congress  elected  by  the 
people   was    Shadrack    Bond.     Illinois   was   in- 

d I    fortunate  during  the  period  of  its  early 

settlement  by  being  comparatively  free  from 
the  ravages  of  Indian  wars.  In  this  her  his- 
torv  is  unlike  that  of  Ohio  and  Indiana,  whose 
story  is  one  of  bloody  atrocities  on  the  pari  of 


the  red  men.  The  immunity  which  Illinois  en- 
joyed  we  must,  accredit  to  the  kindly  office  of 
the  French  priest,  whose  dominance  over  the 
savage  tribes  inhabiting  the  territory  was  al- 
most absolute.  Another  reason  existed  for 
the  protection  of  the  Illinois  settler,  be- 
ing further  away  from  Canada  than  Ohio 
and  Indiana.  British  gold  hail  not  been 
used  so  extensively  to  poison  the  minds 
of  the  Indians  against  the  settler.  It  had 
been  with  feelings  of  great  reluctance  that 
the  English  hail  given  up  the  region  of  the 
northwest  territory  that  borders  on  the  Great 
Lakes,  and  they  had  hopefully  looked  forward 
to  a.  time  when  they  mighl  again  come  into 
possession  of  that  very  desirable  territory.  Nor 
had  tin'  British  been  careful  to  preserve  the 
treaty  stipulations  between  America  and  Eng- 
land, ami  a  state  of  border  warfare  had  ex- 
isted from  1789  until  1812,  when  America  for 
this  and  other  causes  felt  compelled  to  issue  a 
second  declaration  of  war  against  Croat  Britain. 
The  history  of  this  war  does  not  effect  to  any 
great  extent  the  condition  of  the  Illinois  set- 
tler. The  part  played  by  the  Illinois  settlers 
in  the  war  of  1812  is  hardly  commendable  when 
reviewed  in  the  light  of  present  historical  fact. 
Unfortunately  Governor  Edwards  lean!  his  in- 
fluence to  the  destruction  of  the  French  settle- 
ments along  the  Illinois  river  and  accordingly 
with  a  small  force  of  Kentucky  and  Illinois 
rangers  under  command  of  General  Hopkins 
and  Governor  Edwards,  the  several  French  set- 
tlements along  the  Illinois,  including  thai  of 
Peoria,  were  destroyed.  The  French  inhabi- 
tants were  made  prisoners  and  transported 
down  the  Illinois  river  to  its  junction  with  the 
Mississippi,   where   these   luckless   people   were 

abandi I    by    their   heartless    captor-    on    the 

banks  of  the  Mississippi.  The  sufferings  of 
these  outcasts  have  been  (old  in  the  French 
story  I ks  ilail  contain  narratives  of  the  ex- 
periences of  the  French  in  the  wilds  of  America. 
Many  of  these  French  people  found  their  way 
hack'  to  their  old  home,  and  hen1  amid  the  ashes 
they  laid  the  foundations  anew  of  what  to  da\ 
is  the  second  city  in  point  of  population  and 
wealth  within  the  borders  of  our  great  State. 

Early  in  ISIS  the  territorial  legislature  pe- 
titioned congress  for  admission  into  the  Union, 


<;;  i 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


as  an  independent  state.  Our  delegate  at  that 
time,  Nathanial  Pope,  by  his  activity,  secured 
an  early  recognition  of  the  petition  and  in  De- 
cember of  that  year,  an  act  was  passed  by  which 
the  territory  of  Illinois  became  a  sovereign 
slate.  In  July,  1818,  a  convention  had  been 
called  at  Kaskaskia  to  draft  a  constitution. 
Jesse  B.  Thomas  was  president  and  William  C. 
Greenup  secretary,  and  the  following  are  the 
names  of  the  counties  then  in  existence  which 
were  represented  in  that  convention:  Ran- 
dolph, .Madison.  Gallatin,  Johnson,  Pope,  Jack- 
son. Crawford,  Bond,  Union,  Washington  and 
Franklin,  being  in  all.  at  the  time  of  the  ad- 
mission of  the  state  of  Illinois,  hut  eleven  or- 
ganized counties.  This  constitution  was  not 
submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people,  for  by  its 
provisions  judges,  prosecuting  attorneys,  county 
and  circuit  judges,  recorders  and  justices  of 
the  peace  were  all  appointed  by  the  governor 
or  tlie  legislature  instead  of  being  elected  by 
the  people.  In  September,  1818,  as  a  result 
of  the  lirst  election,  under  the  lirst  constitu- 
tion. Shadrack  Bond  was  elected  as  the  first 
governor  of  the  state  of  Illinois.  Pierre  Me- 
nard was  elected  lieutenant  governor  and  to- 
gether they  were  inaugurated  October  6.  1818. 
Idle  seat  of  government  was  removed  to  Van- 
dalia  in  1820,  and  one  among  the  lirst  acts  of 
the  legislature  was  to  create  the  Illinois  State 
Bank,  with  a  capital  of  half  a  million  dollars, 
based  on  the  credit  of  the  state.  In  1822 
Edward  Coles  succeeded  Bond  on  the  governor- 
ship and  it  was  in  (his  election  thai  a  contest 
over  the  question  of  slavery  was  finally  settled 
in  harmony  of  the  ordinance  of  1787.  The 
reader  will  remember  thai  this  ordinance,  pre- 
pared by  Jefferson,  prohibited  slavery  in  the 
entire  territory  of  the  northwest,  of  which 
Illinois  was  a  part.  However,  slavery  had  ex- 
isted in  Illinois  through  various  subterfuges 
until  after  the  election  of  Governor  Coles.  This 
able  and  uncompromising  advocate  of  freedom 
doubtless  preserved  to  Illinois  the  spirit  of  the 
ordinance  of  1787.  Those  who  advocated  slav- 
ery made  ,-i  determined  effort  to  have  the  con- 
stitution amended  so  as  to  provide  for  the 
institution  id'  slavery,  hut  in  the  election  which 
had  been  called  at  the  behest  of  the  slavery 
party,  the  pause  of  freedom  triumphed  in  a  vote 


of  six  thousand  six  hundred  and  forty  against 
that  of  four  thousand  nine  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-two in  favor  of  slavery.  To  (iovernor 
Coles  more  than  to  any  other  man  is  due  this 
signal  victory  which  placed  Illinois  for  all  time 
in  the  column  of  free  states.  When  General 
LaFayette  was  visiting  America  in  1825,  by  in- 
vitation, he  became  the  guest  of  (iovernor  Coles 
at  Vandalia.  This  signal  recognition  of  the 
Illinois  people  cemented  a  friendship  between 
the  French  ami  the  American  settler.  Xinian 
Edwards  was  elected  governor  to  succeed  Gov- 
ernor Coles,  ami  during  his  administration  of 
four  years  we  find  hut  little  that  would  interesl 
the  student  of  history,  save  that  the  finances 
of  the  state  \\ere  much  improved  during  his 
term.  John  Reynolds,  in  1830,  was  elected  gov- 
ernor, and  it  was  during  his  administration 
that  the  war  commonly  known  as  Black  Hawk's 
war  occurred.  The  Hawks  and  Fox  Indians 
had  occupied  the  territory  between  the  Rock 
and  Mississippi  rivers,  hut  by  treaty,  in  1804, 
had  ceded  these  lands  to  the  United  States. 
One  id'  the  provisions  of  the  treaty  allowed  the 
Indians  to  retain  their  land  until  they  should 
he  wanted  for  settlement,  hut  during  the  war 
of  1812  a  part  of  the  tribe,  under  Black  Hawk, 
had  allied  themselves  to  the  British,  while  Ke- 
okuk, the  principal   chief  of  the  tribe,  had   re- 

mai I     true    to    the    United    Stales.      Black 

Hawk's  village  was  on  the  tongue  of  hum  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Rock  river,  between  it  and 
the  Mississippi,  and  after  peace  had  been  de- 
clared, at  the  dose  of  the  war  of  1812,  amica- 
ble relations  existed  with  the  Indian,-  until 
1830,  when  Keokuk  made  a  final  cession  of  all 
the  lands  held  by  his  tribe  east  of  the  Mis-i<- 
-ippi  river.  Black  Hawk  opposed  this  cession 
and  used  all  his  powers  id'  oratory  to  pursuade 
tin'  different  tribes  from  Canada  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi to  aid  linn  in  resisting  the  removal  of 
the  Sauks  and  Foxes  to  the  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. During  the  winter  of  1830,  when  Black 
Hawk,  with  his  tribe,  were  on  a  hunting  expe- 
dition, the  pale  face-  took  possession  of  his  vil- 
lage and  even  the  fur  trader  at  Rock  Island. 
who  had  formerly  purchased  his  furs,  and 
whom  Black  Hawk  had  regarded  as  an  especial 
friend,  had  made  an  arrangement  by  which  he 
was  to  cultivate  the  corn  field  outlying  the  vil- 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


UYO 


lage.  A  compromise  was  made  by  which  the 
fields  were  to  be  divided  equally  between  the 
ueu  claimants  and  the  former  Indian  owners. 
This  truce  did  not  prevent  disputes  and  the 
trespassing  on  each  others'  rights  Led  to  a  me- 
morial signed  by  the  white  settlers,  selling 
forth  their  grievances  and  asking  for  the  re- 
moval or  their  Indian  neighbors.  Governor 
Reynolds,  in  the  spring  of  1831,  issued  a  call 
for  seven  hundred  volunteers  to  protect  the 
white  settlers  along  the  Rock  river.  To  the 
governor's  call  one  thousand  six  hundred  volun- 
teers promptly  responded,  and  under  General 
Caiues.  were  dispatched  to  the  scene  of  the 
trouble.  Black  Hawk  yielded  to  the  situation 
and  crossed  to  the  wesl  side  of  the  Mississippi 
river.  Ai  a  time  of  year  when  the  Indian 
should  have  planted  his  maize  that  in  the  com- 
ing winter  he  should  have  bread,  Black  Hawk, 
with  his  starving  followers,  was  camping  upon 
the  western  shores  of  the  Mississippi  river.  I  fere 
a  treaty  was  held  with  him  on  the  30th  of 
May  and.  under  its  terms,  he  gave  up  Ins  inten- 
tions of  returning  to  his  Illinois  home.  Ra- 
tions were  dealt  out  to  the  submissive  Indians 
and  the  volunteers  were  dismissed.  Early  in 
the  spring  of  the  following  year.  18:53,  Black 
Hawk,  in  an  evil  hour,  recrossed  the  Mississippi. 
under  pretense  of  paying  a  visit  to  his  Winne- 
bago friends  in  Wisconsin,  and  to  plant  corn 
in  their  country.  General  Atkinson,  then  in 
command  at  Fort  Armstrong,  sent  messengers 
after  him  to  warn  him  back,  hut  Black  Hawk 
paid  no  attention  to  these,  but  continued  on  his 
way  until  he  reached  Dixon's  ferry,  where  he 
established  his  camp.  During  bis  stay  at  this 
place.  Mrs.  Dixon  invited  Black  Hawk  to  dine 
with  her  I'amiK  and  Black  Hawk  afterward 
related  the  circumstance,  showing  that  he  felt 
complimented  by  the  attentions  paid  him  by 
this  noble  woman.  On  learning  of  Black 
Hawk's  return  to  Illinois.  Governor  Reynolds 
immediately  issued  a  call  for  volunteers,  and 
General  Whiteside,  with  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  men,  was  immediately  sent  after  the 
enemy.  Black  Hawk  had  in  the  meantime 
changed  his  encampment  to  the  banks  of  Syca- 
more creek,  a  tributary  of  "Rock-  river,  some 
fhirtv  miles  above  Dixon.  Two  days  after  the 
arrival  of  the  volunteers  at  Dixon,   under  Gen- 


eral Whitesides,  he  dispatched  Major  Stillman 
to  make  a  reeonno.sance  on  Black  Hawk's  camp. 
Black  Hawk  was  entertaining  his  Winnebago 
friends  at  a  dog  least  when  the  volunteers  ap- 
proached bis  camp  and  he  sent  a  party  of  six 
oin  to  meet  Major  Stillman  under  the  protec- 
tion of  a  while  flag,  'l'be  undisciplined  volun- 
teers fired  upon  the  little  party  of  Indians, 
killing  two  of  them  during  tin-  retreat.  Black 
Hawk,  justly  indignant  at  the  treatment  of  his 
commissioners,  raised  the  war-wiioop  and  re- 
pelled the  attack  with  his  accustomed  spirit. 
This  was  the  first  blood  drawn  in  tin  Black 
Hawk  war.  After  this  engagemenl  Black  Hawk 
immediately  broke  camp  ami  had  fled  north- 
ward, whither  was  not  known.  The  two  thou- 
sand four  hundred  men  who  had  volunteered  in 
(be  service  bad  now  seen  enough  Indian  light- 
ing to  satisfy  their  curiosity,  and  their  term 
of  service  having  nearly  expired,  thej  were  dis- 
charged. The  part  that  was  taken  by  volun- 
teers from  Montgomery  county  will  be  set  forth 
in  an  article  under  the  caption  of  the  Illinois 
Soldier  Boy.  It  is  sufficient  to  know  that  Black 
Hawk  was  defeated  and  the  Indian  power 
broken  through  the  efforts  of  General  Scott  of 
the  Federal  forces,  and  not  as  some  of  us  have 
been  led  to  believe,  by  the  earl-,  Illinois  set- 
tler. In  fact,  it  might  not  be  out  of  place  to 
remark'  that  the  settlers  in  the  Illinois  country 
had  nol  developed  a  penchant  for  fighting  In- 
dians. Black'  Hawk  was  made  prisoner  and 
sent  to  fortress  Monroe,  where  on  the  26th  of 
April.  1833,  he  was  discharged  from  further 
imprisonment  ami  returned  to  his  people. 
Nothing  worse  than  honorable  warfare  could  be 
charged  againsi  him.  The  large  cities  through 
which  he  passed  mi  route  to  his  new  homo 
poured  forth  much  of  its  population  to  see  this 
aged  Indian.  Tn  broken  English  amusing, 
earnest,  and  sometimes  ludicrous,  this  old  vet- 
eran of  the  forests  and  prairies  would  philoso- 
phize on  the  absurd  and  foolish  customs  of 
civilization,  lie  prophesied  that  the  white  man 
would  see  the  day  that  their  courts  of  justice 
and  their  prisons  would  he  insufficient  to  pro- 
tect tlu>  community  against  the  criminals  that 
civilization  would  develop.  Black  Hawk  died 
October  3,  1835,  at  his  home  on  the  Dot  Moines 
river,  near  the  present  village  of  Iowaville.      He 


676 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


was  buried  in  a  sitting  posture  and  a  large 
mound  of  earth  raised  above  him.  This  marks 
the  resting  place  of  him  who  may  with  pro- 
priety be  called  the  last  native  defender  of  the 
soil  of  Illinois.  Joseph  Duncan  was  elected 
governor  in  1834  ami.  under  his  administration, 
a  new  state  bank  was  chartered  with  a  capital 
of  one  million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
The  capital  stock  of  this  bank  was  afterward 
increased  to  two  million  dollars,  and  also  an 
assumption  of  the  stock  of  the  Shawneetown 
branch  of  this  bank,  to  the  amount  of  one  mil- 
lion dollars  more.  These  financial  schemes 
were  to  enable  the  state  to  make  certain  in- 
ternal improvements.  The  building  of  rail- 
roads, digging  of  canals  were  cherished  objects 
during  this  period  of  our  state  history.  To  di- 
vert the  trade  from  St.  Louis  to  Alton  was  a 
part  of  the  state  policy,  but, as  usually  happens. 
the  over  capitalization  of  the  banks  resulted  in 
a  suspension  of  specie  payments  and  panic  se- 
vere and  awful  swept  over  Illinois.  Nor  was 
the  financial  depression  confined  alone  to  the 
western  country,  for  it  is  a  matter  of  history 
that  the  whole  country  felt  the  depression  of 
1831  as  much,  and  in  some  instances  even  to 
a  greater  degree,  than  did  Illinois.  In  the 
autumn  of  1838  Thomas  Carlin  was  elected 
governor  and  the  state  was  casting  about  in 
every  direction  for  relief  from  the  financial  em- 
barrassments into  which  she  had  lately  been 
plunged.  Instead,  however,  of  retrenching  tax- 
ation by  abandoning  a  portion  of  the  public 
works  previously  undertaken,  in  order  to  secure 
the  completion  of  at  least  a  portion  of  them. 
the  legislature  very  unwisely  made  additional 
appropriations.  Among  these  fanciful  schemes 
we  note  that  the  governor  was  authorized  to 
negotiate  a  loan  of  four  million  dollars  to 
prosecute  the  work  on  the  Illinois  and  Michi- 
gan canal.  This,  with  other  foolish  expendi- 
tures, tended  to  destroy  public  confidence  in  the 
credit  of  the  state.  After  July.  1841,  the  state 
actually  made  no  further  efforts  to  pay  the  in- 
terest on  its  public  debt  and  the  state  hanks 
necessarily  went  into  bankruptcy.  The  public 
debt  of  Illinois  at  this  time  was  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  fourteen  million  dollars,  a  large 
sum  indeed  for  the  young  -date,  in  its  poverty 
of  both  means  and  credit,  to  attempt  to  floal 


tt  was  at  this  time  that  state  bonds  were  offered 
at  fourteen  cents  on  the  dollar  without  so  much 
as  finding  a,  buyer.  Thomas  Ford  was  elected 
governor  in  August.  1842,  and  not  only  the 
financial  embarrassment,  against  which  he  had 
to  contend,  but  a  disturbing  factor  in  the  .Mor- 
mons, who  had  settled  atNauvoo  in  1840,  made 
his  administration  one  of  much  responsibility 
and  care.  The  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal, 
during  his  administration,  was  'n\  act  of  con- 
gress  mortgaged  to  a  body  of  eastern  bond- 
holders for  a  sufficiency  of  money  to  complete 
it.  This  gave  relief  to  the  state  treasury  and 
work  on  the  canal  was  immediately  resumed, 
but  it  was  not  completed  until  April.  1848. 
It  was  during  this  administration  that  the  Mex- 
ican war  was  declared  and  the  first  regiment 
of  Illinois  volunteers  ever  enrolled  lor  field  serv- 
ice was  sent  to  tins  war.  and  in  passing,  wi  will 
remark  that  Montgomery  county's  quota  to  tin' 
Mexican  war  will  receive  especial  notice  in  the 
article  previously  referred  to.  In  June,  1847, 
a  convention  was  called  in  Springfield  for  the 
purpose  of  framing  a  new  constitution.  This 
convention  was  ratified  by  the  people  m  March, 
1848.  This  convention  concluded  its  labors 
in  August  of  that  year  and  the  new  con- 
stitution was  ratified  by  the  people  in 
March,  1848.  Previous  to  the  constitution 
id'  1848  there  bad  been  no  subdivisions  of 
counties  into  civil  townships,  and  conse- 
quently no  township  organization.  This  ma- 
chinery for  the  establishment  of  local  gov- 
ernment was  authorized  by  the  new  consti- 
tution and  was  perfected  in  1851,  according  to 
the  system  now  in  practice.  In  1852  Joe]  Mat- 
teson  was  elected  governor,  and  it  was  in  this 
election  thai  a  new  clement  in  polities  made  its 
appearance.  The  Abolition  party  presented  the 
name  of  Dexter  A.  Knowlton  as  a  candidate 
for  governor.  This  was  the  first  attempt  to 
recognize  that  party  politically  in  the  state. 
This  same  year,  however,  at  the  November 
election,  E.  P>.  Washburn  was  elected  to  con- 
gress, by  an  alliance  formed  between  the  old 
Whig  party  and  the  new  Anti-slavery  party.  A 
notable  event  during  Governor  Matteson's  ad- 
ministration was  a  state  law  for  the  support 
of  public  schools,  passed  on  the  15th  of  Febru- 
ary,  1855,  and  of  which  we  will  have  occasion 


PAST    AXD    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


677 


to  speak  later.  At  the  November  election  in 
1856  William  II.  Bissel]  was  elected  governor 
on  the  Republican  ticket.  His  administration 
was  a  strong  one  and  both  branches  of  the  legis- 
lature could  boast  of  men  of  exceptional  power 
and  prestige.  Jn  the  winter  of  1S58-9  a  United 
.States  senator  was  to  be  chosen  to  till  the  place 
of  Judge  Douglas5  expiring  term.  This  re- 
markable man  and  exponent  of  state  sovereignty 
felt  thai  his  re-election  as  a  vindication  of  his 
position  on  the  Kansas-Nebraska  bill  was  of  ab- 
solute necessity  at  this  time.  The  Republican 
party  meanwhile,  elated  at  the  rapid  rise  and 
growth  of  their  party,  felt  themselves  compe- 
tent to  contest  before  the  people  the  question  at 
issue  between  themselves  and  their  able  op- 
ponent. The  choice  of  the  Republicans  fell 
upon  Abraham  Lincoln  as  a  candidate  to  op- 
pose Judge  Douglas  for  the  senatorship.  That 
the  people  might  the  better  form  an  opinion  as 
to  the  question  at  issue,  it  was  arranged  that 
these  able  contestants  should  present  their 
views  in  joint  debate  before  the  people  of  the 
state.  Both  Lincoln  and  Douglas  were  cham- 
pions each  in  his  cause,  and   their  powers  upon 

the  -i p  could  scarcely  have  been  equalled  by 

any  other  two  representatives  of  their  parties 
to  he  found  in  the  United  States.  Judge  Doug- 
las won  the  election  by  a  small  majority  in  the 
legislature,  while  Mr.  Lincoln  hail  a  small  ma- 
jority of  the  voters,  hut  this  very  defeat  made 
him  the  idol  of  the  anti-slavi  rv  men  and  finally 
gave  him  the  presidency  of  the  republic.  In 
1860  the  national  Republican  convention  met 
at  Chicago,  and  on  the  third  ballot  at  this  con- 
vention Abraham  Lincoln  received  the  nomina- 
tion for  the  presidency,  and  Hannibal  Hamlin 
was  nominated  as  candidate  for  the  vice-presi- 
dency. The  results  of  the  election  in  the  au- 
tumn id'  Isiiil  were  favorable  to  the  Republic- 
ans, and  Abraham  Lincoln,  having  received  a 
majority  of  the  votes  in  the  electoral  college, was 
inaugurated  president  of  the  United  Stale-  mi 
the  -Ith  day  of  March,  1861.  Richard  Yates 
was  elected  governor  of  Illinois  at  the  November 
election,  and  on  the  1-lth  of  January.  1861,  was 
duly  inaugurated.  The  alarm  of  Civil  war  had 
sounded  throughout  the  south,  hut  not  until 
Fort  Sumter  was  fired  upon  did  these  alarms 
take  tangible  form.     That  a  crisis  was  at  hand 


the  nmst  conservative  of  our  statesmen  were 
compelled  to  acknowledge,  and  the  time  had 
come  when  men  measured  their  patriotism  by 
a  love  of  state  or  their  desire  in  perpetuate  the 
Union.  It  was  a  time  when  men  of  force  like 
Douglas,  Logan  and  other  Democrats  had  to 
choose  between  secession  and  the  preservation 
of  the  federal  Union.  Then  it  was  that  our 
Illinois  senator,  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  won  his 
greatest  glory  and  honored  his  state  by  a  hearty 
endorsement  of  the  policies  of  .Mr.  Lincoln.  Al- 
though he  soon  afterward  died,  he  had  sei  a 
noble  example  of  patriotism  and  magnanimity 
to  his  party,  which  undoubtedly  effected  the  is- 
sues of  the  war.  While  we  shall  in  another 
chapter  give  the  roster  of  the  Montgomery 
county  soldier  hoys  of  18(11,  it  is  wid)  here  to 
state  in  round  numbers  the  number  of  troops 
furnished  by  the  state  of  Illinois  during  the 
war  of  1861-5,  one  hundred  and  eighty-five 
thousand  nine  hundred  and  forty-one  infantry, 
thirty-two  thousand  eighty-two  cavalry  and  -ev- 
en thousand  two  hundred  and  seventy-two  ar- 
tillery, making  an  aggregate  of  two  hundred 
and  twenty-five  thousand  three  hundred  men 
of  all  arms  furnished  by  the  state  during  that 
war.  As  leaders  of  armies  in  the  field  or  as 
promoters  of  public  opinion  from  the  platform, 
there  is  doubtless  nn  state  that  leads  our  own 
in  the  worthy  characters  whose  names  are  writ- 
ten on  the  pages  of  American  history  in  letters 
of  enduring  fame  than  are  the  sons  of  Illinois. 
Lincoln,  Grant,  Douglas,  Logan.  Washburn 
and  a  host  of  others  who  appeared  at  this  im- 
mediate period  of  our  history  have  added  to  an 
already  large  list  of  pioneer  soldiers  and  states- 
men additional  luster  and  honor.  Richard  J. 
Oglesby  succeeded  Richard  Yates  in  the  govern- 
orship in  January.  1865,  and  it  was  in  the  fol- 
lowing April,  on  the  morning  of  the  "I  "Hi.  'hat 
news  came  of  I  he  assassinal  ion  of  Abraham  Lin- 
coln by  John  Wilkes  Booth,  at  Ford's  Theater, 

on  tl pening  before.      No  stale  in  the  Union 

felt  (lie  force  of  this  blow  so  keenly  as  did 
Illinois.  Lincoln  was  her  especial  pride,  her 
most  honored  son,  and  his  untimely  death  oc- 
casioned such  an  outburst  of  grief  as  had  not 
been  witnessed  before  mi  the  death  of  any  pub- 
lic man.  For  a.  while  all  manner  of  husiness 
was  laid    aside,   the  stores   were   closed    without 


6?8 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


public  order  to  do  so,  and  in  solemn  proces- 
sion, men  in  every  walk  of  Life  were  to  be  seen 
wending  their  way  to  their  several  places  oJ  re- 
ligious worship,  in  hold  memorial  service,  in 
honor  of  their  beloved  dead.  Jonn  M.  Palmer 
succeeded  to  the  governorship  of  Illinois  Jan- 
uary, 1869,  and  a  most  notable  event  of  his 
administration  was  the  constitutional  conven- 
tion, which  met  in  Springfield  in  December  "I 
that  year.  No  changes  had  been  made  in  the 
organic  Law  of  the  state  since  18  L8,  and  changed 
conditions  required  some  changes  in  the  con- 
stitution, and  accordingly,  a  new  constitution 
was  framed  and  submitted  to  the  people  for 
adoption  in  1870.  Special  Legislation,  reckless- 
ness on  the  part  of  the  state,  county  or  mu- 
nicipality to  incur  debt  was  forbidden  in  the 
new  law.  Restrictions  upon  the  power  of  the 
legislature  were  very  marked  and  provision 
for  the  representation  of  the  minority  in  every 
county  was  made  under  the  new  law.  We 
might  state  that  no  constitution  of  any  other 
state  embraces  so  many  inhibitions  and  none 
so  many  direct  mandates.  Richard  J.  Oglesby 
became  governor  again  in  1873,  hut  shortly 
afterward  resigned,  having  been  elected  to  the 
United  Slate-  senate,  John  L.  Beverage,  the 
lieutenant  governor,  succeeding  to  the  office  of 
governor  on  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Oglesby. 
The  administration  of  Mr.  Beverage  was  marked 
by  no  especial  feature  of  interest  and  he  was 
succeeded  January  8,  1877,  by  Shelby  M.  Cttl- 
lom.  During  the  administration  of  Mr.  Cul- 
lom  the  period  of  depression  in  finance,  which 
had  been  most  marked  since  1873,  culminated 
in  the  financial  panic  of  is;;.  To  the  student 
of  finance  it  is  not  a  long  way  to  discover  the 
underlying  causes  which  led  to  the  panic  of 
1877.  It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  treatise  to 
inquire  into  these  causes.  It  is  sufficient,  how- 
ever, to  note  that  extravagance  and  waste  is 
always  followed  by  a  period  oT  poverty  and 
want.  Further,  history  hears  us  out  in  estab- 
lishing an  analogy  in  the  affairs  of  man  to  the 
physical  law  of  action  and  reaction.  In  other 
words,  an  unparalleled  expenditure  of  human 
energy  and  force  has  always  been  followed  by  a 
period  of  lasitude  or  rest,  ami  il  is  the  opinion 
of  the  writer  that  these  recurring  periods  of 
prosperity  and  depression  are   in   obedience  to 


a  law  as  fixed  a.-  we  find  It  in  the  physical 
world.  When  we  have  emerged  from  these  pe- 
riods of  depress, ou.  we  ha\e  swung  to  financial 
heights  much  greater  than  we  had  ever  known 
before.  This  condition  can  be  noted  m  a  coun- 
try whose  natural  resources  are  as  yet  but  par- 
tially developed,  and  1  am  safe  in  prophesying 
that,  though  we  may  have  our  financial  panics 

recurring  with  aut tie  precision  every  twenty 

years,  yel  we  will  conic  forth  from  each  of  them 
with  renewed  spirit,  with  higher  aspiration  and 
with  strengthened  purpose,  which  shall  enable 
up  as  a  ] pie  to  realize  conditions  of  pros- 
perity and  happiness  such  as  has  been  un- 
known to  any  people  that  have  lived  before  us. 
Among  the  many  things  that  have  contributed 
to  the  development  of  the  state,  has  been  her 
great  trunk  line?  of  railroad  that  cross  and  re- 
cross  the  stale  in  almost  every  direction.  By 
means  of  these  arteries  of  commerce,  the  pro- 
ducts of  her  field  and  her  factory  have  always 
been  accessible  to  the  best  markets.  The  first 
strike  on  the  part  of  labor,  of  which  we  have  an 
account,  occurred  during  the  first  administra- 
tion of  Mr.  ('idiom.  Centers  of  disturbance 
were  Chicago,  East  S't.  Louis  and  Braidwood. 
These  disturbances  were  soon  quelled  ami  the 
wheels  of  industry  again  set  in  motion.  Cov- 
er  •  Cullom,  having  1 n  re-elected  in  the  fall 

of  1880,  was  inaugurated  January  lit.  1881.  In 
his  message  lie  announced  to  the  people  that 
the  last  dollar  of  the  state  debt  had  been  paid  or 
provided  for.  The  only  amounts  not  paid  wire 
twenty-three  thousand  dollars,  upon  which  in- 
terest  had  -topped,  and  which  had  never  been 
presented  Eor  collection  and  supposed  to  have 
been  lost.  There  is  about  nine  hundred  and 
lift\  thousand  dollars  due  from  the  stale  to  the 
school  fund,  and  which  can  not  be  paid,  as  this 
fund  only  requires  the  interest  on  the  amount. 
As  the  state  annually  collects  and  pays  out  the 
sum  of  one  million  dollars  to  the  i  ounties.  to  be 
distributed  per  capita  for  school  purposes,  it  is 
simply  a  legal  fiction  to  regard  the  former  as 
a  debt.  The  term  of  David  Davis,  as  senator 
from  Illinois,  having  expired,  Governor  Cullom 
was  chosen  to  lill  his  place  and  this  promoted 
Lieutenant  Governor  John  M.  Hamilton  to  the 
position  made  vacant  by  the  resignation  of  the 
governor.     Governor  Hamilton's  administration 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF  MONTGOMERY    COUNTY                        679 

is  rather  meager  of  events  that  would  be  of  ployes  of  the  several  roads  converging  in  the 
interest  to  the  reader.  lhi  was  succeeded  in  city  of  Chicago,  li  was  during  tins  period 
L885  by  Uncle  Dick  Oglesby,  who  for  the  third  that  the  national  administration  assumed  the 
time  had  been  elected  to  the  office  of  governor  of  right  to  employ  the  Federal  army  in  the  sup- 
the  state.  Succeeding  to  the  governorship  at  a  pression  of  riot  in  a  sovereign  stal  i  over  the  pro- 
time  when  much  political  il  seonteni  manifested  tests  ol  its  governor.  It  would  seem  strange  to 
itself,  proves  the  affection  in  which  the  people  the  student  of  history  to  find  thai  the  represen- 
of  the  state  held  the  venerable  soldier,  bul  the  tative  of  the  Democratic  party,  in  the  person  <>f 
political  skies  were  beginning  to  darken  and  the  the  president  of  the  United  States,  setting  at 
hold  of  the  Republican  party  had  begun  to  lose  naught  what  had  been  regarded  as  a  cardinal 
its  grasp  upon  the  independent  voter.  We  Bnd  principle  of  that  part}  since  the  formation  of 
at  this  time  Elijah  .M.  Haines,  an  independent,  the  government.  It  is  not  within  the  province 
elected  to  the  speakership  of  the  Legislature  by  of  this  paper  to  take  issue  with  either  of  the 
a  Democratic  vote,  and  this  marked  the  begin-  parties  to  tins  contest.  Suffice  it.  however,  that 
ning  of  a  struggle  which  finally  culminated  in  we  may  remark  that  we  consider  the  able  de- 
tbe  election  of  a  Democrat  in  the  person  of  fence  of  Governor  Altgeld  as  unparalleled  in 
John  M.  Palmer  to  the  United  States  senate,  the  array  of  argument  which  he  produces  to 
Joseph  W.  Filer  became  governor  of  the  state  maintain  the  position  which  he  took,  and  again, 
in  1SS0,  alter  one  of  t!ie  most  spirited  canvasses  we  might  say  that  it  ill-becomes  the  retired 
between  the  Democratic  party,  represented  by  president  to  attack  the  position  of  his  late  an- 
.lohn  ,\l.  Palmer,  ami  the  successful  candidate,  tagonist,  who  by  the  circumstance  of  death  is 
Mr.  Filer,  representing  the  Republicans.  Mr.  not  in  a  position  to  reply  to  his  hitter  anath- 
Fifer  received  but  twelve  thousand  plurality  emas.  It  might  not  be  oul  of  place  in  corn- 
over  Genera]  Palmer  in  this  election.  General  menting  upon  the  administration  of  John  P. 
Pifer,  while  a  mosl  estimable  man.  seems  to  Altgeld  to  observe  that,  while  there  -"ems  to 
have  lacked  that  force  of  character  which  leads  have  been  lack  of  appreciation  of  the  reforms 
to  a  strong  and  forceful  administration.  While  which  he  inaugurated,  of  the  evidences  which 
his  incumbence  of  the  office  of  governor  is  free  he  gave  of  a  devotion  to  duty  and  a  fearless  dis- 
fi'om  scandal  and  corruption,  yet  it  lacked  pop-  charge  of  those  duties,  regardless  of  personal  in- 
ular  approval  at  the  succeeding  election  John  terest,  that  the  careful  student  will  give  to  the 
P.  Altgeld,  of  Cook-  county,  a  German  born,  yet  efforts  of  Mr.  Altgeld  a  place  in  the  affairs  of 
American  raised  citizen,  was  nominated  by  the  state  thai  will  be  as  enduring  as  our  fabric  of 
Democrats  to  oppose  Governor  Fifer.  The  flag  government.  Governor  Altgeld  was  re-nom- 
law  and  the  compulsory  school  law  gave  much  mated  in  1896,  and  under  the  banner  of  Wil- 
offence  to  the  German  population  of  the  state,  liam  Jennings  Bryan  went  down  to  defeat  in 
and.  as  these  laws  were  regarded  as  of  Repub-  the  political  tidal  wave  that  engulfed  the  Demo- 
lican  origin,  that  party  was  held  to  a  strict  ac-  cratic  party  that  year.  His  opponent,  John  R. 
countability  at  the  polls  in  the  autumn  of  1892.  Tanner,  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  over  one 
Altgeld  was  elected  governor  by  a  plurality  over  hundred  thousand  and  was  inaugurated  govern- 
Mr.  Fifer  of  thirty-two  thousand  votes.  In  or  January  11.  1897.  Mr.  Tanner  was  a  man 
January,  1893,  Mr.  Altgeld  assumed  the  duties  of  strong  force  of  character,  and  it  has  keen  re- 
of  governor  and  his  administration,  though  most  marked  that  he  little  brooked  what  stood  in  the 
vigorous,  fell  upon  times  and  conditions  that  way  to  the  consummation  of  his  purposes.  In 
marked  his  administration  with  bitter  and  acri-  other  words,  he  was  regarded  by  many  as  an 
monious  charges  and  counter-charges  between  unscrupulous  politician.  Thai  he  possessed 
Mr.  Altgeld,  the  governor  of  the  state  of  I  Hi-  nerve,  was  shown  in  more  than  one  instance 
nois.  and  Grover  Cleveland,  the  then  president  during  his  term  of  office.  We  might  cite  his 
of  the  United  States.  Overshadowing  all  other  action  in  the  Virden  riots,  when  he  threatened 
item-  of  interest,  during  the  administration  of  to  bring  the  stall'  militia  against  the  imported 
Mr.  Altgeld  was  the  strike  of  the  railroad  em-  miners  during  the  strike  troubles  of  1897.    In 


680 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OK    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


justice  to  this  peculiar,  yet  remarkable  man.  we 
may  sa\  thai  no  official  lias  ever  done  directly 
or  indirectly  for  organized  labor  in  the  state 
of  Illinois,  as  was  done  by  John  R.  Tanner. 
Ilis  friends  were  must  extravagant  in  their 
praises  of  1ms  constancy  to  a  friend,  while  his 
enemies,  even  in  his  own  party,  heaped  upon 
him  the  must  bitter  abuse.  The  factions  into 
which  he  split  the  Republican  party  yet  remain 
as  a  legacy  of  the  Tanner  regime.  Succeeding 
Governor  Tanner  is  Richard  V.  Yates,  of  Jack- 
sonville. This  young  man  is  trie  son  of  the 
elder  Richard  Yates,  frequently  spoken  of  as 
the  war  governor.  Young  Mr.  Yates  is  also  a 
man  of  force,  though  possessed  of  a  disposition 
to  reward  only  his  friends.  That  he  has  made  a 
good  governor  neither  Democrats  nor  Repub- 
licans will  attempt  to  deny,  but  his  Republican 
opponents  attributed  to  him  the  disposition  and 
spirit  of  a  party  tyrant.  In  consequence,  many 
forces  were  arrayed  against  him  when  he  sought 
a  re-nomination  before  a  convention  of  his  own 
party  to  the  office  of  governor.  Never  in  the 
history  of  any  state  has  there  been  so  long  pro- 
tracted struggle  over  the  nomination  ior  the 
office  of  governor  in  any  party.  Mr.  Yates  was 
at  last  defeated,  bu1  oui  of  that  defeat  came 
victory,  for  by  party  manipulation,  he  was 
able  to  dictate  the  nomination  of  his  friend, 
.Mr.  Deneen.  We  will  say.  relative  to  the  ad- 
ministration of  Mr.  Yates,  that  it  will  take  high 
place  along  with  that  of  many  of  its  prede- 
cessors. His  effort  to  defeat  graft,  his  vetoes 
of  measures  and  appropriations  that  were  in- 
tended for  persona]  and  private  gain  on  the  part 
of  certain  promoters  ami  legislative  grafters, 
ought  certainly  to  endear  Governor  Yates  to 
the  common  people,  the  tax-pavers  of  the  state. 
The  present  United  States  senators  both  belong 
to  tin1  Republican   party.     The  senior  senator, 

Shelby    Cull has   served    his   state   in   that 

capacity  for  three  terms,  ami  is  regarded  among 
the  strong  men  of  the  senate.  Mr.  Cullom  be- 
longs to  that  type  of  statesmen  that  is  fast 
disappearing.  Absolutely  honest,  lie  is  tin1 
more  easily  imposed  upon  by  the  professional 
politician,  ami  during  the  long  period  of  his 
services  as  senator,  some  criticism  lias  attached 
in  several  instances  to  his  position  relative  to 
certain   measures   thai    have   passed   the  senate. 


Uncle  Shelby,  as  he  is  familiarly  called,  has 
never  been  accused,  however,  of  usine  his 
official  position  to  further  personal  end,  and 
when  the  long  roll  is  called  that  contains  the 
honored  list  of  Illinois  statesmen,  the  name  of 
Shelby  M.  Cullom  will  Snd  a  place  there.  Al- 
bert J.  Hopkins,  the  junior  senator  of  our  state, 
is  not  so  well  known,  hut  in  so  far  as  he  has 
represented  us  in  the  upper  house  of  congress, 
his  vote  has  been  with  his  party  on  all  questions 
advocated  by  the  federal  administration.  In 
this  there  is  strong  contrast  between  Mr.  Hop- 
kins and  his  predecessor.  "Billy"  Mason.  Sen- 
ator Mason,  it  will  he  remembi  red.  opposed  the 
administration  in  its  Philippine  policy,  holding 
with  Senator  Hoar,  of  Massachusetts,  that  no 
warrant  existed  in  the  government  of  the 
islands  for  a  violation  of  the  principle  "That 
the  right  to  govern  rests  upon  the  consent  of 
the  governed,"  and  his  speeches  in  the  senate 
were  rather  caustic  in  their  arraignment  of  the 
administration  for  its  un-American  policy.  For 
this  challenge  to  the  administration  Senator 
Mason  forfeited  his  seat  in  the  upper  branch 
of  congress.  While  Senator  Hoar  received 
from  the  legislature  of  Massachusetts  the  en- 
dorsement of  his  state  by  a  re-election  to  that 
most  august  body.  It  would  seem  that  the 
conservative  New  Englander  is  not  so  easily 
disturbed  over  a  difference  of  opinion  that  may 
arise  over  new  and  unsolved  problems.  Let  us 
hope  that  this  spirit  of  conservatism  and  fair- 
ness may  became  more  universal.  The  present 
congressman  representing  the  district  of  which 
Montgomery  county  is  a  part  is  the  Hon.  Ben 
F.  Caldwell.  He  is  serving  bis  third  term  as 
a  Democrat,  yet  he  is  hroad  enough,  after 
each  ami  every  election,  to  remember  that  he 
is  the  representative  of  all  the  people  of  his 
district.  As  a  senator  in  the  state  legislature 
he  was  author  of  what  is  known  as  the  "gross 
weight"  lull.  This  measure  provides  for  the 
weighing  of  coal  at  all  mines  before  it  is 
screened,  and  thus  the  miner  receives  payment 
for  the  full  weight  of  the  coal.  Until  the  pass- 
age of  this  hill  there  was  continual  friction  be- 
tween the  operators  on  the  one  side  and  the 
miners  on  the  other.  The  question  of  the  size 
of  the  screen,  which  allowed  a  separation  of 
the   small  coal    from    the  lump   coal,   was  con- 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


US1 


tinually  obtruding  itself  between  a  satisfactory 
agreement  to  the  parties  concerned.  This  bill 
before  mentioned  entirely  eliminated  this  fea- 
ture of  the  matter  and  thereby  paved  the  way 
tn  an  agreement  between  operators  and  miners 
that  lias  been  satisfactory  and  productive  of 
the  liesi  interests  of  each.  We  venture  the 
remark  thai  in  no  ether  state  where  the  min- 
ing industry  is  so  large  is  there  less  friction 
between  employer  and  employe.  The  presenl 
representative  in  the  state  legislature  from 
Montgomery  eountj  is  the  Hon.  Edward  Rice, 
of  Litchfield.  That  he  has  served  his  constitu- 
ency well  is  not  questioned,  yet  how  little  can 
the  representative  of  a  district  accomplish  for 
the  g 1  of  his  people,  especially  if  he  be- 
longs to  the  minority  of  his  party!  It  is  a 
uotorious  fact  that  under  existing  conditions 
we  have  uo  popular  government  save  thai  which 
the  speaker  and  a  few  committeemen  see  fit  to 
allow.  No  discussion  of  public  measures  save 
those  reported  out  of  the  committees  at  the 
dictation  of  special  interest  as  represented  by 
those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  be  on  the 
'•inside."  Tli is  condition  in  the  several  legis- 
latures, regardless  of  party,  lias  become  so 
prevalent  that  the  people  are  clamoring  for  a 


way  by  winch  legislation  that  is  demanded  may 
he  accomplished,  some  states  having  adopted 
the  Swiss  principle  of  the  "initiative  and 
referendum,"  and  in  this  way  they  hope  to  be 
able  to  secure  lor  themselves  what  the]  can  not 
expeel  in  have  by  their  representatives.  We 
understand  that  Mr.  Rice  is  favorable  to  a 
constitutional  amendment  providing  lor  this 
radically  Democratic  measure.  Such  a  law 
would  entirely  eliminate  the  possibility  of 
boodling,  and  the  lobbyist,  whose  purpose  at 
our  stale  capital  is  to  corrupt  legislation  at  its 
fountain  head,  would  find  such  protection 
thrown  about  the  people's  representatives  that 
it  would  he  impossible  to  secure  through  cor- 
ruption the  passage  of  laws  detrimental  to  the 
public  good.  We  hope  the  good  sense  of  all 
our  people  will  require  at  the  hands  of  our 
representatives  the  submission  of  an  amend- 
ment to  our  constitution  providing  for  the 
"initiative  and  referendum."  In  conclusion  to 
this  article  I  desire  to  state  that  much  incor- 
porated herein  has  been  taken  from  "Blanch- 
ard's  Notes  on  the  History  of  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois.-' Also  some  of  the  data  was  gathered 
from  ''The  Gazeteer  of  Illinois,"  published  by 
J.  M.  Peek,  1834.  The  Author. 


HISTORY   OF 
MONTGOMERY   COUNTY 


A  STORY  OF  THE  EAELY  SETTLERS 
OF  MONTGOMERY  COUNTY. 
That  John  Hill  settled  on  the  Hurricane  in 
the  autumn  of  1816  or  the  early  spring  of  181? 
is  a  fact  easy  to  be  established.  If  in  the 
spring  of  1817,  however,  others  may  contend 
thai  John  Hill  was  not  the  first  settler  in 
Montgomery  county.  From  what  we  are  able 
to  gather  we  are  led  to  conclude  that  the  first 
settlement  was  made  by  Mr.  Hill  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1816.  and  that  his  brother,  Henry 
Hill,  with  others  arrived  in  the  spring  of 
1817.  As  the  story  runs,  we  must  chronicle 
a  tradition  that  one  Robert  Briggs  claimed  to 
have  settled  in  that  part  of  Montgomery  coun- 
ty north  of  the  present  city  of  Litchfield  in 
the  year  1816.  We  have  no  means  by  which 
we  ma\  confirm  this  tradition,  nor  do  we  have 
any  desire  to  deny  to  Mr.  Briggs  the  honor  el' 
having  made  the  first  settlemenl  in  the  coun- 
ty, hut  we  will  say  that  there  is  lack  of  sulli- 
cicnt  evidence  to  warrant  us  in  making  the 
statement  that  his  settlement  antedated  that 
of  John  Hill.  The  Kickapoo  Indians  occupied 
the  county  in  various  settlements  when  the 
first  white  settlers  came  to  take  possession  of 
it.  Among  those  who  settled  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  Montgomery  county  were  Jo- 
seph Williams.  Henry  Pyatt,  William  McDa- 
vid.  John  ami  Henry  Hill.  Jesse  Johnson, 
Henry  Sears.  Aanm  Casey,  Harris  Reavis,  Jo- 
seph and  Charles  Wright.  Eastern  Whitton, 
John  Kirkpatrick,  Henry  Rowe,  John  Russell, 
David   Bradford,   .lame-:   Curd.  John  Levi   and 


a  lew  others  whose  names  have  been  forgotten. 
In  the  settlement  near  Hillsboro,  made  in 
1817-18,  history  records  the  following:  Alex- 
ander McWillianis.  Solomon  l'ruitt.  John  Nor- 
ton. Roland  Shepherd,  Jarvis  Forehand.  Gor- 
don Crandall,  William  Clark.  David  McCoy. 
Nicholas  Lockerman,  Hugh  Kirkpatrick.  Mel- 
cher  Fogleman,  William  Griffith,  Joseph  Me- 
Adams,  .lames  Street.  Luke  Steel.  John  Mc- 
Phail,  -loci  Smith.  David  Kirkpatrick.  Jesse 
Townsend,  Jacob  Cress,  John  Butler  and 
Israel  Seward.  John  Nussman,  William  Braz- 
zelton,  the  schoolmaster.  At  about  the  same 
time  we  li ii.  1  a  settlement  being  made  in  south- 
eastern pari  of  the  county  near  the  present  vil- 
lage of  Walshville.  Among  those  who  sen  led 
here  were  Nicholas  Vbyles,  William  Stevens. 
Austin  Grisham,  James  Baker  and  John  Jor- 
dan. The  latter  was  a  Baptist  minister,  who 
preached  the  first  sermon  in  Montgomery 
county,  though  thai  honor  has  been  claimed 
for  .lames  Street,  of  the  Hillsboro  settlement, 
and  also  lor  Henry  Sears,  of  flu1  Hurricane 
sell  lenient.  It.  is  well  to  remark  that  it  is  re- 
corded in  a  previous  history  of  Montgomery 
county  that  the  Rev.  James  Street  in  1817 
held  a  meeting  at  the  house  of  David  McCoy, 
of  the  Hillsboro  settlement.  This  authority 
further  states  that  the  Rev.  Henry  Sears,  of 
Hurricane  settlement,  was  the  first  resident 
minister  of  the  county.  En  1820  the  Hills- 
boro settlemenl  organized  a  church  body  and 
built,  in  1821,  a  rude  place  of  worship,  con- 
structed of  lo'js  with  a  dirt  floor  and  puncheon 


PAST  AND  1'1,'FSKXT  OF  MONTGOMERY  COUNTY 


683 


pews.  It  was  here  in  the  wilderness  that  we 
find  this  uncouth  and  primitive  tabernacle; 
but  who  shall  say  that  within  its  walls  wor- 
shiped a  people  no!  Less  God-fearing  than  their 
descendants,  whose  magnificent  temples  of  wor- 
ship are  examples  of  architecture  that  would 
astonish  the  fathers?  I  hardly  think  that  in 
the  progress  which  we  have  made  in  material 
things  since  our  sins  met  in  the  forest  and 
their  humble  places  of  worship  we  have  made 

a    degree   of   spiritual    progress   com nsurate 

with  our  opportunities  and  our  wider  knowl- 
edge of  other  things.  Is  it  possible  that  with 
all  our  boasted  achievements  in  the  physical 
world  there  is  absolutely  no  progress  in  the 
spiritual  ? 

In  offering  a  remark  upon  this  subject  I 
am  pleased  to  say  that  it  is  my  belief  that  the 
perfect  work  of  grace  in  the  human  heart  has 
never  been  improved  upon  since  our  Savior 
walked  and  talked  along  the  shores  of  (iali- 
lee;  that  while  we  may  embellish  our  places 
of  worship  and  make  them  lit  places  for  the 
Master's  use.  yet  we  must  not  forget  that 
these  do  not  constitute  any  part  of  the  king- 
dom of  God,  for  the  Master  hath  said.  "The 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  within  you."  While  we 
think  it  perfectly  proper  and  right  to  build 
beautiful  houses  of  worship  and  dedicate  them 
to  holy  purposes,  yet  not  the  house  nor  its  sur- 
roundings or  furnishings  can  of  themselves 
bring  men  to  Christ,  but  those  who  worship 
there  and  whose  lives  are  consistent  with  the 
teachings  of  the  lowly  Nazarene  are  the  ele- 
ments which  persuade  men  that  there  is  a 
higher  and  a  more  perfect  way  of  life.  The 
desire  for  the  salvation  of  men  is  so  strong 
upon  every  Christian  heart  that  it  amounts  to 
a  passion  approaching  thai  of  our  Lord :  hence 
the  intense  earnestness  and  often  fanatical  ef- 
forts of  certain  Christian  men  and  women  to 
convert  the  world  in  a  day.  nor  can  they  un- 
derstand why,  in  the  providences  of  God.  the 
world  moves  so  slowly  toward  conviction, 
toward  conversion,  toward  righteousness.  It 
has  been  the  experience  of  the  writer  through 
several  years  of  religious  life  that  to  worry 
because  we  can  not  accomplish  in  a  day  what 
Jesus  himself  did  not  accomplish  in  His  time 
only   wastes  energy  and   spirit  and  render?  us 


the  more  incompetent  to  perform  the  service 
which  is  ours.  Let  us,  therefore,  as  Christian 
men  ami  women,  go  forth  bearing  precious 
seeds  ami  the  promise  that  sometime,  some- 
where, we  shall  gather  precious  she;i\es.  To 
the  old  church  m  the  wilderness  and  to  the 
little  schoolhouse  on  the  hillside,  doubtless,  we 
are  indebted  for  the  strong  and  sturdy  charac- 
ter of  the  men  and  women  of  that  generation 
that  is  passing — our  fathers  and  mothers.  We 
have  had  more  advantages  than  they,  better 
schools,  and  withal  a  better  environment:  but 
are  we  better  men  ami  women?  We  Jtave  a 
higher  culture,  which  gives  us,  possibly,  a 
keener  appreciation  of  the  artistic,  and  the 
Inns  of  beauty  might  appeal  to  our  sense  of 
form:  yet  the  true  and  the  good  found  as  re- 
sponsive vibration  in  the  hearts  of  our  fathers 
am!  our  mothers  as  we  have  ever  known.  1  am 
not  pessimistic,  neither  am  I  such  an  optimist 
as  to  believe  that  the  law  of  compensation  is 
not  just  as  exacting  in  the  moral  world  as  in 
the  physical,  ami  that  the  moral  sense  of  a 
people  is  blunted  by  the  inordinately  wild  and 
reckless  chase  for  the  material  things  of  the 
world.  This  digression  from  the  subject  of 
history  I  hope  will  not  he  without  some  inter- 
est to  the  reader.  As  old  Tubal  Cain  was  the 
first  blacksmith  in  the  world,  so  Melcher  Fogle- 
man  enjoys  the  distinction  of  having  been  the 
first  blacksmith  in  Montgomery  county.  An- 
other colony  came  from  Kentucky  and  settled 
near  where  Fillmore  is  located.  Among  those 
whose  names  are  preserved  were  James  Card, 
Thomas  J.  Todd,  Henry  and  Peter  TTill  and 
Mark  Mason.  This  was  about  the  year  1820. 
Tn  the  same  year  recruits  were  made  to  the 
settlement  at  Hillsboro,  and  among  those  were 
Thomas  C.  Hughes,  Hiram  Rountree,  Daniel 
Sherer,  John  Tilson,  Daniel  Meredith,  Thomas 
Robinson.  John  Yoakum,  John  Elder  and  oth- 
ers. Possibly  the  most  valuable  acquisition  to 
Montgomery  county  at  this  time  was  Hiram 
Rountree.  J  mine  Rountree,  as  he  was  known 
to  the  people  of  Montgomery  county  for  a  pe- 
riod of  half  a  century,  was  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  men  of  bis  time.  In  the  formation 
of  this  county,  and  during  its  earlier  expe- 
riences. Judge  Rountree  directed  its  affairs  in 
nearly    every    department     of     administration. 


68  l 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


The  earlier  records  of  Montgomery  county  were 
all  kept  by  him,  and  it  is  a  matter  ol  no 
little  interest  to  spend  an  hour  looking  through 
the  records  as  kept  by  Judge  Rountree  fifty  or 
sixtj  years  ago.  The  writer  lias  heard  his 
father  relate  the  following  anecdote  relative  to 
Judge  Rountree:  On  the  occasion  of  a  visit 
by  a  gentleman  from  one  of  the  eastern  state's 
to  this  county,  in  the  early  "30s.  he  questioned 
one  of  the  citizens  of  Hillsboro  as  to  who  was 
the  recording  clerk.  The  answer,  Rountree. 
Who  is  your  probate  judge?  Again  the  answer, 
Rountree.  And  who  is  your  commissioner? 
Again  the  citizen  replied,  Rountree.  The  idea 
that  (me  man  could  till  all  of  the  offices  seemed 
so  ludicrous  to  the  stranger  that  he  exclaimed: 
"My  God,  are  there  no  other  men  capable  of 
filling  office  in  this  county?"  This  story  is 
only  told  to  show  the  high  esteem  in  which 
Judge  Rountree  was  held  and  the  absolute 
faith  which  the  early  citizens  had  in  his  ability 
to  discharge  the  duties  of  the  several  offices 
to  which  they  elected  him.  As  Judge  Roun- 
tree occupied  so  conspicuous  a  place  in  the 
early  history  of  the  county.  1  will  append  the 
short  biographical  sketch  given  in  Perrin's 
"History  of  Montgomery  County,"  published 
in  1.882 :  "Judge  Hiram  Rountree  was  a  rul- 
ing spirit  in  Hillsboro  for  many  years,  exert- 
ing a  greater  influence  than  any  man.  perhaps, 
that  has  ever  lived  in  the  place,  and  deserves 
more  than  mere  passing  notice  in  these  pages. 
He  Mas  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  where  he 
was  horn  December  22, 1794, but  his  early  life 
was  spent  mostly  in  Kentucky.  He  was  a 
soldier  ol'  the  war  of  1812  under  General 
Shelby,  the  first  governor  of  Kentucky.  He 
studied  law  in  Rowling  Green,  and  in  1817 
removed  to  Edwardsville,  Illinois,  thence  to 
Fayette  county  and  to  the  state  capital.  Vanda- 
lia,  where  tor  several  sessions  he  was  enrolling 
clerk  of  the  house  of  representatives.  In  1821 
he  removed  to  Montgomery  county,  and  as  cir- 
cuit clerk  organized  it.  The  remainder  of  his 
life  was  spent  in  the  county,  and  there  were 
few  positions  of  importance  that  he  had  not 
held  at  some  time  during  his  long  ami  useful 
career.  It  is  sufficient,  however,  to  remark- 
here  that  for  forty-eight  years  in  succession  he 
served   the   county   in    an   official    capacity.      Ee 


was  a  zealous  member  of  the  Methodist  church 
from  the  year  1818  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
March  5,  1873,  and  his  Christian  life  is  still 
familiar  to  many  of  the  older  residents  of  the 
city  and  county."  It  might  he  well  to  add 
that  in  honor  of  Judge  Rountree  one  of  the 
townships  has  been  named  for  him.  But  so 
long  as  Montgomery  county  preserves  her  early 
records  there  will  Lie  no  occasion  to  have  other 
reminders  to  keep  for  other  generations  memo-' 
ries  of  Hiram  Rountree.  Montgomery  county 
was  organized  in  1821  by  act  of  the  general 
assembly,  approved  February  12  of  that  year. 
Its  boundaries  were  as  follows:  Beginning  at 
the  southeast  corner  of  section  24,  township  7. 
north  range  2,  west  of  the  third  parallel 
meridian,  thence  west  eighteen  miles  to  the 
southwest  corner  of  section  19,  in  township  7, 
range  •">.  west,  and  thence  south  to  the  south 
line  of  said  township,  thence  west  to  the  south- 
west corner,  thence  north  to  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  township  12.  thence  east  twenty-four 
miles  to  the  northeast  corner  of  township  12, 
north,  and  range  2.  west,  thence  south  to  the 
place  of  beginning,  to  he  known  as  Montgom- 
ery county.  Melcher  Fogleman.  James  Street 
and  Joseph  Wright  were  appointed  commission- 
ers to  locate  the  seat  of  justice  for  said  county. 
The  newly-created  county  was  named  in  honor 
of  General  Montgomery,  who  fell  before  Que- 
bec. The  student  of  history,  as  he  recalls  the 
roll  of  the  several  counties  of  Illinois,  discovers 
that  he  has  a  record  id'  the  most  illustrious 
names  known  to  American  history.  It  will  be 
observed  that  the  eastern  boundary  of  our  coun- 
ty extended  as  far  north  as  our  present  western 
boundary,  hut  in  the  year  1839,  on  the  forma- 
tion of  Dane  county,  now  called  Christian,  a 
large  slice  was  taken  out  of  the  northeast  cor- 
ner, leaving  it  in  its  present  irregular  shape. 
The  commissioners  appointed  to  locate  the 
county  seat  met  at  the  house  of  Joseph  Mc- 
Adams  for  the  purpose  of  determining  the 
proper  site.  Under  the  act  providing  for  the 
creation  of  the  county  and  the  selection  of  a 
site  as  county  seat,  the  owner  of  the  land  upon 
which  the  site  was  to  he  located  should  donate 
twenty  acres  for  public  buildings.  After  much 
deliberation  the  commissioners  selected  what 
was   known   as    the    McAdams   place,   which   is 


PAST    AND    L'EESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


685 


about  three  miles  southwest  of  Hillsboro.  This 
town  was  to  be  known  as  Hamilton.  It  must 
be  kept  in  mind  that  the  commissioners  were 
not  unanimous  in  the  selection  of  this  place 
as  the  county  scat,  for  Joseph  Wright,  the 
commissioner  living  in  the  Hurricane  settle- 
ment, was  much  opposed  to  its  selection  and 
refused  to  sign  the  report  as  commissioner. 
Wright  drew  up  a  minority  report,  in  which 
lie  set  forth  the  fact  that  the  site  so  selected 
was  neither  the  geographical  center  of  i lie  coun- 
ty nor  the  center  of  population.  So  hitter  be- 
came the  controversy  over  the  matter  that  tin1 
legislature  passed  an  act  in  the  year  is-.'.",  creat- 
ing a  new  commission  to  relocate  the  county 
seat,  and. on  this  new  hoard  were  appointed 
Elijah  C.  Berry.  Silas  L.  Wait  and  Aaron 
Armstrong.  The  new  commission  met  in  pur- 
suance of  the  provisions  of  the  act  creating  it 
and  chose  the  present  site  of  Hillsboro.  The 
following  incident  is  told  in  connection  with 
the  location  of  the  county  scat:  If  was  dis- 
covered, after  the  location  had  been  made, 
that  the  land  had  not  been  entered  from  the 
government,  so  it  became  necessary  to  find 
some  one  who  had  sufficient  money  to  make  the 
entry,  and  after  a  canvass  of  many  of  the 
citizens  one  Newton  Coffey,  living  down  in 
the  Hurricane  settlement,  was  found  who  had 
fifty  dollars  in  money — something  unusual  for 
an  early  settler  at  that  time.  ~\\r.  Coffey  was 
-cut  for.  and  after  much  persuasion  was  in- 
duced to  make  an  entry  of  the  land  neeessarv 
to  the  location  of  the  county  seat.  He  made  a 
donation  of  twenty  acres  for  public  buildings 
and  laid  out  the  beginning  of  the  present  town 
of  Hillsboro.  It  is  a  matter  of  history  that  the 
town  of  Hamilton  had  really  been  projected, 
so  far  as  having  been  laid  out.  lots  sold,  streets 
and  alleys  surveyed  and  all  the  requirements 
necessary  to  the  building  of  a  town,  hut  that 
no  public  buildings  had  been  erected.  The  re- 
location of  the  site  to  Hillsboro  seems  to  have 
paralyzed  any  further  effort  on  tin-  part  of 
the  promoters  to  build  a  town  at  Hamilton.  1 
have  noi  been  able  to  -cure  information  rela- 
tive to  why  the  earlier  county  seat  was  to  have 
been  called  Hamilton,  lmt  T  surmise  that  the 
habit  so  strong  upon  the  public  men  of  that 
day    to    reflect    credit    upon   those    whom    they 


would  especially  honor  led  the  first  commis- 
sioners to  name  their  town  in  honor  id'  Alex- 
ander Hamilton,  and  if  1  might  conjecture  fur- 
ther I  would  say  that  possibly  Joseph  Wright 
was  a  disciple  of  Thomas  Jefferson  and  his 
opposition  was  as  much  to  the  name,  and 
possibly  more,  than  to  the  fact  set  forth  in 
his  minority  report.  This  suggestion,  which 
is  not  warranted  by  the  evidence,  is  only  as- 
sumed by  a  knowledge  of  the  political  acerbi- 
ties of  the  times.  It  has  been  said  that  the 
faithful  chroniclers  of  events  will  not  color 
the  fads  id'  history  by  loo  much  suggestion. 
Hut  in  a.  study  of  the  times  we  are  often 
tempted  to  express  an  opinion  that  is  war- 
ranted by  attendant  circumstances  and  con- 
ditions. These  circumstances  and  conditions 
are  unknown  to  the  reader,  and  consequently  he 
may  conclude  that  the  writer  presumes  too 
much  upon  his  credulity.  It  has  been  an  ob- 
servation, however,  that  the  matter  thrown  in 
t,.  illume  is  oftentimes  the  more  faithful  part 
of  the  story.  The  first  court  of  Montgomery 
county  was  held  at  the  home  of  Joseph  McAd- 
anis.  at  what  is  now  known  as  the  old  Mi  Ad- 
ams place.  The  Hon.  John  Reynolds  presided 
over  this  first  term  of  the  circuit  court  and 
Hiram  Rountree  acted  as  recorder.  The  grand 
jury  selected  (o  serve  at  this  first  term  of  the 
circuit  court  were  John  Seward.  James  Black. 
George  W.  Shipmen,  David  Bradford,  William 
McDavid,  John  Beck,  James  Card.  George 
Davis,  Elisha  Freemen,  Henry  Hill,  Louis 
S'cribbner,  Hiram  Reavis,  James  Walker. 
Newton  Coffey,  Jarvis  Forehand.  John  Yoa- 
kum, John  Elder  and  Thomas  Robinson.  The 
county  commissioners'  curt  was  held  in  the 
spring  of  1821  and  consisted  of  John  Beck, 
John  Seward  and  John  McAdams  as  county 
commissioners.  The  county  officers  who  were 
appointed  at  this  term  of  court  were  Hiram 
Rountree,  clerk;  John  Tilson,  treasurer;  Joel 
Wright,  sheriff;  L.  M.  Townsend,  probate 
judge;  and  James  Wright  and  Daniel  Mere- 
dith, first  constables  of  the  county.  Thus  we 
have  by  appointment  to  the  various  offices 
probably  the  most  available  that  could  have 
been  selected  at  this  time.  Joel  Wright,  the 
first  sheriff  of  the  county,  we  learn,  was  not 
of  the  same  family  as  Joseph  Wright  who  was 


68G 


['AST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


ouc  of  the  firsi  commissioners  appointed  to  fix 
the  count}  seat,  neither  the  James  Wright  who 
was  appointed  as  one  of  the  first  constables  re- 
lated tn  either  of  the  others.  Many  of  the  de- 
scendants of  Joseph  Wright  are  living  in  Fill- 
more township  near  where  their  ancestor  made 
his  settlemenl  more  than  eighty  years  ago. 
John  Tilson,  whose  name  appears  as  the  first 
county  treasurer,  was  a  man  of  more  than 
usual  ability,  and  it  is  said  that  he  Kept  the 
first  store  at  Billsboro  as  early  as  1821  and 
was  appointed  as  firsi  postmaster  at  the  coun- 
ty seal.  Mr.  Tilson  came  to  Illinois  from 
Massachusetts  and  brought  with  him  that 
spirit  for  education  and  general  progress  that 
has  marked  the  people  of  his  native  state.  The 
moral  and  educational  interests  of  Hillsboro 
owe  to  Mr.  Tilson  much  that  has  been  accom- 
plished along  these  lines,  as  we  shall   ha\ - 

casion  to  note  m  the  chapter  relating  to  edu- 
cational interest-.  Mr.  Tilson  built  the  first 
brick  dwelling  in  the  county.  It  was  a  large 
two-story  dwelling,  but,  owing  to  the  poor 
quality  of  the  brick  oul  of  which  it  was  made. 

it  has  long  since  I n  torn  down.     It  is  claimed 

that  the  first  settler  upon  the  site  of  Hillsboro 
was  our  John  Nussman,  but  as  lie  had  not  en- 
tered the  lands  upon  which  his  cabin  stood  lie 
did  not  derive  the  benefits  that  came  from  the 
location  of  the  county  seat  in  bis  immediate 
neighborhood.  Nussman's  cabin  was  located 
mar  the  late  A.  It.  II.  Rountree's  residence. 
Nussman.  according  to  the  custom  of  all  the 
earlier  settlers,  raised  a  large  family  of  chil- 
dren. Seme  of  the  descendants  of  Mr.  Nuss- 
man are  yet  to  be  found  ill  the  vicinity  of 
Hillsboro.  The  Nussman  wagon  -bop  was  the 
first  of  its  kind  in  the  county,  and  some  are 
yet  living  who  remember  the  old  mechanic  who 
kept  in  repair  the  linch-pin  wagons  and  ox- 
carts, yokes  and  bows  so  necessary  as  a  part 
of  flic  pioneer  home.  The  first  tavernkeeper 
\\a-  .lame.-  Rutledge,  whose  tavern,  or  inn.  was 
located  in  the  south  part  of  town.  James 
Rutledge  was  the  father  of  the  late  Thomas 
J.  Rutledge,  once  a  prominent  attorney  of  the 
Montgomery  county  bar,  ami  also  of  Dr.  H.  R. 
Rutledge,  for  many  years  a  dentist  in  Hills- 
boro ami  identified  with  much  of  tin'  church 
interests  of  the  (own.     Dr.    Rutledge  has  not 


lived  in  .Montgomery  county  for  Mime  years. 
Joel  Wright,  who  was  the  firsi  sheriff  of  the 
county,  Ike  Mr.  Tilson  was  also  an  eastern 
man.  He  held  the  office  of  sheriff  from  1821 
until  1826,  anil  we  are  not  informed  that  Joel 
Wright  left  any  representatives  of  his  family, 
lor  it  seems  that  tradition  is  silent  regarding 
him;  at  least  we  have  been  unable  to  discover 
what  became  of  him.  As  we  have  stated  that 
John  Tilson  erected  the  first  brick  bouse  in 
Hillsboro,  it  might  he  of  interest  to  further 
state  that  David  B.  Jackson,  lather  of  W.  K. 
Jackson,  erected  the  first  frame  house  in  our 
county  scat.  Mr.  Jackson  was  one  of  our 
early  merchants,  a  tavernkeeper,  county  sur- 
veyor, and  withal  a  very  useful  man  in  the 
community.  \n  IS-.'")  John  Prentice  came  to 
Hillsboro  ami  opened  up  the  second  general 
store  in  the  village.  Mr.  Prentice  was  fairly 
successful  in  his  venture,  and  in  addition  to 
selling  goods  succeeded,  by  dint  of  energy  and 
economy,  to  raise  quite  a  family  of  children. 
We  will  have  more  to  say  concerning  the 
early  settlers  of  Hillsboro  on  the  chapter  set 
apart  especially  lor  the  city  of  Hillsboro  and 
community.  The  rugged  virtue  of  the  early 
pioneer  settlers  is  shown  by  a  rather  peculiar 
incident  in  tin-  life  of  one  of  their  number. 
Nicholas  Lockerman  was  among  the  earliest 
of  our  settlers,  ami  he  bad  brought  with  him 
from  bis  former  home  a  mistress  rather  than 
a  wife.  In  other  words,  there  bad  been  no 
Legal  marriage  between  Lockerman  and  the 
woman  who  In, re  his  children  and  claimed  a 
place  of  wile  in  bis  home.  So  indignant  were 
his  neighbors  at  this  infraction  of  the  moral 
law  that  Lockerman  was  notified  that  be  must 
either  marry  the  woman  who  lived  with  him 
as  bis  wife  or  move  to  some  other  locality. 
Lockerman  chose  the  former  alternative,  and. 
as  the  story  goes,  was  married  by  the  Rev. 
James  Street  nut  in  the  open  field  where  he 
and  bis  wife  were  hoeing  corn.  To-day.  un- 
der circumstances  of  such  character,  men  might 
take  refuge  under  the  "common  law  marriage 
agreement"  and  thus  avoid  pos-ublo  scandals 
such  as  our  fathers  could  not  condone  in  their 
time.  Wiser,  perhaps,  in  our  generation  than 
they,  yei  have  we  not  lost  attachment  for  that 
robust    sense   of    virtue    that    prevailed     among 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


687 


the  pioneers?  The  nexl  couple  married  in 
Montgomery  count)'  was  David  McCoy  to  a 
Miss  Kirkpatrick.  The  marriage  ceremony 
was  performed  by  the  Rev.  .lames  Street,  but 
the  first  marriage  license  ever  returned  in 
Montgomery  county  was  that  of  William  II. 
Brown  to  Miss  Harriett  C.  Seward  by  the 
Rev.  T.  S'.  Townsend.  It  has  been  contended 
that  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  T.  S.  Townsend 
taught  the  Brsl  school  in  1823,  but  this  honor 
without  doubt  belongs  to  Mr.  Brazzleton,  whose 

6.rsl    scl I  session   precedes  this  some  two  or 

three  years.  The  first  physician  that  ever  prac- 
ticed medicine  in  the  county  was  Dr.  Garner, 
who  had  married  Martha  Kilpatriek.  daughter 
of  David  Kilpatriek,  who  had  settled  aboul  two 
miles  west  of  Hillsboro.  Whether  Dr.  Garner 
was  successful  as  a  practitioner  1  do  not  know, 
Km  as  the  man  of  medicine  years  ago  was  com- 
pelled ie  search  for  his  remedies  among  the 
herbs  of  the  field  ami  the  roots  in  the  valley 
we  are  led  to  suppose  thai  Dr.  Garner  knew 
them  all  by  name  ami  was  able  to  dispense 
them  so  a-  to  alleviate  the  ague-ridden  popu- 
lace.  At  least  no  e\  idence  of  mal-practice  ap 
pears  against  him  in  the  records.  Contempo- 
rary with  Dr.  (larnei'  was  Dr.  Boone,  one  of 
the  early  physicians.  He  was  a  man  of  much 
intelligence,  personally  very  popular  and  re- 
lated directly  to  Daniel  Boone,  the  Kentucky 
hunter.  Dr.  Boone  commanded  a  company  el' 
Montgomery  county  hoys  in  (he  Black  Hawk 
war.  and  when  he  had  served  out  his  term  he 
re-enlisted  a.-  surgeon  in  Captain  Kountree's 
company  and  served  I"  the  end  of  the  war. 
Later  Dr.  Boone  removed  to  Chicago  and  in 
die  course  of  years  served  that  city  as  mayor. 
The  doctor'.-  sympathy  for  the  south  during 
the  rebellion  led  him  into  some  trouble.  His 
effort  to  provide  for  the  comforts  of  some  of 
Ins  old  Kentucky  friends  who  were  confined  as 
prisoners  in  Camp  Douglas  led  to  his  arrest. 
Later,  however,  he  was  released,  ne  charges 
having  been  preferred  against  him.  Under  the 
townships  we  shall  have  occasion  lo  notice  in 
a  mere  extended  manner  those  who  have  con- 
tributed  t<>  tin'  history  of  these  separate  sec- 
tions. For  convenience  the  county  was  early 
divided  into  voting  precincts,  which  hater,  un- 
der the  constitution  of  IS  18.  were  changed  into 


civil  townships.  These  precincts,  however,  did 
nol  conform  to  the  present  civil  township,  for 
in  some  instances  the  voting  precinct  was  much 
re  extended  than  the  civil  township.  Mont- 
gomery county  did  not  adopl  township  organi- 
zation until  a  great  majority  of  the  counties 
throughout  the  state  had  taken  advantage  of 
this  constitutional  provision.  There  is  much 
in  township  organization  to  he  commended,  as 
it  brings  the  government  of  local  affairs  to  the 
immediate  direction  of  the  people,  the  heard 
of  supervisors,  in  a  sense  corresponding  to  the 
legislative  body,  or,  in  other  words,  bearing 
the  same  relation  to  the  county  that  (he  general 
assembly  does  to  the  slate,  in  so  far  as  provid- 
ing lo,-  public  expenditures  on  improve in- 
fer the  public  good.  Space  will  not  permit  a 
re\  iew  of  all  the  county  officials  w  hose  names 
might  he  of  interest  in  a  work  of  this  kind, 
ami  while  it  would  afford  us  much  pleasure  to 
present  that  honored  roll  to  readers  of  out 
story,  yet  we  must  forego  that  pleasure  and 
content  ourselves  with  casual  notice  of  those 
\\  ho,  from  time  to  time,  have  c e  more  promi- 
nently into  notice.  Among  those  who  have 
filled  the  office  of  sheriff,  ami  whose  names 
are  well  remembered  by  our  older  citizens,  we 
find  thai  ■>(  John  Fogleman,  John  Corlew  and 
John  MeDavid.  We  mention  these  specifically 
because  these  octogenarians  yet  remain  with 
us.  John  Fogleman  resides  on  In-  farm  near 
i  he  city  of  Litchfield  and  is  nearly  eighty-five 
ve.-irs  old.  Uncle  John  Corlew  yet  resides  on 
his  farm  at  the  good  old  age  of  ninety  years, 
while  Uncle  John  MeDavid  lives  in  the  suburb 
of  Irving,  quite  hale  and  strong  for  a  man  of 
eighty-two.  Soon  these  landmarks  of  bygone 
generation  will  he  removed,  and  only  a  few 
years  at  most  will  it  lie  possible  to  receive  at 
first  hand  stories  of  pioneer  times.  John  Fo- 
gleman is  a  son  of  Melcher  Fogleman.  men- 
tioned previously  in  this  article,  and  dohn 
MeDavid  is  a  son  of  Dnelo  Billy  MeDavid. 
who  settled  near  Coffeen,  on  McDavid's  branch, 
m  the  year  1820.  Of  the  elder  MeDavid  we 
shall  have  something  more  to  say  when  we 
take  up  the  history  id'  Fast  Fork  township. 
Among  the  circuit  clerks  we  might  mention 
that  Hiram  Rountree  and  Charlie  Jenkins  were 
the  most   conspicuous  occupants  of  thai   office, 


688 


PAST    AXD    PRESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


[nil  no  more  efficient  clerk  of  the  circuit  court 
has  ever  occupied  the  position  than  tin  present 
incumbent,  Duncan  C.  Best.  In  the  office  of 
county  clerk  the  names  of  Shirley,  Raymond. 
K.cihly.  Hendricks,  Seymour  and  Shoemaker 
form  a  list  of  aide  and  courteous  officials. 
George  Raymond  died  suddenly  and.  unex- 
pectedly. While  a  Republican  in  politic-,  yet 
he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  county  clerk  by 
good  majorities.  B.  A.  Hendricks,  a  very  affa- 
ble gentleman,  and  dining  his  first  term  in 
office  a  most  efficient  clerk,  died  by  his  own 
hand,  leaving  a  testimony  in  this  rash  act 
that  wine  is  a  mocker  and  that  strong  drink 
is  raging,  and  lie  that  is  deceived  thereby  is 
not  wise.  At  the  time  of  B.  A.  Hendricks' 
election  to  the  office  of  county  clerk  no  young 
man  had  brighter  prospects  than  lie.  and  Ins 
friends  cherished  the  hope  that  at  some  future 
time,  in  positions  of  greater  trust  than  that 
of  count v  clerk,  he  might  aspire,  and  the 
author  well  remembers  that  in  private  eonver- 

,;,i he   had    admitted  that  he  had  hopes  of 

something  greater.  In  an  evil  hour  the  demon 
of  strong  drink  exerted  a  mastery  over  the 
man  and  led  him  captive  to  his  own  destruc- 
tion. These  remarks  are  made  out  of  the 
kindest  feeling  for  the  dead,  hut  if  we  find 
some  unpleasant  things  to  chronicle  whose 
narration  will  sound  a  warning  to  others,  we 
shall  feel  that  the  story  told  is  not  sacriligeous 
nor  is  it  unkind  to  the  memory  id'  'he  dead. 
John  Shoemaker,  who  is  serving  his  second 
term,  is  a  most  faithful  servant  of  the  people. 
I  failed  to  note  in  my  remarks  three  of  out 
late  sheriffs,  notably  Henry  X.  Randall,  Hen 
Cassiday  and  the  preseni  sheriff,  John  Miller. 
Montgomery  county  has  reason  to  congratulate 
herself  that  she  ha-  been  served  by  a  trio  of 
such  excellent  officials.  The  long  line  id'  coun- 
ty judges  who  deserve  mention  would  form 
quite  a  list.  From  among  them  we  enumerate 
the  following:  Lane,  Kingsberry,  Phillips. 
Miller,  Allen.  Cooper  and  McMurray.  In  this 
Montgomery  county  has  been  especially  favored, 
for  her  judges  have  been  men  of  character,  and 
in  no  instance  can  we  recall  any  dereliction 
to  duty.  Our  state's  attorneys  have  been  force- 
ful prosecutors,  and  most  of  them  have  been 
promoted    to   higher    positions,    notabh    Miller 


and  Allen  to  the  judgeship  and  Thomas  M. 
Jett  to  congress,  and  in  our  young  and  ener- 
getic  present  prosecuting  attorney  we  arc  well 
pleased  and  hope  for  him  a  wider  sphere  of 
usefulness  at  no  distant  day.  Mr.  Hill  en- 
joys and  deserves  the  confidence  of  the  peo- 
ple as  a  public  official.  The  count]  treasurer's 
office  has  been  ably  tilled  by  such  men  as  ••.Inn" 
Haynes,  Columbus  Preeland,  John  Green  and 
Dan  Brown,  the  preseni  incumbent,  all  of 
whom  were  mosl  excellent  men  and  public 
servants.  Dan  Brown,  the  present  treasurer. 
is  the  son  of  Martin  Brown,  who  has  lived  in 
llarvel  township  for  many  years.  Dan  is  a 
rugged,  stanch  young  Democrat  and  a  worthy 
son  of  Uncle  Martin,  who  has  been  dubbed 
•■King  of  the  Irish."  We  expect  greateT  things 
yet  from  our  young  friend  "Dan."  The  earliest 
school  commissioner  of  the  county  was  Butler 
s'eward  and  after  him  we  have  few  names  that 
are  remembered  until  we  reach  that  of  Jesse 
('.  Barrett.  This  able  and  efficient  county  su- 
perintendent did  as  much,  and  possibly  more 
than  any  other,  to  elevate  the  standard  of  pub- 
lic instruction  in  Montgomery  county.  II is 
long  period  of  service  enabled  him  to  accom- 
plish certain  ends  that  a  short  period  of  years 
could  not  have  done.  Mr.  Barretl  was  rirtu- 
ally  superintendent  of  the  county  schools  for 
a  period  of  thirteen  year-.  During  the  first 
four  years  he  was  assistani  superintendent  b 
Thomas  E.  Harris,  but  the  direction  of  the 
affairs  of  the  office  devolved  upon  him.  At  the 
ck.se  of  Mr.  Harris'  term.  Mr.  fiarrett  was 
elected  and  re-elected  si.  that  he  was  able  to 
accomplish  much  good  in  the  system  which  he 
had  adopted  for  the  management  el  the  district 
schools.  No  superintendent  of  this  county 
ever  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  the  teachers  to 
a  greater  degree  than  did  .lesse  Barrett.  This 
the  writer  can  affirm,  because  it  was  In-  prov- 
ince to  he  one  of  the  profession  during  Mr. 
Barrett's  administration.  Succeeding  Mr. 
Barretl  was  the  writer  of  this  article,  and  if 
there  was  anything  commendable  in  hi-  admin- 
istration, it  was  the  fact  that  the  state  course 
of  study  was  adopted  throughout  the  county 
during  his  term  of  office.  A  strong  corps  of 
teachers  lent  their  support  to  his  administra- 
tion   and    whatever    of    success    attaches    to    it 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OK    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


689 


eame  by  reason  of  their  loyal  support.  We 
should  like  to  give  a  list  of  the  names  of  those 
teachers,  but  space   forbids  and   lest   we  might 

forget  to  mention  .- i  one  of  the  more  worthy, 

we  must  be  content  to  refer  to  them  as  a  l»»l\ 
of  men  and  women  who  honored  their  profes- 
sion and  the  superintendent  whose  good  for- 
tune  it  was  («>  Labor  with  them.  Succeeding 
to  the  superintendence  was  W.  II.  Groner,  of 
Litchfield.  Mr.  Groner  had  been  one  of  the 
leading  teachers  of  Montgomery  county  for 
many  years  and  his  election  to  the  superin- 
tendence was  a  fitting  recognition  of  the  serv- 
ices which  he  bad  rendered  as  a  teacher  in  the 
public  schools.  Mr.  Groner's  administration 
was  eminently  successful.  He  saw  to  it  that 
the  state  course  was  applied  to  all  of  the 
schools  in  so  far  as  it  was  practical  and  the 
system  of  graduating  under  the  state  course 
that  bad  been  adopted  during  the  previous  ad- 
ministration was  carried  out  and  gradually  the 
objections  which  had  been  urged  against  the 
state  course  during  its  early  adoption  disap- 
peared. At  the  rinse  of  his  term  Mr.  Groner 
did  tint  care  to  stand  For  re-election  and  \Y.  J. 
Mr-David,   the    present     incumbent,     succeeded 

to  il dice  of  county  superintendent  .1!  schools, 

Mr.  McDavid  has  made  a  faithful  and  efficient 
officer  and  so  far  as  we  are  advised,  is  main- 
taining the  high  standard  of  efficiency  in  our 
public  schools.  His  re-election  last  year  evi- 
dences the  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  and  the 
satisfaction  of  the  people  with  his  administra- 
tion. The  men  wdio  have  been  signally  hon- 
ored from  Montgomery  county  by  election  to 
federal  offices  present  but  a  short  list.  No- 
tably  Judge  E.  Y.  Rice,  Edward  Lane  and 
Thomas  M.  .left.  Judge  Rice  served  this  con- 
gressional district  as  its  representative  in  the 
early  70s.  Prior  to  his  election  he  lived  in  the 
city  of  II  illsboro,  and  the  old  Rice  home  is  one 
of  the  landmarks  of  that  city.  Situated  in  a 
beautiful  forest  of  virgin  oaks  and  elms,  it 
presents  rather  a  pastoral  appearance  and  it 
was  here  thai  Judge  Rice  passed  the  closing 
years  of  an  eventful  and  useful  life.  Although 
hut  a  youth  at  the  time.  I  can  well  remember 
the  speeches  made  by  Judge  Rice  in  his  canvass 
for  congress,  and  my  father's  country  store 
being   quite   a    rendezvous    for   the   citizens   in 


the  south  part  of  the  count),  one  of  his  dates 
was  sure  to  include  "Traylor's  store,"  and  here. 
from  the  old  porch  as  a  rostrum,  it  is  said  that 
the  lion.  E.  Lam;  made  his  first  political 
speech.  James  Davis  and  later  his  son  Robert 
W.  Davis  were  wont  to  address  the  voters  of 
this  section  from  the  same  rostrum.  Edward 
Lane  was  next  to  serve  Montgomery  county 
ami  the  district  as  representative  to  congress 
Mr.  Lane  was  elected  to  several  terms  in  the 
popular  branch  of  congress,  and  during  his  in- 
cumbency of  that  office  he  won  a  national  repu- 
tation. .Mr.  Lane  is  an  especial  friend  of  \Y 
•  I.  Bryan  and  the  soundness  of  his  Democracy 
has  never  been  questioned.  We  regard  Judge 
Lane  as  the  ideal  lawyer.  Hi-  life  has  been 
one  id'  struggle  ami  his  indefatigable  energy 
has  won  for  him  a  competency  and  to-day  lie 
is  reckoned  one  of  the  solid  financial  men  1 
our  county.  Thomas  M.  Jett,  the  younger 
of  the  trio,  also  served  several  terms  in  the 
national  congress.  Mr.  Jett,  by  his  forceful- 
ness,  won  his  way  to  congress  while  but  a 
young  man.  and  though  by  the  re-districting 
Mr.  Jett  was  thrown  in  the  same  district  with 
lien  Caldwell  id'  Springfield,  it  is  probable 
that  had  he  cared,  he  mighl  have  secured  the 
nomination  over  that  gentleman.  That  \l 
Jett  has  a  bright  outlook'  for  the  future,  his 
friends  are  glad  to  believe.  That  he  is  d  - 
serving  the  people  of  Montgomery  county,  re- 
gardless of  party,  are  five  to  acknowledgi 
Mr.  Jett,  associated  with  Mr.  Kinder,  consti- 
tutes one  of  tin'  strong  law  firms  of  the  count',. 
It  might  be  well  at  this  time  to  consider  the 
topography  of  the  county  in  general.  V 
every  grade  of  soil  is  to  be  found  in  the  county. 
In  the  extreme  northern  part,  which  in  the 
earlier  settlement  consisted  of  wide  stretches 
id'  flat  boo-  lands  unsuited  to  any  purpose 
known  to  the  early  settler,  ami  the  south  part 
consists  of  rolling  prairies,  which  loose  them- 
selves in  the  hill  sections  along  the  creeks.  In 
the  eastern  part,  especially  in  the  south  part 
of  Audubon  township  and  southeast  Fillmore. 
111  in  li  hill  land,  that  is  suited  only  to  orchard 
and  grazing  purposes.  The  land  in  these  si 
lions  has  a  good  clay  sub-soil,  wdiich  renders 
them  especially  adapted  for  apple,  peach,  pear. 
plum  and  small   fruit   growing.     In  many  parts 


690 


AST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


we  find  most  excellent  springs  thai  provide 
living  water  throughout  the  year.  Jn  the 
south  pari  of  East  Fork  and  in  much  of  Gris- 
hain.  Irving,  Walshville  and  South  Litchfield 
are  found  extensive  tracts  of  whal  is  known  as 
post-oak  flats.  These  sections,  which  have 
been  universally  regarded  as  the  poorest  soil. 
are  under  the  superior  class  of  cultivation  that 
is  being  given  by  some  of  our  German  fanners 
thai  they  may  be  made  very  productive.  This 
grade  of  soil  seems  to  respond  more  readily 
to  fertilization  than  any  other.  The  close  and 
compact  nature  of  this  soil  makes  it  aecessarj 
to  use  some  means  by  which  it  may  be  made 
more  porous.  The  use  of  the  cow  pea  and 
red  clover  as  plant  fertilizers  are  admirably 
adapted  to  post-oak  soil.  -Most  ol  the  hill  land 
is  of  a  reddish-  east,  and  by  careful  manage- 
ment i"  prevenl  washing,  is  among  the  most 
fertile  soils  of  the  county.  The  writer  was 
pleased  to  observe  some  upland  of  tins  char- 
acter, belonging  to  Jacob  Booer,  which  this 
year  will  undoubtedly  yield  from  sixty  to 
eighty  bushels  of  corn  per  acre.  When  it  is 
remembered  that  tins  land  lias  been  in  culti- 
vation for  a  period  of  seventy-five  years,  we  are 
lead  to  conclude  that  soil  does  not  wear  out. 
hut  that  by  intelligent  and  careful  manage- 
ment, thai  all  grades  of  Montgomery  county 
soils  may  be  made  more  productive.  The 
virgin  timber  has  almosl  disappeared,  but  much 
of  a  younger  growth  is  yet  to  be  found  in 
the  south  pari  of  the  county.  Only  a  few 
years  ago  it  was  not  difficult  to  find  oak.  syca 
more  ami  cottonwood  three  feet  at  least  in  di- 
ameter, but  to-day  one  might  travel  many  miles 
without  ever  discovering  a  single  representative 
of  the  virgin  forest.  Originally  the  timber 
growth  of  our  section  consisted  of  white  oak. 
post  oak,  black  oak,  Spanish  oak  and  pin  oak. 
the  white  and  scaly  hark  hickory,  the  white 
and  the  red  elm.  the  wild  cherry,  the  haek- 
berrv,  the  black  walnut,  and  along  the  stream- 
many  very  large  sycamore  and  cottonwood 
trees.  Among  the  different  growths  not  suited 
to  the  use  as  lumber  were  the  crab  apple, 
prickly  ash.  black  haw.  rod  haw.  mulberry, 
persimmon,  redbud  and  various  other  shrub- 
like  trees.  If  was  not  difficult  thirty  years  ago 
for  bovs  in  their  jaunts  through   the   forest  to 


supply  themselves  with  berries,  mils,  grapes, 
plums  ami  such  oilier  fruit-  a-  grew  in  abun- 
dance over  the  hills,  and  to-day  the  men  and 
women  of  forty-five  and  fifty  years  old  well  re- 
member  when,  a.-  little  tots  on  their  wa\  to 
school,  the\  stopped  to  gather  the  wild  straw- 
berries in  the  spring  or  to  gather  in  the  au- 
tumn the  hickory  nuts,  black  haws  and  per- 
simmons. We  well  knew  that  the  wild  crab, 
after  it  had  laid  through  the  winter  covered 
by  the  leaves,  was  not  had  to  the  taste  when  all 
other  apples  were  gone,  and  you  hoys  who  are 
older,  that  chance  to  read  this  sketch,  will 
understand  what  1  mean  by  sweet  root  time. 
Tin  boys  in  our  schools  to-day  would  laugh 
at  the  expression,  but  to  the  boys  of  thirty-five 
and  forty  years  ago.  the  sweet  root  was  sought 
after  ami  much  prized  by  them.  Oftentimes. 
in  company  with  others,  we  have  played  hookey 
at  school  in  the  spring  when  the  frosl  hid  gone 
out  of  the  ground  and  sweel  root  time  was  at 
hand.  For  the  information  of  present  day 
boys,  1  will  state  that  the  tap  root  of  the  small 
hickory  was  the  article  after  which  we  spent 
so  much  time  to  secure.  Quite  a  good  many 
medicinal  shrubs  and  plants  were  to  be  found 
growing  in  different  parts  of  the  timbered  sec- 
tion of  the  county.  The  sassafras,  shumaeh. 
alder,  prickly  ash,  bitter-sweet,  red  root,  sarsa- 
parilla.  yellow  root,  bone  set.  black  cohosh,  gin- 
seng, sweet  ennis  and  many  others  with  which 
the  local  doctor  alone  was  acquainted.  The 
geolog]  varies  in  different  parts  of  the  county. 
In  the  south  part,  after  passing  through  the 
soil,  we  come  to  a  light  colored  checked  clay 
formation.  This  is  succeeded  by  several  feet 
of  vellow  granular  clay,  which  in  turn  i-  un- 
derlaid by  a  bed  of  sand,  which  contains  a 
good  quality  of  hard  water.  Underlying  this 
first  bed  of  sand  is  a  calcareous  deposit  which 
undoubtedly  gives  to  the  water  its  lime-like 
nature.  Underneath  this  lime  rock  is  a  blue 
.lav  formation,  which  varies  in  depth  with  lo- 
cation. This  is  again  succeeded  by  a  bed  of 
quicksand  in  most  parts  of  the  southern  sec- 
tion of  the  county.  The  water  from  wells 
which  tap  this  second  bed  of  sand  is  not  usual!) 
of  such  bard  quality  as  water  furnished  from 
ih.'  lir-f  strata  of  sand.  In  different  parts  of 
the  county   we  have  chalybeate  springs,  some 


PAST    AMI    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


691 


containing  sulphate  of  iron,  others  magnesia 
and  others  salts  of  various  kinds.  There  is 
but  little  rock  formation  near  the  surface  in 
am  part  of  the  county.  Near  Rocky  Ford,  on 
West  Shoal,  is  the  most  pronounced  formation 
to  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  county.  If  we 
should  ever  determine  to  build  a  system  of 
hard  roads,  it  is  apparent  that  some  other 
substance  besides  rock  would  have  to  be  used 
in  the  construction,  and  it  lias  occurred  to  the 
writer  thai  the  greal  bods  of  tire  clay  under- 
lying our   coal    measures   might  soi lay   be 

utilized  in  making  a.  species  of  paving  brick 
suited  to  this  purpose.  While  but  few  autos 
are  in  use  outside  the  great  cities,  it  has  been 
demonstrated  thai  as  vehicles  for  carrying  pur- 
poses they  are  practical  machines,  and  the  time 
is  not  far  distant  when  these  horseless  carriages 
will  be  owned  and  operated  by  some  of  the 
wealthiest,  farmers.  The  demand  Eor  hard 
roads  is  uoticeable  in  almost  every  section  oJ 
the  country,  and  state  conventions  have  hem 
called  to  devise  some  means  by  which  this  de- 
mand may  be  satisiied.  The  great  cost  at- 
taching to  the  construction  of  hard  roads  across 
our  wide  prairies  is  an  item  of  expense  that 
looks  scary  to  the  average  farmer.  In  the  con- 
struction of  gravel  roads  in  the  vicinity  of 
Charleston.  Illinois.  1  rind  that  the  minimum 
cost  has  been  in  the  neighborhood  of  one  thou- 
sand dollars  per  mile.  1  have  but  little  Faith 
however,  in  the  endurance  of  this  class  of  hard 
roads,  and  parties  in  that  neighborhood  as- 
sured me  that  during  the  open  muddv  winter 
of  1902-3  that  these  sand-gravel  surfaced 
roads  were  little  better  than  the  well  graded 
dirt  road.  With  an  inexhaustible  supply  of 
material  out  of  which  to  make  paving  brick 
and  millions  of  tons  of  cheap  coal  wherewith 
to  burn  them,  we  are  certainly  in  a  position 
not  only  to  make  hard  mads,  hut  to  make  them 
of  the  best  quality.  Roads  that  when  once 
constructed  will  last  for  hundreds  of  years. 
The  American  people  in  the  matter  of  road 
building  have  been  quite  unlike  the  ancient 
Roman  with  whom  they  have  so  frequently 
been  compared.  While  the  Roman  republic 
took  pride  in  building  great  highways,  and  it  is 
to  tin-  credit  of  that  people  that  many  of  these 
roads  are  yet  in  use.  the  purpose  of  their  con- 


struction hardly  justified  the  building.  As  the 
Roman  highway  provided  a  means  he- the  rapid 
movement  id'  her  armies  from  one  part  of  the 
empire  to  the  other,  the  building  of  American 
roads  should  !"■  for  more  laudable  purposes. 
Returning  to  our  subject  of  the  geological 
st  i  eel  ure  el'  our  county,  we  will  notice  the  coal 
measures  which  within  recent  years  ha-  proven 

a    source   of    wealth    to    our    | pie.      The    first 

coal  mine  operated  within  our  county  was  at 
Litchfield,  Illinois.  The  coal  vein  worked  at 
that  time  was  from  three  to  four  feet  in  thick- 
lies-.  The  quality  of  the  coal  superior  to  that 
which  has  since  been  worked  in  the  thicker  vein 
lying  somewhat  below.  The  mine  at  Hillsboro 
has  been  in  operation  some  fifteen  years  and 
produces  a  superior  quality  of  coal.  This  has 
Keen  the  most  successfully  operated  coal  mine 
within  the  county.  In  the  development  of  this 
mine  the  operator.-  were  very  careful  not  to  rob 
the  pillars  so  as  to  occasion  a  "squeeze"  in 
the  work.  The  Kortkamp  Brothers  were  in 
charge  of  this  mine  lor  a  number  of  years  and 
the  character  ami  credit  of  the  work  belongs 
I,,  them.  In  strong  contrast  with  the  Btills- 
boro  mine  is  that  of  the  mim-  at  Coffeen,  where, 
1  am  told  by  expert  miners,  that  all  the  ad- 
vantages lav  with  the  mine  at  Coffeen.  A 
much  softer  lire  clay  beneath  and  less  "clod" 
between  the  coal  and  the  rock  above,  ill  other 
words,  a  better  bottom  and  a  belter  lop.  A 
vein  of  coal  ranging  from  seven  to  eight  Eeet 
in  thickness,  and  superior  in  quality  to  any 
other  coal  in  this  section  of  the  state.  With 
all  these  advantages  the  management  of  this 
shaft,  by  a  few  farmer  operators,  almost  wholly 
ruined  the  plant  and  bankrupted  themselves. 
So  anxious  were  the  stockholders  to  sei  ore 
early  dividends  upon  their  stock  thai  immediate 
robbing  of  pillars  commenced  on  the  opening 
,)!'  the  shaft.  An  observation  would  he  apt 
in  this  connection  that  the  "shoemaker  would 
better  stick  to  his  last."  The  men  who  as- 
sumed  the  management  of  the  Coffeen  mine 
were  farmers  who  had  been  more  than  ordina- 
rily successful  in  their  line.  W.  S.  Barry  and 
James  P>.  McDavid  were  both  men  of  ability 
and  each  had  succeeded  in  gaining  a  compe- 
tency as  a  Farmer  and  stock-raiser,  but  in  their 
management  of  the  Coffeen   mine,  no  more  ah- 


693 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OE    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


solute  failure  could  have  been  conceived.  Not 
only  did  they  bankrupt  themselves,  but  many 
of  their  friends,  who  shared  with  them  in  the 
responsibility  of  their  mining  venture.  The 
coal  industry  at  Coffeen  a1  the  present  writ- 
ing is  under  the  direction  of  successful  coal 
men  from  Pennsylvania.  These  operators 
have  been  able  not  only  to  put  the  mine  on  a 

asis  of  meeting  its  expenditures,  hut  must  cer- 
tainly have  proven  a  paying  venture,  as  the 
company  are  at  the  present  time  arranging  to 
sink  a  new  shaft  at  this  place.  The  coal  mine 
located  at  Paisley  has  been  in  a  measure  fairly 

- -st'ul.    The  coal  is  of  good  quality  and  the 

mine  has  been  kept  in  good  condition.  M  r. 
George  \V.  Paisley,  the  operator,  has  found  that 
it.  pays  well  to  employ  superintendents  who 
know  what  is  best  in  operating  and  developing  a 
mine.  Tin's  mine  has  the  largest,  output  of  any 
mine  in  our  county.  The  new  mine  at  Litchfield 
had  somewhat  of  an  experience  in  its  earlier 
management  like  that  at  Coffeen,  but  fortu- 
aately  for  the  mine  and  for  the  stockholders, 
the  concern  was  thrown  into  the  hands  of  a  re- 
ceiver and  J.  D.  Crabbe,  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful coal  operators  in  Illinois,  was  made 
receiver.  Under  his  management,  it  was  soon 
put  on  a  paying  basis  and  I  am  informed  that 
very    recently   it    sold    at     figures    considerably 

above  the  capita]  stock.    At  Ray ml  is  a  coal 

mine  of  small  capacity.  The  quality  of  the 
coal  is  good,  hut  the  vein  is  only  about  three 
feet  in  thickness,  so  that  as  a  commercial  mine, 

t  can  not  hope  to  accomplish  very  great  things. 
The  per  diem  tonnage  of  the  several  mines  of 
Montgomery  county  is  in  the  neighborhood  of 
throe  thousand  tons,  and  the  several  mines  em- 
ploy in  the  neighborhood  of  seven  hundred 
men.  Much  talk  of  a  new  nunc  at  Nokomis 
and  Donnellson  is  heard.  Prospecting  has 
been  made  at  each  place,  and  vein-  of  from  six 
to  seven  feet  have  been  discovered.  Quite  a 
number  of  years  ago.  when  the  old  Litchfield 
mine  was  in  operation,  the  observance  of  the 
aci  umulat  ion  of  oil  in  the  "sump"'  led  some 
parties  at  Litchfield  to  make  investigations  in 
regard  to  petroleum  deposits.  A  very  heavy 
black  oil  was  discovered  and  several  wells  were 
sunk,  for  quite  a  number  of  years  this  oil 
v.i-  sold  to  the  trade  for  lubricating  purposes, 


but  for  some  reason  these  wells  have  not  been 
operated  for  some  time.  1  am  not  in  position 
to  say  whether  the  oil  deposit  did  not  exist  111 
sufficient  quantity  to  pay  for  the  operating  or 
whether  influences  existed  that  made  it  more 
profitable  to  shut  the  wells  down.  The  gas 
llou  from  a  well  in  the  vicinity  of  Litchfield 
was  reasonably  strong,  and  tor  some  months 
alter  its  discovery  exhibited  at  night  quite  a 
spectacular  appearance  when  allowed  to  burn. 
Prom  what  has  preceded,  1  am  satisfied  that  in 
the  near  future  attempts  will  he  made  to 
more  fully  prospect  tor  oil  and  gas  within  the 
limits  of  our  county.  Several  tile  and  brick 
factories  have  been  operated  in  different  parts 
of  the  count}7.  A  very  line  quality  of  brick  has 
been  made  for  many  years  at  Hillsboro,  and 
the  brickyards  of  Marshall  and  Seymour  have 
furnished  brick  to  build  most  of  the  brick 
structures  throughout  this  section  of  the  coun- 
try. These  yards.  I  believe,  are  both  now  out 
of  use.  hut  the  hriek  and  tile  factory  near  the 
coal  mine  at  Eillsboro,  anil  a  similar  one  at 
Litchfield,  ami  another  at  Ohlman,  supply  the 
ever  increasing  trade  in  this  class  of  building 
material.  Some  years  ago  it  was  thought 
much  more  expensive  to  build  out  of  hriek.  but 
tin1  rapid  increase  in  the  value  of  all  grades  of 
lumber  has  so  increased  the  price  of  frame 
building  that  in  the  future  business  houses 
especially  will  he  erected  out  of  brick,  and 
there  will  he  no  excuse  for  having  a  lire  limit 
in  our  villages  and  towns.  It  will  he  only  a 
matter  of  dollars  and  cents  with  the  advantage 
in  favor  of  brick  structures.  The  agricultural 
products  consist  of  corn,  oats,  wheat  and  rye, 
with  timothy  and  clover  hay  produced  in  large 
quantities.  Luring  the  period  of  1875-85  va- 
lla' great  wheat  decade,  and  during  some  of  the 
years  Montgomery  county  produced  a  million 
bushels  of  wheat.  It  was  no  unusual  thing  for 
fields  of  hundreds  of  acres  to  average  thirty 
to  thirty-five  bushels  per  acre,  and  as  some 
countries  have  their  golden  age.  certainly  it 
was  at  this  period  that  we  had  a  wheat  age. 
The  results  of  the  rich  harvests  of  1879,  1880 
and  1882  occasioned  greater  improvements 
among  the  Earming  classes  in  the  way  of  nice 
home.-,  good  barns,  etc..  than  all  the  accumula- 
tions that   hail   preceded   it.    Since   1 S85  clima- 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


693 


tic  changes,  chintz  bugs  or  Hessian  flies  have 
made  it  almost,  impossible  to  grow  a  crop  of 
wheat,  and  our  farmers,  after  many  failures, 
have  turned  their  attention  to  other  crops  such 
as  corn,  oats  and  hay.  Much  of  the  hill  land 
in  the  south  part  of  bhe  county  has  been  seeded 
to  pasture  and  stock  raising  has  become  one  of 
the  essential  features  of  Montgomery  county 
farming.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  county, 
where  the  soil  is  deep  and  black,  corn  raising 
is  the  principal  item  of  agriculture.  The 
north  half  of  our  county  lies  within  what  is 
known  as  the  corn  belt,  while  the  south  half 
is  diversified,  fruit  growing,  stock  raising 
and  mining  filling  up  the  measure  of  her  in- 
dustries. In  the  early  history  of  the  state. 
Montgomery  county,  with  others,  saw  lit  to  ex- 
tend aid  i"  certain  railroads,  if  they  should 
construct  their  line  across  her  boundaries,  hi 
this  way  a  county  indebtedness  of  some  fifty 
thousand  dollars  was  assumed  by  the  people. 
lint  tins  burden  has  long  ami  been  lifted  and 
we  are  free  to  express  the  opinion  that  the 
voters  of  forty  years  ago  acted  wisely  in  se- 
curing  the  mad.  Our  county  has  been  most 
fortunate  at.  all  times  in  having  wise  counsel- 
lors in  its  financial  management.  Our  neat 
little  court  house,  which  is  ample  for  all  our 
needs,  was  built  out  of  the  funds  from  the  sale 
of  swamp  land  that  had  been  donated  to  the 
county  by  the  genera]  government.  While 
some  of  our  sister  counties,  notably:  Macou- 
pin, to  build  her  magnificent  courthouse,  al- 
most  bankrupted  her  | pie.  our  county  must 

consider  that  theirs  has  been  in  a  sense  a  gift 
from  the  general  government.  To  this  dispo- 
sition of  our  swamp  land  fund,  we  are  indebted 
to  the  influence  of  such  farsighted  men  as 
Judge  Rountree  and  Judge  hi  Lane:  and  when 
we  remember  that  the  present  structure  was 
erected  under  the  head  of  repairs,  we  are  the 
more   indebted   to   them    for  inviting  criticism 

(which  T  am  inl'ori 1  was  given  without  stint) 

for  the  courage  manifested  in  securing  to  the 
people  this  lasting  tribute  to  their  wisdom. 
\o  county,  perhaps,  within  the  state  presents 
a  better  condition  financially  and  otherwise 
than  does  Montgomery  county  to-day.  With 
not  a  dollar  of  public  debt,  with  nil  her 
public     buildings     in     good     repair,    and    with 


a  balance  in  her  treasury,  surely  the 
county  is  in  a  position  to  look  the  fu- 
ture in  the  face  with  much  hope  and 
wide    expectation.     We    have    a    county     farm, 

where    our    i v    unfortunate    ] r    are    kept, 

and  he  it  said  to  the  credit  of  the  over- 
seers, Edward  Barringer,  that  m  a.  spirit  of 
kindness  ami  much  indulgence,  he  endeavors 
to  make  the  stay  of  these  unfortunate-  as  com- 
fortable as  conditions  will  allow.  I  miulit  here 
remark  that  we  have  been  very  fortunate  in 
securing  the  services  of  keepers  of  the  poor 
farm  for  many  years,  men  of  broad  sympathy, 
who  are  not  apt  to  forget  that  in  the  whirli- 
gig id'  affairs  the  man  of  fortune  to-day  might 
become  the  pauper  of  to-morrow.  These  men. 
acting  along  the  hues  of  the  golden  rule,  have 
tried  to  do  unto  others  as  if  they  were  the 
others.  1  shall  mention  in  this  connection 
John  Stobb  and  ••Ruck"  Williamson  ami  the 
present   incumbent,  Mr.  Barringer. 

Some  years  ago  the  city  of  Litchfield  estab- 
lished her  city  court  and  thus  gave  much  re- 
lief in  our  circuit  court.  Colonel  Amos  Oiler 
was  elected  to  the  judgeship  of  the  city  court 
of  Litchfield,  lie  presided  over  that  court 
with  dignity  and  fairness  and  won  for  himself 
a  reputation  of  a  fearless  and  upright  judge. 
Judge  Oiler  was  succeeded  in  office  by  Paul 
McWilliams,  a  young  attorney  of  force  and 
ability.  Judge  McWilliams,  when  elected,  was 
the  youngest  judge  officiating  in  that  capacity 
within  the  state.  Mr.  McWilliams  has  fully 
met  the  expectations  of  his  friends,  while  those 
who  opposed  him  because  of  his  youth,  ac- 
knowledge their  surprise  in  the  soundness  of 
bis  decisions  and  the  dignity  with  which  he 
presides  on  the  bench.  Judge  McWilliams  has 
increased  in  popularity  with  the  people  ol 
Litchfield,  and  a  sense  of  the  responsibilities  id' 
the  position  which  he  holds  has  added  i  decided 
judicial  cast  of  mind.  We  believe  in  Judge 
McWilliams'  future  and,  in  our  forecast,  place 
him  in  a  most  honored  position.  We  shall  now 
lake  up  a  short  sketch  of  each  of  the  townships 
in  their  order,  and  in  doing  so  we  must  be  brief 
as  we  find  the  space  allotted  to  u-  is  rapidly 
being  Idled. 


lilM 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


HILLSBOEO  TOWNSHIP  AND  CITY. 
\~  Eillsboro  township  is  the  more  important 
in  the  early  settlement  of  the  county,  we  will 
give  ii  first  place  in  the  sketches,  which  we 
desire  to  present  in  these  pages.  As  has  been 
previously  stated,  the  Srs1  settlement  within 
the  township  was  made  at  Eillsboro  in  1817, 
or  nearly  ninety  years  ago.  The  children  horn 
in  that  frontier  settlemenl  within  the  first  dec- 
ade, if  Living  to-day,  would  be  aged  men  and 
women.  Among  the  early  pioneers  we  have 
mentioned  a  goodly  number  in  our  article 
relative  to  the  county  in  general,  but  we  prom- 
ised to  extend  the  list  when  we  came  to  make 
up  the  record  of  the  townships  and  we  desire 
to  name  in  addition  to  those  previously  men- 
tioned, Benjamin  Rose,  William  and  Charles 
Linxwiler,  George  II.  Anderson,  Robert  Mann, 
Mark  Rutledge,  William  Knight,  John  Bos- 
tick,  James  Grantham,  .lames  Wiley,  William, 
John  and  Charles  Cannon.  C.  B.  Blockberger, 
Solomon  Harkey,  Joseph  Miller.  John  S.  I  lay- 
ward.  Charles  Holmes,  Jacob  Wilson,  John 
Slater.  Alexander  S'cott,  Wesley  Seymour,  John 
Dickerson,  Ira  Boone.  William  Brewer, 
Thomas  Sturvetant,  Alfred  Durant,  John 
Meisenheimer,  Ned  Gossage,  E.  B.  Hubble  and 
James  Blackmail.  While  these  do  not  give  a 
complete  list  of  the  earlier  settlers  of  Hills- 
boro,  yet  the  records  which  I  have  examined 
make  special  note  of  them.  A  record  of  the 
old  Dutch  families  in  New  York  has  enabled 
some  very  fertile  and  resourceful  historian  to 
establish  class  distinctions  by  reference  to  this 
list  of  first  families.  We  hardly  believe  that 
an\  attempt  will  be  made  to  construct  a  Four 
Hundred  for  Eillsboro  out  of  the  references 
which  we  make  of  the  pioneer  ancestors  of  the 
very  respected  citizens  of  our  county  scat. 
Nevertheless,  it  will  be  a  matter  of  pride  to  be 
able    to    number    one's    ancestry    among    those 

hardy    pioi rs    whose    energy     and     industry 

carved  out  of  the  wilderness  this  noble  heritage 
which  we  possess.  I  will  remark  here  that  in 
the  preparation  of  this  work  I  have  frequently 

1 n    asked,   •■who   constitute    the    pioneers"? 

This  question  is  somewhat  difficult  to  answer 
by  reason  of  the  fact  that  many  of  our  indus- 
tries were  rather  late  in  their  development,  so 
that   a   pioneer  in  agricultural  lines  might   not 


necessarily  have  belonged  to  the  same  decade  as 
a  pioneer  in  some  manufacturing  industry.  1 
will  instance  that  the  old  woolen  mills  that 
stood  in  the  south  part  of  town  would  date 
as  a  pioneer  institution  of  its  class.  I  think 
that  we  arc  -ale  in  classing  all  who  came  to 
our  county  in  the  first  two  or  three  decade-  of 
its  history  as  early  settlers,  or  those  who  came 
within  the  period  of  1816  to  1850.  1  find  in 
the  Gazeteer  of  Illinois,  published  in  1834,  this 
reference  to  the  town  of  Eillsboro:  "That  it 
is  (he  scat  of  justice  of  Montgomery  county,  is 
situated  twenty-eight  miles  northwest  from 
Vandalia.  It  has  six  stores,  four  taverns,  three 
blacksmiths,  three  carpenters,  one  cabinet- 
maker, two  physicians,  two  tanneries,  one  shoe- 
maker, two  tailors,  .me  tinner,  a  postoffiee,  land 
agency  office  by  John  Tilson.  Jun.,  Esq.,  fifty 
families  and  about  two  hundred  and  titty  in- 
habitants. It  is  situated  in  an  elevated  region 
near  Middle  Fork  and  Shoal  Creek.  The 
Presbyterian  society  in  this  place  has  built  a 
neat  brick  edifice  in  the  modern  style  for  a 
house  of  worship.  Hillsboro  is  a  healthy  and 
flourishing  town.  The  principal  roads  from 
Vandalia  to  Springfield  and  another  from  Shel- 
byville  to  Alton  pass  through  this  place."  I 
further  note  that  the  vote  of  Montgomery 
county,  east  in  1834,  was  four  hundred  and 
seventy-five,  and  that  the  population  of  the 
county  was  four  thousand  four  hundred  and 
thirty-eight.  And,  again  in  the  table  of 
county  officers  for  the  year  1834,  that  the  name 
of  Hiram  Rountree  alone  appears  as  circuit 
clerk,  probate  judge  ami  magistrate,  but  in 
Looking  over  this  table  I  find  that  in  the  more 
than  sixty  counties  that  were  organized  at 
that  time  the  same  condition  appears  in  eleven 
other  instances,  (hat  is.  where  one  man  seems 
to  hold  all  the  county  offices,  and  in  this  list 
is  the  county  of  Cook'  with  R.  I.  Ham- 
ilton virtually  the  public  administrator.  John 
Reynolds  was  the  governor  of  the  state  at  this 
tone  and  our  United  States  senators  were 
Elisha  K.  Kane  of  Kaskaskia  and  John  M.  Rob- 
inson of  Carmi.  Tit.'  state  was  divided  into 
but  three  congressional  districts  and  the  newly 
elected  representatives  whose  terms  were  to 
commence  are  given  as  follows:  the  first  dis- 
trict was  represented  by  John   Reynolds,   Bell- 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNT! 


695 


villr :  the  second  district  by  Zadok  Casey  oi 
Mount  Vernon;  and  the  third  district  by  Wil- 
liam J,.  Min  of  Springfield.  These  items  oi 
inti  resl  given  in  connection  with  the  settle- 
ment of  Hillsboro  are,  that  the  reader  ma\  be 
able  to  arrive  at  the  more  correct  conclusion 
by  association  with  these  points  in  our  state 
history.  While  the  village  of  Hillsboro  con- 
tained but  two  hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants  in 
1834,  it  contained  the  elements  of  citizenship 
that  were  soon  to  make  it  an  educational  center 
for  the  people  of  this  section  of  the  state-,  ac- 
cordingly in  1836  with  John  Tilson  as  moving 
spirit  the  Hillsboro  Academy  was  projected 
and  Professor  Isaac  Wetherill.  with  his  wife  as 
associate  in  the  female  department,  was  select- 
ed to  superintend  and  instruct  in  this  new  in- 
stitution of  learning  which  had  sprung  up  in 
the  wilderness.  Professor  Edward  Wyman 
and  Miss  E.  F.  Hadley  wore  selected  as  assis- 
tants to  Professor  Wetherill,  Miss  Hadley, 
however,  having  charge  of  the  department  of 
music.  To  this  institution  of  learning  many  of 
the  boys  and  girls  who  received  academic  in- 
struction in  our  county  for  the  succeeding 
forty  vears  are  indebted  to  the  "Old  Academy." 
The  course  of  instruction  provided  was  both 
classical  and  scientific.  In  fact,  providing  a 
basis  for  a  course  in  any  of  the  eastern  insti- 
tutions of  learning.  For  many  years  the  pride 
of  Hillsboro  was  its  academy,  for  it  brought  a 
most  desirable  class  to  reside  here  that  their 
children  might  have  the  advantages  of  a  higher 
education.  With  the  inauguration  of  a 
"higher"  course  of  instruction  in  connection 
with  the  public  schools  dates  the  decline  of 
the  smaller  academic-  and  colleges  in  the  west, 
ami  the  academy  at  Hillsboro  was  no  exception, 
lint  was  compelled,  for  lack  of  patronage,  to 
close  it-  doors  some  twenty-five  or  thirty  years 
ago.  We  will  mention,  however,  that  the  old 
structure  was  used  for  high  school  purposes 
by  the  city  schools  for  some  few  vears  later. 
By  way  of  criticism  upon  somebody,  ami  T 
am  at  loss  to  lie  able  to  fix  responsi- 
bility, 1  call  attention  to  the  desecration 
of  the  old  college  building,  by  using  it 
as  a.  horse  barn  and  pig  sty  and  that  in 
a.  most  public  place,  where  every  passerby 
who    enters    Hillsboro    bv    the  Vandalia    road 


must  view  this  old  building  put  to  shame. 
far  better  had  the  torch  beeii  applied  when 
the  period  of  its  usefulness  was  over.  Then 
might  the  students  who  unci'  cherished  memo- 
ries of  the  ipiamt  yet  uoble  s1  rui  t  tire,  as  it 
stood  among  the  maple  trees  in  the  south  part 
of  tln>  city,  >till  feel  reverence  for  our  Alma 
Mater.  Its  massive  columns,  ".nine-  it  the  ap- 
pearance of  some  ancient  seat  of  learning, 
made  us  believe  that  really  we  had  been  t" 
college.  The  female  department  or  Ladies" 
High  School,  which,  by  the  way,  was  the  firsl 
of  its  kind  in  the  state,  did  not  prove  as  suc- 
cessful as  had  been  anticipated.  A  few  years 
later  the  attempt  to  seggregate  the  students 
was  abandoned  and  co-education  of  the  sexes 
was  adopted  and  proved  eminently  satisfac- 
tory. The  building  formerly  used  as  the  fe- 
male department  is  now  occupied  by  the  Hills- 
boro Journal  as  an  office  and  press  room.  If 
the  academy  proper  could  have  been  preserved 
as  a  museum  or  Lyceum  building,  more  credit 
might  attach  to  those  responsible  lor  its  re- 
moval from  its  ancient  grounds  and  its  present 
desecration.  Apart  from  the  city  of  Hills- 
boro the  home  of  Joseph  McAdams  was  the 
most  prominent,  because  of  the  first  courts  of 
the  county  having  I n  held  there.     This  place 

is   about    three   miles   (o   the   Southwest    of   Hills- 

boro.  Hut  few  representatives  of  Joseph  Mc- 
Adams' family  remain  in  the  county,  and 
1  am  informed  that  of  the  twelve  chil- 
dren of  the  elder  McAdams,  not  one  is 
living  to-day.  Alexander  McWilliams  set- 
tled ahout  four  miles  west  of  Hillsboro, 
ami  not  a  few  of  his  descendants  are  liv- 
ing in  the  county  at  the  present.  John  Mc- 
Williams, one  1^1'  the  early  business  men  of 
Litchfield,  was  a  son  of  Alexander  McWilliams. 
William  Cannon,  who  settled  in  Hillsboro 
township  some  four  miles  south  of  the  city 
of  Hillsboro  in  the  year  1824,  has  possibly  left 
as  many  descendants  as  any  of  the  earlier  set- 
tlers of  the  county.  His  sons  were  '"Chuck." 
Janus.  Sam.  Joint  ami  Martin,  all  dead  hut  the 
last,  and  all  left,  several  children  each.  His 
daughters  are  Christena  Edward-,  S'usan  Green, 
Betsey  Steven-.  Permilla  Grisham,  Sarah  Vick- 
orv,  \orah  Edwards,  Mamh  McCalister  and 
Mariab   Huffman  and  Martha  Pence,  nil 


G96 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF   MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


exeepl  Mrs.  Huffman.  "Uncle  Billy"  Cannon, 
as  he  was  known,  has  through  these  children 
descendants  reaching  into  the  hundreds.  About 
the  time  of  the  settlement  of  William  Cannon, 
his  brother-in-law,  Horace  Mansfield,  made  a 
settlement  in  the  same  aeighborhood.  Mr. 
Mansfield  was  the  father  of  the  late  George 
Mansfield  and  of  Mrs.  John  Price,  also  long 
since  dead.  Each  of  these  left  several  children. 
among  whom  is  C.  C.  Mansfield,  banker  at 
Donnellson,  Illinois.  Mrs.  Fred  Holmes  and 
the  Late  Frank  Mansfield,  of  Hillsboro,  Illi- 
nois. -Mrs.  Price  left  quite  a  family  of  chil- 
dren, among  whom  are  John,  Thomas,  Isaac, 
Joseph,  .lames.  George  and  Clement,  most  of 
whom    have    removed    to    other     states,     while 

James,   i reliant  at    Donnellson,  and    Isaac 

and  Joseph  living  mi  Farms  in  Grisham 
township,  are  tlii'  only  ones  remaining  in  the 
home  neighborhood.  John  Crabtree,  Sr..  set- 
tled not  far  from  the  McAdams'  settlement, 
and  here  built  and  operated  one  of  the  first 
mills  in  the  country.  This  antique  horse  mill 
later  gave  way  to  what  was  known  as  the  <>ld 
Pepper  mill.  This  latter  was  run  l>v  a  water 
wheel.  Init  the  volume  of  water  being  small 
necessarily  made  the  process  of  grinding  ex- 
tremely slow,  ami  it  is  related  that  when  a 
grist  was  brought  the   patrons  would   camp  in 

the   neighborh I    for   days   together   until    his 

turn  was  reached.  This  slow  process  gave  the 
name  Pepperbox  to  the  mill.  One  of  the  first 
-aw  mills  to  be  operated  in  this  township  was 
put  up  by  Mr.  Blockberger,  near  the  city  of 
Hillsboro.  These  earlier  industries  have  long 
since  given  way  to  the  most  modem  equip- 
ment. The  Glenn  Brothers'  flouring  mill  was 
fo:  mam  years  one  of  the  besl  in  tin-  section 
of  tin-  state,  and  some  of  the  besl  equipped  siw 
mills  have  cut  into  boards  the  virgin  forest 
that  covered  the  larger  part  of  Hillsboro  town- 
ship. When  we  reflei  t  t  bat  much  t  iniber  of 
superior  quality  was  heaped  into  pile-  of  logs 
that  formed  the  settlers'  clearing  and  reduced 
in  ashes,  we  are  made  to  fee]  that  there  was 
wanton  destruction  of  much  timber  that 
ought  to  have  been  preserved,  but  the  settler 
was  excusable  in  this,  that  he  found  the  prairie 
-od  more  dillicult  lii  prepare  for  cultivation 
than    the   soil   of  the  timbered    portions   of   the 


county.  Consequently,  moving  along  the  lines 
of  leasi  resistance,  we  find  all  the  earlier  set- 
tlements made  in  the  woodland  near  springs 
or  streams  of  living  water.  Many  reasons  are 
found  why  this  was  the  more  inviting  section 
for  settlement.  The  "clearing"  furnished  rails 
sufficient  for  the  fencing  of  the  little  field,  and 
it  was  not  necessary  to  have  a  wagon  to  haul 
the  rails  to  the  line-  where  the  fence  was  to 
be  built,  but  these  were  made  near  where  they 
were  to  be  used  and  thus  much  extra  labor 
avoided.  These  patches  were  not  cultivated 
for  any  number  of  years  for  the  class  of  culti- 
vation -non  impoverished  the  soil,  and  these 
fields  were  turned  out  as  waste  and  other 
patches  were  cleared  for  tillage.  It  is  a  re- 
markable fact  that  many  of  these  small  fields 
have  since  been  reclaimed,  and  by  present 
methods  restored  to  former  fertility.  It  may 
be  of  interest  to  the  reader  to  know  that  in 
breaking  the  soil  oftentimes  the  prong  of  a 
forked  stick  capped  by  a  piece  of  steel  or  iron 
offered  the  only  means  of  preparing  the  soil 
for  planting.  Somewhat  later  this  gave  way 
to  the  bull  tongue,  and  this  to  the  bar-share, 
and  this  later  t<>  plows  of  the  presenl  form  and 
fashion.  There  are  to  be  found  yel  within  the 
county  some  few  examples  of  the  old-fashioned 
plow-.  The  wooden  mold  board,  with  a  lew 
strips  of  iron,  has  been  preserved  by  Daniel 
Cress,  of  Fillmore  township,  and  on  his  farm 
may  be  seen  many  of  the  implements  used  by 
his  father  fifty  or  sixty  years  ago      At  or  near 

the  til f  the  settlement   of  the   Markovs  and 

the  Brewers,  at  Hillsboro,  the  father  of  Amos 
and  All'  Sawyer  settled  on  the  farm  just  east 
of  town,  near  the  Vandalia  mad.  Mr.  Sawyer 
wa-  a  valuable  acquisition  to  the  neighborhood 
of  Hillsboro.  Being  an  eastern,  man  and 
schooled  to  industry  and  economy,  his  example 
was  not  lost  on  hi-  neighbors,  many  of  whom 
bad  come  from  the  slave  states  of  the  south. 
Tbe  paralyzing  effeef  of  slavery  upon  the  en- 
ergies of  the  white  race  of  the  south  was  not 
so  marked  as  it  became  later,  yet  i  be  easy, 
happy-go-lucky  of  the  southern  settler  was  no- 
ticeable even  at  this  time,  and  so  this  injection 
of  a  little  eastern  spirit  and  enterprise  was 
most  fortunate  for  our  people.  The  popula- 
tion   of   our   county    i>    largeh    made    up   of    a 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF  MONTGOMERY    COUNTY                      c; 

citizenship  of  equal  parts  Yankee  and  Cava-  dren,  of  whose  whereabouts  1  am  not  informed, 
lier.  The  Eormer  ingTedienl  being  of  the  old  Jacob  Cress  and  Helen,  his  wife,  were  members 
Puritan  stock  and  the  latter  "noble  blood"  if  of  the  Lutheran  church,  and  Rev.  Daniel 
vim  please.  Out  of  this  blending  of  types  has  Sherer.  father  of  Mrs.  Cress,  organized  the 
cornea  generation  of  men  and  women  of  hardy  Evangelical  Lutheran  church  in  Eillsboro 
physique  and  nobleness  of  character  such  as  about  1823.  Lucretia,  the  only  daughter  of 
is  not  surpassed  in  qualities  of  manhood  and  Jacob  Cress,  married  a  Mr.  Blackman  ami  re- 
womanhood  by  any  people  in  the  world.  Alt'  sides  at  Dixon,  Illinois.  ILis  two  suns,  Benja- 
Sawyer  was  engaged  For  many  years  in  mer-  min  ami  Joseph,  arc  in  business  in  the  west, 
chandising  in  the  city  of  Hillsboro,  Inn  fur  the  On  the  Cress  Hill,  as  you  go  toward  Butler, 
past  several  years  has  given  his  attention  al-  live  All  ami  Frank  Cress,  who  arc  representa- 
tnosf  wholly  to  his  agricultural  interests.  Ee  tives  of  Absalom  Cress,  Sr.  Tin-  branch  of 
married  Ellen,  daughter  of  William  Brewer,  by  the  Cress  family,  which  settled  near  Hillsboro, 
whom  be  has  reared  a  very  interesting  family  has  done  much  to  promote  the  general  interests 
of  -ons.  Dr.  Amos  Sawyer  is  among  the  most  of  the  county.  Judge  William  Brewer,  who 
successful  practitioners  in  the  i m.  The  came  to  Illinois  in  L834  ami  afterward  set- 
Doctor  married  a  Miss  Dent,  of  Missouri.  Shu  tied  at  Hillsboro,  in  L839,  was  for  mam  years 
is  a  near  relative  to  the  wile  of  President  one  of  the  -"lid  financial  men  of  tin-  county. 
Grant.  Mi's.  Dr.  Sawyer  is  wideh  known  for  Judge  Brewer  was  elected  judge  of  tin1  probate 
her  work  in  the  Women's  Christian  Temper-  court  in  L843.  He  was  the  first  Whig  ever 
ance  Union.  The  Sawyer  daughters  became  elected  to  office  in  tin-  county,  hut  so  aceepta- 
Mrs.  Mr.  Fink  ami  Mrs.  Best.  The  latter,  ble  was  ho  that,  he  was  re-elected  in  L845  ami 
after  a  period  of  some  years  in  widowhood,  again  in  1st;.  In  1850  he  was  elected  to  rep- 
was  married  to  Justice  Jesse  .1.  Phillips,  of  resent  this  district  in  the  stair  Legislature. 
Hillsboro.  By  Iht  first  husband  she  has  two  He  served  two  tonus  in  tins  capacity  am!  re- 
sons  and  one  daughter:  Duncan  ( '.  Best,  our  fused  to  become  a  candidate  lor  re-election.  In 
present  Circuit  Clerk,  Thomas  Best,  of  the  1853  Judge  Brewer  was  elected  to  the  office 
United  States  army,  and  Miss  Amy  Host,  who  of  justice  of  the  peace,  and  it  is  related  that  of 
at  the  present  writing  is  at  home  with  her  the  many  eases  decided  in  his  court,  that  not 
mother,  hi-,  pink  left,  bv  his  last  wife,  two  one  was  ever  reversed  on  an  appeal.  It  is 
son;-  ami  one  daughter.  William,  the  elder  further  told  that  he  joined  in  marriage  more 
son.  resides  somewhere  in  the  east.  Dr.  Hugh  coivples  than  any  other  man  within  the  coun- 
t'ink  practices  dentistry  in  the  city  of  Hills-  ty.  having  muled  one  hundred  ami  twenty- 
boro,  ami  Julia  i-  the  wife  of  County  Judge  seven  couples  in  the  happy  bonds  of  wedlock. 
Mi  Murray.  Mary  Fink,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Judge  Brewer  was  very  successful  in  his  land 
1.  W.  Fink  by  a  previous  marriage,  is  the  wife  investments,  and  having  unbounded  faith  in 
of  Henry  Cory,  who  lives  on  the  old  Cory  the  increasing  valuation  of  Illinois  lands,  he 
homestead,  near  the  bridge  on  the  Butler  road,  put  all  of  his  available  cash  into  that  class  of 
Jacob  Cress,  who  settled  near  Hillsboro  as  property,  ami  when  ho  died  \w>  real  estate 
early  as  1818,  left  two  sons.  Absalom  and  Ja-  holdings  were  among  the  largest  individual 
cob.  Absalom  has  been  dead  for  quite  a  mini-  properties  ill  the  county.  He  left  three  elnl- 
ber  of  rears,  and  "Uncle  .lake."  as  he  was  dren:  Maw.  the  wife  of  S.  M.  Grubbs,  of 
known,  died  only  a  short  while  ago  from  inju-  Litchfield;  Ellen,  wife  of  Alt  A.  K.  Sawyer, 
ties  thai  he  received  in  a  fall  from  a  wagon,  of  Hillsboro;  and  William  II..  of  Hillsboro, 
The  sons  of  Jacob  Cress  are  A.  A.  ('res-,  of  recenth  deceased.  Solomon  Harkey  came  to 
Hillsboro,  who.  with  his  son  Ed,  conducts  an  Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  ami  settled  on  a 
extensive  real  estate  business;  Samuel  Cress,  farm  near  Hillsboro  in  is:;:;,  lie  had  re- 
a  successful  hardware  merchant  of  Sorento,  moved  from  his  North  Carolina  home  to  llli- 
Illinois,  ami  William  S.,  who  resides  on  the  nois  in  1828  and  had  worked  at  his  trade,  of 
old   homestead.     There   are   several   other  chil-  tanner,   for  West  &  McKee,  near  Edwardsville, 


1398 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


for  some  years.  In  1831  he  was  married  to  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  Cress,  of  Hillsboro,  and  this 
possibly  accounts  For  bis  settling  near  (Ins 
place.  Solomon  Harkey  was  a  must  public 
spirited  num.  and  many  of  the  enterprises  set 
on  foot  in  Hillsboro  owed  their  origin  to  his 
energj  and  push.  As  a  stock  breeder  he 
evinced  more  interest  than  any  other  man  in 
this  section  of  the  country.  Imported  Norman 
torses  and  the  best  breeds  of  eattle  were  to 
be  found  in  Mr.  Harkey's  stalls  and  on  his 
farm.  Forty  years  ago.  when  Montgomery 
county  held  its  annual  fair,  Mr.  Harkey  never 
failed  to  carry  off  some  of  the  best  premiums. 
He  belonged  to  that  class  of  men  who,  by  de- 
siring the  best,  added  materially  to  the  gem  ral 
average  in  the  best  of  all  classes  of  stock.  Xot 
alone  is  Mr.  Harkey  remembered  for  what  he 
did  to  better  conditions  in  agriculture  and 
stock  raising,  but  for  the  earnestness  of  his 
Christian  life.  It  is  said  thai  be  was  con- 
verted under  the  preaching  of  the  Rev.  Peter 
Cartwright  in  1830,  who  was  holding  a  series 
of  meetings  in  the  Methodist  church  at  Ed- 
wardsville.     Colonel   Paul    Waller,  though  not 

to  In'  regarded  as  a ng  the  earlier  settlers  of 

Sillsboro  township,  deserves  mention  at  least 
in  a  work  of  this  kind,  because  of  the  many 
enterprises  I  hat  lie  sought  to  establish  in  the 
community.  Naturally  of  an  adventurous 
turn  of  mind,  when  the  gold  fever  of  1849 
swept,  over  the  country,  Paul  Walter  was  one 
of  the  first  to  make  arrangements  to  take  a 
party  across  the  plains  anil  the  mountains  to 
Hie  new  Eldorado  in  California.  He  made 
several  trips  to  the  Land  of  Gold,  and  inci- 
dentally secured  for  himself  quite  a  little  for- 
tune fur  that  day.  He  later  settled  in  Hills- 
boro  and  built  the  grain  elevator  down  at  tin1 
depot  and  the  Walter's  stable,  now  used  by  the 
Brown  Brothers  as  an  agricultural  wareroom. 
Unlike  Mr.  Harkey,  whose  sketch  precede-  tin-, 
the  sporting  nature  of  Mr.  Walter  led  him  to 
fanej  East  horses,  trotters  ami  pacer.-  being  his 
specialties,  and  some  of  the  fastest  horses  be- 
longing to  these  classes  in  our  county  were 
owned  by  Colonel  Walter.  At  the  county  fairs 
before  mentioned,  Colonel  Walter  was  a  very 
familiar  figure,  ami  though  many  years  have 
gone  bv.  1   fancy  1  can  see  him  driving  around 


the  small  ring  of  the  amphitheater,  calling  out 
the  names  of  the  prize  winners  in  the  ililtereut 
classes  of  the  exhibits  at  the  fair.  This  honor 
seemed  to  he  accorded  to  him  by  common  ion- 
sent  and  well  did  he  perform  his  part.  1  have 
thought,  as  I  have  listened  to  Colonel  Walter 
discussing  the  points  of  excellence  in  a  horse, 
that  surely  if  any  man  ever  worshipped  at  the 
shrine  nf  superior  Imrsellesh  ;  it  was  the  old 
Colonel.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
i  he  owner  of  Illinois,  a  stallion  that  was  after- 
wards sold  to  George  Gould  for  ten  thousand 
dollars.  Colonel  Walter  left  surviving  him 
several  children,  among  whom  are  Mrs.  John 
R.  Challacombe,  Miss  Sue  Walter,  George  Wal- 
ter, Scott  Walter  and  Miller,  the  youngest  son. 
James  Clotfelter,  one  of  the  few  old-timers 
that  remains  settled  in  East  Fork  township 
about  three  miles  southeast  of  Hillsboro,  but 
for  quite  a  good  many  years  he  has  resided  in 
the  city.  Mr.  Clotfelter,  as  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser,  has  been  wonderfully  successful,  lie 
owns  quite  a  huge  farm  in  Hast  Pork  and 
Hillsboro  townships,  and  to  his  credit  we  may 
say  that  possibly  he  has  fed  and  shipped  more 
fat  cattle  to  market  than  any  other  feeder  in 
Montgomery  county.  While  other  men  were 
content  to  (m]  cattle  through  a  period  of  a 
few  years,  Mr.  Coltfelter  has  made  it  a  busi- 
ness for  almost  half  a  century.  If  cattle  were 
high  priced.  Mr.  Coltfelter  had  some  to  sell, 
and    if    low    priced,    possibly   as    many    were    to 

be    found    in    his    £ I    lots,    but    by    persistent 

effort  in  one  line  of  business,  lie  lias  secured 
a  competency,  and  in  his  old  age  may  enjoy 
the  comforts  which  a  sufficiency  of  this  world's 
goods  brings.  Mr.  Clotfelter  has  reared  a  very 
interesting  family  of  children,  among  whom 
are  the  wive-  of  Thomas  M.  .Toft,  Dr.  W.  A. 
Allen.  James  Brown,  Ah  Cress  and  Tom  Wil- 
liamson. Ralph  is  his  only  son  and  takes  an 
interest  with  his  father  in  stock-raising  and 
feeding.  Stokes  clotfelter.  a.  brother  of  James. 
was  a  man  of  great  force  of  character;  not  sat- 
isfied with  doing  things  mi  a  small  scale,  he  was 
oftentimes  engaged  in  some  mammoth  transac- 
tion requiring  the  expenditure  of  thousands 
of  dollars.  At  one  time  we  find  him  building 
the  large  brick-  structure,  which  bears  his  name, 
on   Main  street,  or  erecting  a  handsome  dwell- 


PAST    AM)    PEESENT    OP    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


099 


ing,  a1  a  cosl  of  fifteen  or  twenty  thousand 
dollars,  and  again  we  find  him  in  Kansas  City 
as  one  of  the  mosl  extensive  buyers  for  the  east- 
ern markets.  No  venture  seemed  too  big  for 
Umli'  Stokes.  These  adventurous  spirits  have 
then-  place  iii  the  upbuilding  of  everj  com- 
munity, and  of  their  energy  and  means  the 
community  in  genera]  is  usually  benefited.  We 
believe  this  is  true  of  the  subject  discussed, 
though  in  his  declining  year-  financial  em- 
barrassment came  upon  him,  vet  the  faithful 
chronicler  of  men  and  time  will  not  deny  thai 
his  name  be  preserved  with  that  of  his  con- 
temporaries. Another  character  that  we  desire 
to  notice  is  Joseph  T.  Eccles,  who  lor  many 
years  was  one  of  the  mosl  energetic  ami  public- 
spirited  men  <>f  the  county  seat.  Mr.  Eccles 
was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  ami  came  to  Van- 
dalia.  Illinois,  aboui  1830,  where  he  remained 
until  ahout  1840,  when  he  removed  to  Hills- 
boro  and  engaged  in  merchandising.  Mr. 
Eccles  was  a  member  id'  the  constitutional  con- 
vention, held  at  Springfield,  1847,  and  he 
nominated  Richard  Vales,  the  elder,  for  gov- 
ernor in  the  convention  at  Decatur,  Illinois, 
[n  i860.  In  polities,  Mr.  Eccles  was  originally 
a  Whig,  but  on  the  formation  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  he  became  identified  with  it.  and  in 
Montgomery  county  was  regarded  a-  its  leading 
representative.  The  Glen  Brothers,  John  and 
James,  have  done  much  for  Hillsboro,  having 
established  the  Glen  flouring  mills,  and  being 
for   many   years    the    largest   buyers   of    wheat, 

ihc\    i issarily    became   acquainted   with    the 

farming  community  throughout  the  county. 
Later  they  were  instrumental  in  organizing  the 
Montgomery  Count}  Loan  &  Trust  Company 
Bank.  These  boys  were  of  Irish  origin,  having 
been  hum  mi  the  "Old  Sod."  They  came  with 
their  father,  Thomas  S.  Glen,  to  the  United 
States  in  Is:;;.  James  Glen  was  for  many  years 
president  of  the  bank  which  they  bad  estab- 
lished. The  brothers  own  large  landed  estates 
near  Hillsboro.  John  F.  (Men  was  captain  of 
a.  company  in  the  Civil  war,  and  it  was  re- 
ported that  lie  never  had  occasion  to  put  a  man 
in  the  guard  bouse.  When  lie  felt  it  necessary 
to  discipline  a  soldier,  it  was  done  on  the  spot 
and    the    incident     was    closed    at     once.      These 

brothers    enjoy    the    esteem    of    all    wdio    know 


them,  ami  while  they  have  retired  from  the 
duties  i>!'  active  life,  their  Influence  is  felt  in 
the  social  and  political  life  of  the  commu- 
nity. It  must  he  a  pleasure  after  years  of  ac- 
tivity in  business  pursuits  to  be  able  to  retire 
feeling  that  we  have  wronged  no  man  and  that 
the  justly  earned  competency  may  he  enjoyed 
without  reproach  oh  conscience  or  hitter  re- 
gret. Judge  E.  V.  Rice,  having  received  no- 
tice in  a.  preceding  chapter  as  one  of  the  hon- 
ored citizens  of  Montgomery  county,  came  to 
Hillsboro  in  1844.  At  this  time  be  was  a 
young  and  rising  attorney,  having  just  com- 
pleted a,  course  ..I'  study  with  John  M.  Palmer 
nf  Carlinville.  Mr.  Rice  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  recorder  of  deeds  in  1st;  and  in  is  is 
ha  was  honored  with  an  election  to  the  lower 
bouse  of  the  legislature.  In  1851  he  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  county  judge  and  from 
1853  to  1857  received  the  appointment  of 
master  in  chancery.  In  the  latter  year  be  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  circuit  judge  and  served 
until  1867,  when  he  resigned  to  accept  a  nom- 
ination to  congress  from  the  old  Tenth  district, 
lie  was  a  member  of  the  constitutional  conven- 
tion, which  prepared  the  present  constitution 
.if  the  Mate  of  Illinois.  Judge  Rice  left  the 
impress  of  his  example  upon  the  bar  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  and  il  may  he  truly  said  of 
him  thai  hi-  high  character  bad  much  to  do 
with  elevating  the  moral  standards  which  are 
universall]  recognized  by  the  bar  of  our  county. 
Judge  Rice  left  hut  two  children,  .lames  E.  Y.. 
who  at  present  is  connected  with  tin.-  Hills- 
boro Coal  Company;  and  Mrs.  Mary  Miller, 
wife  of  Judge  . Vinos  Miller,  of  Hillsboro. 
Though  Judge  Mice  has  been  dead  for  some 
voars.  be  is  remembered  by  a  wide  circle  of 
friend-  who  will  not  forget  bis  genial,  kindly 
nature  and  pleasing  manner.  Captain  Thomas 
Phillips  was  line  of  the  earlier  settlers  of  Hills- 
boro township.  The  old  Phillips  farm,  situ- 
ated west  el'  Hillsboro,  was  one  of  the  most 
improved  country  places  in  the  county  fifty 
years  ago.  I  laptain  Phillip-  later  in  life  re- 
moved in  the  city  of  Hillsboro  and  was  much 
interested  in  the  raising  of  fine  breeds  of  horses 
ami  cattle.  In  my  search  T  find  that  Thomas 
Phillips  was  second  lieutenant  in  a  company 
that   served   under  Hiram  Rountree  as  captain 


700 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


in  the  Black  Hawk  war  in  L832.  I  do  not  find 
in  the  records  of  the  war  of  L832  or  of  the  war 
with  Mexico  that  Thomas  Phillips  served  as 
captain  of  any  company.  I  am  led  therefore 
to  conclude  that  the  fact  of  his  having  been  a 
lieutenant  in  Rountree's  company  occasioned 
his  having  been  called  Captain  Phillips.  I 
will  note  in  passing  that  possibly  in  the  day 
when  the  muster  was  in  vogue  that  Mr.  Phil- 
lip-; might  have  been  captain  of  the  militia.  It 
might  be  of  interest  to  note  in  this  connection 
that  in  the  period  from  the  formation  of  the 
county  until  about  1840  it  was  the  custom  to 
have  muster  rolls  from  three  to  live  times  each 
year.  On  these  occasions  all  the  able-bodied 
citizens  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  forty- 
live  were  required  to  attend.  These  were  times 
when  these  who  were  disposed  might  imbibe 
freely  of  I  he  good  old  corn  juice  or  whiskey  of 
that,  period.  We  can  hardly  suppose  that  much 
fraud  was  practiced  in  that  early  day  in  the 
manufacture  of  decoctions  that  to-day  are  sold 
over  the  bar  for  whiskey,  at  least  some  of  our 
citizen-  assure  me  that  the  art  of  making  whis- 
key out  of  poisonous  drugs  had  not  come  into 
general  use.  Speaking  further  of  the  family 
.if  Thomas  Phillips,  we  would  state  that  sev- 
eral of  liis  sons  have  been  prominently  before 
the  people  in  various  ways.  His  oldest  son. 
Henry  Phillips,  followed  in  the  footsteps  of 
his  father  and  gave  attention  to  the  raising  of 
line  -lock.  Burrell,  who  is  yet  living  at  Hills- 
boro,  was  for  many  years  a  buyer  and  shipper 

of  cattle  and  bops   from  that  market.     At  

time  Burrell  Phillips  represented  this  sena- 
torial district  in  the  lower  house  at  Spring- 
field. Mr.  Phillips  was  a  popular  official  and 
is  remembered  very  kindly  by  hi-  man\  friends 
throughout  the  district.  Sidney  B.  Phillips, 
a  third  son.  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Shilob. 
Genera]  Jesse  J.  Phillips,  recently  deceased. 
was  Montgomery  county's  most  honored  citi- 
zen. Serving  through  the  Civil  war.  he  arose 
from  the  rank  of  captain  to  that  of  major 
general,  and  it  was  said  by  the  late  Governor 
Oglesby  that  Jesse  J.  Phillips  was  the  greatest 
soldier  in  the  army  of  the  west.  That  lie  was 
one  of  the  greatest  lawyers  in  the  state  does 
not  require  other  evidence  than  bis  elevation 
to  the  supreme  bench  of  the  court  of  the  stale 


of  Illinois.  Be  served  as  chief  justice  of  the 
state  and  his  decisions  while  on  the  supreme 
bench  established  many  precedents  in  mat- 
ters of  law  that  will  remain  as  monuments  to 
his  judicial  wisdom  as  long  as  common  law 
governs  courts.  This  eminent  jurist,  like  many 
other  great  men.  had  his  faults,  yet  an  in- 
dulgent  people  draw  the  broad  mantel  of  chan- 
ty over  his  frailties  and  remember  him  as  the 
incorruptible  judge,  the  great  lawyer,  the 
good  friend. 

In  closing  up  the  list  of  familiar  names  that 
have  bad  to  do  with  the  making  of  Hillsboro 
township  and  city,  we  will  mention  those  that 
come  readily  to  mind.  We  may  possibly  omit 
some  who  have  served  as  faithfully  and  who 
deserve  to  he  remembered  in  these  pages  as 
those  whose  names  appear.  William  C.  Miller. 
engaged  in  general  merchandising;  E.Douglas, 
druggist  i  Joe  Klar,  at.  the  old  Rountree  cor- 
ner; and  Wash  White  at  the  old  Sawyer  stand  : 
"Farmer"  John  Clotfelter,  who  keeps  grocer- 
ies; John  Barkley;  Duncan  Goad;  Ed  Stubble- 
field,  the  druggist;  Jim  Brown  and  Frank 
Brown,  hardware  and  implements;  and  Logan 
McDavid,  also  dealer  in  hardware,  are  some 
of  the  firms  that  for  several  years  have  been 
engaged  in  these  various  lines  of  trade  in  the 
city  of  Hillsboro,  and  we  must  not  omit  the 
young  men  whose  real  estate  deals  have  done 
so  much  to  further  the  improvement  of  the 
countv  -eat.  Jacob  J.  Frey  i-  one  of  the 
hustlers  whose  name  ha-  been  identified  with 
nearly  every  enterprise  connected  with  the 
progress  of  Billsboro  within  the  last  ten  or 
fifteen  years.  Stephen  D.  Canaday  has  also 
done  much  alone  the  same  lines  and  is  now  the 
nominee  of  the  Democratic  party  for  represen- 
tative to  the  state  legislature  from  this  dis- 
trict. Henry  Crawford  is  another  one  of  the 
boys  whose  efforts  have  helped  in  the  progress 
of  the  city,  and  William  Abbott,  whose  name 
will  appeal-  in  the  chapter  allotted  to  the 
Montgomery  county  bar,  ha-  also  hern  a  fac- 
tor in  building  up  the  solid  interests  of  the 
ciiy  and  surrounding  community.  Among  the 
physicians  who  stand  well  and  whose  repnta- 
tions  rest  upon  services  already  done,  may  be 
mentioned  Dr.  Will  Douglas,  Dr.  George  Clot- 
felter. Dr.   Fields,  fir.  Sawyer  and  Dr.  Mover. 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


01 


and  Dr.  S.  II.  McLean,  recently  deceased,  and 
the  late  Dr.  I.  W.  Fink.  Among  the  dentists 
are  Dr.  Wynans,  Eugh  Fink,  Dr.  Roberts  and 
Dr.  Colby.  Those  who  have  been  commis- 
sioned as  guardians  of  the  peace  arc  ('.  W. 
Grassel,  John  Maddox,  Alex  Cress,  whose 
courts  are  shunned  by  Law-breakers,  for  in  the 
dispensing  of  justice  they  have  earned  the  re- 
spect of  all  good  citizens  by  strict  enforcement 
of  law.  While  we  shall  close  the  narrative  of 
Hillsboro  township  and  city,  we  do  s«>  feel- 
ing thai  more  of  interest  remains  untold  than 
we  have  been  able  to  cover  in  this  short  story. 


NORTH     AND     SOUTH     LITCHFIELD 

TOWNSHIPS  AND  THE  CITY 

OF  LITCHFIELD. 

Much  that  Ave  shall  have  to  say  concern- 
ing the  city  of  Litchfield  and  the  immediate 
vicinity  we  owe  to  the  Coolidge  papers  pre- 
pared by  H.  A.  Coolidge,  of  the  city  of  Litch- 
field, for  a  previous  history  of  Montgomery 
county.  It  is  related  that  in  1818  Robert 
Briggs,  of  North  Carolina,  settled  in  North 
Litchfield  township,  near  the  present  home  of 
Martin  Ritchie,  and  that  he  had  previously 
lived  in  Walshville  township  for  a  period  of 
two  years,  bui  the  land  upon  which  he  had  set- 
tled in  that  township  having  been  entered  by 
another,  he  was  compelled  to  change  his  loca- 
tion, and  the  narrator  further  states  that  Mr. 
Briggs  left  his  cribs  of  corn  and  pushed  north 
a  few  miles  further  into  what  is  now  North 
Litchfield  township.  I  think,  however,  that 
due  allowance  should  be  made  in  speaking  of 
the  cribs  of  corn  left  behind  by  Mr.  Briggs 
When  we  consider  the  primitive  method  of 
raising  corn  in  1816-17  a  due  respect  for  Mr. 
Briggs  would  compel  us  to  state  that  the  con- 
ditions could  not  have  been  such  as  to  have 
necessitated  any  considerable  loss  on  the  part 
of  Mr.  Briggs  by  leaving  behind  his  corn  crop. 
When  Mr.  Briggs  left  Walshville  township  he 
conld  have  had  no  neighbors  of  more  than  one 
year's  acquaintance,  for  we  are  satisfied  that 
no  settlement  was  made  in  the  township  of 
Walshville    prior    to    1817.      I    think    that    we 


are  safe  iu  stating  that  Roberi  Briggs  and 
John  Mill  were  in  reality  about  contempo- 
raeous  in  sett  lenient.  'There  must  have  been 
sonic  "first  settler."  and  that  that  settler  was 
John  Hill  or  Robert  Briggs,  which  no  man 
living  is  able  to  tell.  In  the  year  1817  sev- 
eral families  made  settlement  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  South  Litchfield  township  and 
another    settlement    was    made   somewhat   later 

in  the  neighbor!] 1  of  Honey  Bend,  and  these 

settlements  were  the  nearest  neighbors  to  Mr. 
Briggs.  The  conditions  that  obtained  at  this 
early  date  would  appear  to  the  average  citi- 
zen of  to-day  as  almost  incredible.  A  few- 
patches  of  corn,  cultivated  by  the  most  rude 
and  primitive  implements,  obtained  for  the 
settler  a  few  bushels  of  corn,  out  of  which 
he  was  expected  to  have  his  year's  bread.  The 
forest,  with  its  game,  consisting  of  deer,  tur- 
keys, squirrels  and  opossums,  furnished  his 
table  with  meat.  What  they  had  of  swine 
was  but  little  better  than  the  wild  hops  thai 
are  to  he  found  in  parts  of  Arkansas  to-day. 
The  idea  of  feeding  corn  to  hoes  was  not  to 
he  thought  of.  but  they  were  slaughtered  as 
they  came  from  the  mast.  The  forests  were 
full  of  nuts,  such  as  hickory  nuts,  acorns,  haws, 
upon  which  these  semi-wild  hogs  grew  fat.  I 
am  told  by  some  of  the  older  citizens  that  the 
character  of  the  mast  upon  which  the  hogs 
were  fattened  could  he  known  by  the  peculiar 
flavor  of  the  pork.  Water  fowl  were  in 
abundance  during  the  early  spring  in  the  prai- 
rie lakes  and  along  the  streams.  The  quail 
and  the  prairie  hen  afforded  for  the  settler  his 
most  dainty  dish,  and  we  have  authority  for 
saying  that  squirrels  were  only  killed  to  keep 
them  from  eating  up  the  settlers'  corn.  There 
were  very  few  horses  in  use  as  draft  animals, 
and  the  family  that  could  boast  of  one  riding 
animal  was  rather  fortunate.  For  draft  pur- 
poses cattle  were  used  exclusively,  and  the  ox- 
cart was  about  the  only  vehicle  noticeable  as 
part  of  the  belongings  of  an  early  settlement. 
Many  of  the  settlers  in  their  removal  from 
flu  older  states  had  brought  with  them  cattle. 
sheep,  horses  and  usually  two  or  three  pigs.  Tt 
ma\  lie  a  matter  of  interest  to  relate  that  one 
reason  why  so  mam'  removals  were  necessan 
was  that   crops   sometimes   had   to  he   raised   i" 


;  1 1-.' 


PAST    AXJ)    PEESEJSTT    OK    M<  >.\TG<  >M  KKY    COUNTY 


enable    the   emigranl    to   have   bread    sufficient 

tn  carry  him  a  little  farther  in  the  wilderness, 
and  thus  we  find  many  of  the  settlers  coming 
by  way  of  Ohio  and  Indiana  stopping  Cor  a 
season  in  each  of  those  state-  and  then  push- 
ing farther  west  into  the  Illinois  country.  It 
must  have  appeared  to  those  pioneers  who 
braved  the  dangers  and  privations  of  the  early 
settlement  of  this  state  that  time  would  not 
come  within  the  next  hundred  years  that  would 
see  the  broad  prairie-  and  the  deep  forests  made 
into  beautiful  farms.  That  the  spirit  of  ad- 
venture led  these  men  into  the  wilderness,  the 
charm  that  surrounds  an  enterprise  in  which 
there  is  an  element  of  hazard  and  a  certain 
degree  of  clanger,  seems  to  have  fascinated  a 
class  of  men  who  enjoyed  the  experiences  of 
pioneer  life.  That  good  has  ultimately  come 
out  of  what  to-day  we  might  .justly  character- 
ize as  foolhardiness  we  must  acknowledge ; 
but  as  every  age  has  developed  a  spirit  best 
suited  to  its  peculiar  conditions,  so  the  age  of 
settlement  within  the  United  State-  gave  rise 
to  the  development  of  a  class  of  men  who 
found  pleasure  in  the  dangers  and  hardships 
attendant  upon  pioneer  life.  From  the  time 
when  we  find  John  Smith  lifting  his  voice  at 
Jamestown  in  his  ell'ort  to  preserve  that  early 
settlement  of  Virginia,  that  same  spirit  has 
made  itself  manifesl  through  all  these  years.. 
until  at  last,  swallowed  up  in  the  general  prog- 
re-,  of  the  age  in  which  we  live,  the  spirit  of 
adventure  is  now  passing  as  an  element  in  the 

\ nan    life.     1   have  sometimes  been  led  to 

believe  that  the  pent-up  energies  of  a  peo- 
ple may  find  expression  in  adventure,  in  deeds 
ol  daring  and  in  acts  of  heroism  that  might, 
under  other  conditions,  have  developed  a  class, 
who.  by  restraint  and  an  abridgment  of  the 
\i  Ider  1  iberl  ies  and  prh  ileges,  would  be- 
come criminals  who  would  despise  the  present 
order  of  thine-.  |n  fact;  it  is  the  opinion  of 
the  writer  thai  many  of  our  criminals,  had 
their  energies  been  properly  directed,  instead 
of  being  notorious  as  violators  of  the  law  they 
would  have  occupied  positions  as  forceful  lead- 
er- in  Held-  of  usefulness.  Criminals  are  but 
the  snarls  and  tangles  in  the  skein  of  so  ial 
life  that  evidences  a  condition  in  development 
of    •   youth    (hat    requires    a    wise   system    of 


education  to  overcome,  'that  we  must  pro- 
vide some  radical  changes  in  the  social  and 
the  industrial  order,  so  that  the  energies  of 
our  young  folk  may  he  expended  along  lines 
of  character  building  and  not  Leave  them  ex- 
posed to  such  development  as  of  necessity  must 
result  from  the  abnormal  conditions  that  oiv- 
ern  in  every  avenue  of  life  to-day.  Money  and 
the  possession  of  it  has  become  such  a 
dominant,  factor  in  our  present  economy  that 
every  ambition  ami  aspiration  leads  to  that 
goal.  It  has  deadened  the  sense  to  the  desire 
of  excellence  in  the  various  professions  and 
vocations  of  life.  The  question  no  longet  is. 
Shall  I  be  able  to  attain  first  place  or  rank- 
in  my  profession?  hut.  overshadowing  all.  is 
How  much  can  I  make  out  of  it?  In  other 
words,  by  dollars  and  cents  is  every  success  to 
he  measured.  Returning  again  to  the  settle- 
ments made.  I  find  that  the  Wilkinsons,  Hur- 
ley, the  Williams,  Mathews,  Roberts,  Locker- 
man  and  Thomas  Eughes  were  aboul  all  who 
had  as  yet  settled  near  Litchfield  as  early  as 
1S2S.  The  first  church  that  was  erected  in  the 
tow  nship  wa-  near  the  present  site  of  Hone] 
Bend.  It  was  built  ol'  logs.  Here  the  Bap- 
tist folk  of  that  earl\  <la\  were  wont  to  as- 
semble and  listen  to  those  long  and  tiresome* 
sermons  that  were  popular  with  the  primitive 
Baptist,  even  down  to  our  own  time.  These 
were  a  godly  people,  and  while  they  might 
indulge  in  a  dram  of  good  old  whiskey  occa- 
sionally they  were  an  austere  and  upright  peo- 
ple. In  the  neighborhood  of  Honey  Bend  was 
also  tlie  first  Methodist  meeting  house  The 
founder  of  the  sect  m  this  western  wilderness 
wa-  a  man  by  the  name  of  William  Williams, 
and  in  this  settlement  there  lived  one  Isaiah 
Hurley,  upon  whom  the  duty  of  village  school- 
master  devolved.  That  poor  Hurley  had  ex- 
periences far  from  pleasant  arc  matters  of  tra- 
dition. It  is  narrated  that  on  one  occasion  at 
Christmastime  the  big  boys  rod.'  poor  Hurley 
on  a  rail  and  ducked  him  in  the  branch  before 
n  would  consent  to  treat  the  school  to  a  gal- 
lon of  whiskey.  The  people  who  settled  along 
the  western  part  of  Montgomery  county  were 
nearly  all  from  the  southern  states.  I  find  it 
related  by  Mr.  Coolidge  that  Whiteside,  the 
Indian     fighter,    paid     annual    visits    to     Mr. 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


703 


Briggs,  and  he  states  thai  Whiteside  claimed 
that  a  battle  with  the  Indians  had  been  fought 
some  years  before  in  the  southeast  part  of 
North  Litchfield  township,  and  that  several 
Indians  had  been  killed  there.  IT  this  inci- 
dent be  true,  it  occurred  prior  to  any  recorded 
settlement  within  the  limits  of  the  county, 
Bennett  Woods  settled  on  land  east  of  Shoal 
creek,  in  North  Litchfield  township,  about 
L828,  and  John  and  .lames  Roberts  had  pre- 
viously formed  a  settlement  at  Eoney  Bend. 
In  L829  Thomas  ( '.  Eughes  made  settlement 
en  the  farm  at  present  owned  b]  Martin 
Ritchey  and  thus  became  a  near  neighborto  Rob- 
erl  Briggs.  In  1830  there  might  have  been 
six  or  seven  families  living  in  North  Litchfield 
township.  The  first  funeral  service  held  in 
the  township   was   in  1829  on  the  occasion  of 

the  death  of  Mrs.  Bennett  W Is,  and  the  first 

marriage  of  record  in  thai  town-hip  was  that 
of  Sarah  Briggs,  eldest  daughter  of  Robert 
Briggs,  to  Joshua  Martin.  James  S'treet,  the 
pioneer  preacher,  possibly  delivered  the  first 
sermon  in  that  township.  In  the  settlement 
of  Smith  Litchfield  township  we  find  Melcher 
Pogleman,  John  Norton  and  James  Bland  ; 
Spartan  Grisham  and  Theodore  Jordan  lived 
with  Pogleman;  thai  in  1824  Melchor  Fogle- 
man  removed  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  pep- 
per mill.  or.  as  it  was  called,  the  Clear  Spring 
settlement.  In  1820,  it  is  stated,  the  family 
of  Nicholas  Lockerman  was  the  only  one  liv- 
ing within  the  present  limits  of  South  Litch- 
field township;  that  the  population  of  the 
county  in  that  year  was  aboui  one  hundred. 
Within  the  succeeding  ten  years  but  six  fami- 
lies had  made  settlements  in  Smith  Litchfield 
township,  and  in  addition  to  others  named 
Simon  McAfee  and  James  Renter  settled  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  township.  Anthony  Street. 
brother  of  James  Street,  appeared  about  this 
time,  and  bis  ability  to  manufacture  gunpowder 
gave  him  quite  a  reputation  among  the  early 
settlers.  There  was  hardly  a  settlement  that 
did  not  have,  as  one  of  its  accessories,  a  "dis- 
till house  up  the  hollow,"  and  it  was  no  dis- 
credit for  any  one  to  engage  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  whiskey,  and  1  do  not  find  that  any 
form  of  beer  was  brewed  excepting  from  per- 
simmons.     T  am  told,  however,  that  persimmon 


beer  was  something  like  our  own  "lager,"  re- 
quiring large  quantities  to  satisfy  the  thirst 
for  drink.  Not  until  in  the  later  '30s  had 
orchards  appeared,  so  that  hard  cider  as  a  bev- 
erage   was    al st    unknown    until    about   1840, 

To  get  their  com  milled  in  the  early  history 
of  the  township  was  no1  the  least  id'  the  settlers' 
troubles.  They  must  either  go  to  mill  down 
to  Bdwardsville  or  else  over  to  old  Ripley,  in 
Bond  county.  To  do  either,  however,  required 
at  least  a  week"  or  so  from  home.  As  has  been 
stated  in  a  previous  chapter,  the  pepper  mill 
over  near  Billsboro  at  the  Clear  Spring  settle- 
ment was  built  in  IS'.' I,  but  the  capacity  of 
this  mill  made  it  a  source  of  annoyance,  espe- 
cially to  one  who  had  other  labors  to  attend  to 
or  business  cares  that  demanded  his  presence 
at  home.  John  Crabtree  settled  in  the  Clear 
Spring  neighborhood  and  afterward  came  into 
possession  of  the  pepper  mill  property.  Cut- 
reason  for  mentioning  at  this  time  Mr.  Crab- 
tree's  connection  with  South  Litchfield  is  that 
the  settlement  in  the  eastern  part  of  South 
Litchfield  might  properly  be  regarded  as  a 
part  of  the  Clear  Spring  settlement,  and  it  is 
rather  a  difficult  matter  to  keep  township  lines 
in  mind  as  we  attempt  to  chronicle  events  that 
pertain  to  the  settlements.  James  Copeland 
and  the  Forehands  crossed  Shoal  creek  to  the 
bluff  southwest  of  Truitt's  ford  about  1832. 
The  first  schoolhouse  built  in  South  Litchfield 
township  was  in  1838.  near  the  residence  of 
J.  N.  McElvain.  Tradition  reports  that  John 
Fogleman  taught  school  in  this  house  in  is  13. 
ft  is  well  to  remember  that  students  often  at- 
tended school  from  several  miles  distant,  and 
although  the  schoolhouses  were  far  apart  it 
was  no  unusual  thing  for  thirty  or  forty  pupils 
to  be  enrolled  in  some  of  the  school-  at  an 
early  day.  While  we  did  not  have  the  five- 
school  system,  yet  pupils  were  not  debarred 
from  attending  school  by  reason  of  an  inability 
of  parents  to  pay.  As  in  many  other  thin"-, 
the  spirit  of  liberality  obtained  with  reference 
to  school  privileges.  While  the  teacher  was 
compensated  in  various  ways  for  his  services, 
there  was  no  such  thing  as  a  fixed  salary  or 
stipend  upon  which  he  could  depend.  The 
school  usually  extended  through  September. 
October    ami    November,    and    the    tuition    was 


704 


PAST    .VXD    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


fixed  by  the  teacher  at  a  rate  of  from  one  dol- 
lar and  fifty  cents  to  two  dollars  per  term.  As 
money  was  almost  unknown  as  a  medium  of 
exchange,  the  tuition  was  payable  in  corn. 
pigs,  eattle.  eoonskins  and  what  nut  that  might 
pay  onv  other  obligation.  To  read,  to  spell  and 
to  "cipher"  and  to  he  able  to  write  was  thought 
to  fit  the  individual  for  any  possible  position  in 
lite,  ami  students  of  the  time  often  excelled 
in  some  one  of  these  branches  of  study.  Fair 
mathematicians  were  to  he  found  among  the 
students  of  these  early  schools.  Good  readers 
and  spellers  were  frequent,  and  ability  to  write 
a  beautiful  oval  hand  with  a  quill  pen  is  evi- 
denced in  many  of  the  records  that  are  to  lie 
found  in  the  reports  of  our  county.  Other 
families  that  came  to  Litchfield  vicinity  were 
the  Blaekwelders.  the  Corlews.  the  Simpsons 
and  the  McWilliamses.  John  Corlew  came  to 
South  Litchfield  township  about  the  year  1836. 
Having  served  as  a  commissioned  officer  in  the 
war  with  Mexico,  Mr.  Corlew  was  elected 
sheriff  in  1848  and  again  in  1852.  William 
Simpson  antedated  the  settlement  of  Mr. 
Corlew  some  years,  having  made  his  settle- 
nient  in  1831.  Air.  Simpson  has  also  been 
honored  by  election  to  county  office,  having 
served  his  county  as  treasurer.  In  the  decade 
between  1830  and  1840  the  homesteads  in 
South  Litchfield  township  would  not  have  ex- 
ceeded  ten  or  a  dozen  at  most.  John  Fogle- 
man.  in  1840.  settled  on  his  present  home- 
stead. Mr.  Fogleman  also  served  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  sheriff  some  forty  years  ago,  and  it 
is  remarked  at  this  day  that  Air.  Fogleman  re- 
fused re-election  to  office  on  the  ground  that 
he  did  not  believe  that  succession  in  office  is 
good  policy.  Air.  Fogleman  and  "Mr.  Corlew 
are  vet  living  at  advanced  age.  These  men 
have  been  examples  id'  moderation  in  all  things, 
They  have  lived  simple  lives,  honored  by  all 
who  know  them,  and  doubtless  when  their 
names  are  called  each  will  he  able  to  say,  "T 
have  Fought  a  good  fight.  T  have  finished  my 
course.  T  have  kept  the  faith."  In  writing  of 
the  c'tv  of  Litchfield  T  am  again  indebted  to 
the  papers  of  U.  A.  Coolidge  and  to  Samuel 
Kessinger,  of  the  Monitor,  for  the  facts  and 
figures  relating  to  the  city.  The  city  of  Litch- 
field    is    located     in    both    North    and     South 


Litchfield  townships,  two-thirds  of  its  terri- 
tory being  in  the  former  and  one-third  in  the 
latter  township.  The  city  is  beautifully  lo- 
cated on  the  undulating  prairie  as  it  breaks 
into  the  hill  lands  just  wot  of  Shoal  creek. 
It  is  about  fifty  mile-  easl  of  St.  Louis  and 
forty-two  miles  south  of  Springfield,  Illinois. 
The  first  settler  within  the  limits  of  the  town 
was  Isaac  Weaver,  who  in  1842  occupied  a 
cabin  near  the  entrance  to  the  public  square. 
In  1835  Evan  Stevenson  and  in  183(1  Joseph 
(iillespie.  in  1838  G.  B.  Yenowine.  Isaac  Ross, 
and  in  IS4'.»  John  Waldrop  and  Ezra  Tyler  en- 
tered the  land  upon  which  the  present  city  of 
Litchfield  is  located.  In  1847  Royal  Sherer 
built  a  cabin  on  the  southeast  slope  of  the 
mound  now  owned  by  W.  S.  Palmer  estate. 
Sherer  being  a  single  man.  it  does  not  appear 
that  he  ever  occupied  the  cabin  which  he  had 
built.  In  1849  Ezra  Tyler  settled  on  the  forty 
acres  which  he  had  entered,  and  A.  Hart  Pierce 
built  a  log  house  on  the  mound  near  where  the 
North  school  building  stands.  Pierce  and 
Caleb  W.  Sap  in  1840  hail  entered  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  33.  in  North  Litchfield 
township,  and  this  afterward  became  the  nu- 
cleus of  the  present  city  of  Litchfield,  and  now 
I  am  sure  that  I  will  be  pardoned  if  I  quote 
the  language  of  Mr.  Coolidge  as  he  sets  forth 
so  aptly  the  beginnings  of  the  city:  "In  the 
summer  of  1853  residents  of  the  present  city 
were  Alfred  Blackwelder,  near  the  site  of  the 
Weiperf  House,  burned  in  1880;  Jacob  Sherer. 
on  the  mound  in  the  northwestern  quarter  of 
the  city;  his  brother,  Ralph  Sherer.  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  east  of  him;  Nelson  Cline,  near  Fred 
Stahls;  A.  Hart  Piene.  on  the  schoolhouse 
mound;  J.  Y.  Etter.  between  Martin  Haney's 
restaurant  and  the  Wabash  Railway;  0.  M. 
Roach,  in  a  diminutive  room  in  Cummings  & 
MeWilliams'  addition;  Ezra  Tyler,  in  the 
southeast  part  of  town,  and  J.  W.  Andrew,  on 
the  Davenport  estate.  The  site  of  the  town 
laid  mil  for  building  purposes  was  a  cornfield, 
and  when  Simeon  Ryder  and  Hon.  Robert 
Smith,  of  Alton;  Hon.  Joseph  Gillespie,  of  Ed- 
wardsville;  Philander  C.  Huggins,  of  Bunker 
Hill  ;  Josiah  Hunt,  chief  engineer  of  the  Terre 
Haute  &  Alton  Railway,  and  John  B.  Kirk- 
ham    formed  a   syndicate  to  purchase  the  sites 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


; 


of  prospective  stations  along  the  line  of  the 
road  then  in  process  of  construction  they 
bought  out  Mr.  Cline.  They  agreed  to  lay  out 
n.  town  on  the  eighty  acres  owned  by  Pretlow 
and  Cline,  and  after  reserving  the  land  needed 
for  streets,  public  squares  and  railroad  uses  to 
reconvey  to  Pretlow  one-half  the  lots  and 
blocks  on  his  forty-six  acres  in  full  payment 
for  the  remainder.  Mr.  Kirkham  was-  made 
the  agent  of  the  syndicate,  but  in  a  few  days 
he  was  replaced  by  P.  C.  Huggins,  who  retained 
Ids  position  through  successive  purchases  of 
additional  land  to  be  laid  out  in  village  lots, 
until  B.  B.  Litchfield,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York, 
became  the  sole  owner  of  the  company's  inter- 
est in  the  city.  The  railroad  was  completed  no 
further  than  Bunker  Hill  from  the  western 
end  when  Thomas  A.  Gray,  county  surveyor^ 
in  October,  1853,  laid  out  among  the  standing 
corn  the  original  plat  of  the  town.  Gillespie 
was  also  la iil  out,  and  Messrs.  R.  W.  O'Ban- 
non,  T.  W.  Elliott.  H.  E.  Appleton,  James  W. 
JefEeris,  J.  P.  Bayless  and  W.  S.  Palmer,  of 
Ridgley,  Madison  county,  having  decided  to  re- 
move to  a  point  on  the  proposed  road,  drew 
straws  to  determine  whether  to  locate  at  (lilies- 
pie  or  Litchfield.  The  fates  willed  in  favor  of 
Litchfield,  and  accordingly  in  January,  1854, 
Mr.  O'Bannon  bought  the  east  half  of  the 
block  facing  on  State  street  and  lying  between 
Ryder  and  Kirkham  streets  for  one  hundred 
and  twenty  dollars.  Any  part  of  the  east 
front  would  not  he  a  bargain  at  that  price  for 
a  single  foot  (188?).  This  was  the  first  pur- 
chase in  the  proposed  town,  and  Mr.  O'Bannon 
began  at  once  to  arrange  to  build  a  store  on 
the  southeast  corner  of  his  purchase.  Mr. 
Jefferis  appears  to  have  been  the  second  pur- 
chaser and  Mr.  Appleton  and  Mr.  Palmer 
must  have  secured  lots  soon  after.  Mr.  O'Ban- 
non obtained  lumber  for  the  frame  of  his  store 

in  the  neighbor!) 1.  but  the  other  lumber  was 

obtained  at  Carlinville.  His  store  was  com- 
pleted and  occupied  April  24,  1854,  and  Mr, 
Jefferis  had  his  dwelling,  now  the  south  part 
of  the  George  P>.  Litchfield  house,  nearly  ready 
for  his  family,  but  Mr.  Elliott,  by  bringing 
here  the  material  of  his  home  at  Ridgely. 
managed  to  get  his  family  placed  in  it  May 
5,   1854,   and   thus  he  was  the   pioneer   settler 


of  the  town,  though  his  home  was  antedati  I 
by  the  Jefferis  house.  Mr.  Jefferis'  family 
came  three  daw  later  than  Mr.  Elliott's,  whoso 
home  formerly  stood  on  the  ground  now  eo  ■ 
ered  by  the  Parlor  shoe  -tore.  'The  fourth 
building  was  a  rude  blacksmith  shop  on  Mr. 
Southworth's  comer.  \Y.  S.  Palmer  in  Ma 
began  the  erection  of  the  west  half  of  the  build- 
ing the  first  door  above  L.  Huffman's  bakery. 
but  as  Mr.  Palmer  went  to  the  woods  and 
hewed  out  the  framing  timber  be  did  not  finish 
his  store  until  fall.  The  ihai  building  erected 
wa>  by  Ezra  Tyler  for  a  grain  warehouse  on 
the  site  of  tin'  0.  K.  mill.  There  was  not 
time  to  build  houses,  and  therefore  rude  struc- 
tures and  small  buildings  were  carted  over  the 
slimy  priarie  on  runners  from  other  points. 
Thus  .1.  P.  Bayless  brought  hereon  rollers  one- 
half  of  what  had  been  a  blacksmith  shop  at 
Hardinsburg.  It  had  no  Boor,  no  door  nor 
window.  He  placed  it  on  the  corner  north  of 
E.  Burdett's  shop  and  made  it  do  for  a  home 
for  several  years.  Up  to  this  time  Mr.  Tyler 
supplied  meals  and  lodging  to  the  men  who 
were  founding  the  city.  As  to  roads,  the 
-real  highway  from  Hillsboro  to  Bunker  Hill 
ran  a  mile  south  of  town,  and  the  route  from 
Edwardsville  by  way  of  S'taunton  to  TayloT- 
ville  entered  the  town  near  its  present  smith- 
west  corner.  The  road  war-  laid  'Hit  by  -tric- 
ing a  furrow  for  several  miles  on  one  side 
and  then  returning  with  another  furrow  equi- 
distant on  the  opposite  side.  The  road  lay 
between  these  shallow  ditches  and  marked  the 
route  well  enough  for  the  (<-w  people  who  were 

c lemned    to    use   it.      Mr.    Palmer   and    Mr. 

Mayo,  his  brother-in-law.  put  a  stock  of  gen- 
eral merchandise  in  the  store  ju-t  built  by  the 
former  and  the  east  end  was  also  his  family 
residence.  By  the  latter  part  of  1854  six 
families  had  planted  themselves  here  and  the 
town  consisted  of  about  a  dozen  buildings,  •  ' 
which  one  was  a  wagon  shop,  one  a  blacksmith 
shop  and  two  were  stores.  Bv  November,  1855 
the  number  of  dwelling  houses  had  increased  to 
eleven,  and  the  town,  seen  under  a  Decern!) 
sky,  had  an  uninviting  aspect.  The  population 
must  have  been  at  least  one  hundred,  for 
when  need  conies  folk's  can  be  compacted  to- 
gether  as    close   above    ground    as    in    it.      By 


Jill 


PAST    AM)    PEESENT    OF    MOXTOOMKKY    COUNTY 


October  the  railroad  was  opened  as  far  as 
Clyde  and  in  January  the  1'retlow  estate  was 
sold  by  his  executor.  The  sale  was  held  in 
the  store  of  W.  T.  Elliott  and  the  day  is  still 
widely  remembered  for  the  dense  rain  which 
prevailed.  The  embankment  for  the  railroad 
had  formed  a  dyke  across  State  street  and  in- 
terrupted its  drainage.  A  miniature  lake  was 
thus  formed,  and  it  was  the  policy  of  the  par- 
ties owning  land  just  west  of  the  town  plat 
to  have  the  dyke  maintained  in  order  to  force 
the  location  of  the  passenger  station  in  their 
vicinity,  where,  in  anticipation  of  a  decision 
in  their  favor,  a  sidetrack  had  already  been 
graded.  Mr.  O'Bannon.  Mr.  Bayless  and  oth- 
ers cut  this  dyke  and  thus  averted  the  location 
of  the  depot  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  west- 
ward. The  earlier  sales  of  lots  on  State  street 
has  been  made  at  the  rate  of  thirty  dollars  for 
sixty-six  feet  front ;  the  price  in  May,  1854, 
was  increased  to  fifty  dollars.  There  were  no 
apparent  natural  advantages  for  the  creation 
of  a  prosperous  town.  It  was  not  known  that 
the  railroad  shops  would  lie  located  hen',  and 
Shoal  creek  presented  a  serious  barrier  to  com- 
munication with  the  country  to  flu'  east,  and 
on  the  other  side  the  prairie  still  spread,  with 
here  and  there  a  settler,  who  was  toilsomely 
breaking  the  virgin  soil.  The  site  of  the  plat 
had  been  bought  in  midsummer,  1853,  at 
eight  dollars  or  ten  dollars  per  acre,  and  the 
plat  gave  two  acres  to  eight  lots  and  the  sur- 
rounding street.  At  the  Pretlow  sale  one-half 
the  lots  were  sold  by  public  outcry,  and  it  is 
instructive  to  note  the  purchasers  and  the 
prices  paid.  The  terms  were  one-third  down 
anil  the  balance  in  one  year.  One  of  the  lot-. 
would  to-day  sell  for  three  hundred  per  cent 
more  than  the  sixty-sis  did  at  that  sale,  which 
was  at  least  four  times  greater  than  the  value 
of  half  the  townsite  before  it  was  laid  out. 
In  1854  "Nigger  Dan,"  from  Carlinville,  built 
a  hotel,  which  is  now  the  east  part  of  the 
Phoenix  House.  He  was  able  only  to  enclose 
the  building,  and.  such  as  it  was.  it  was  the 
first  house  of  entertainment  in  the  town.  The 
next  year  E.  W.  Litchfield  supplied  the  means 
to  finish  it.  As  to  "Nigger  Pan."  T  have  not 
been  able  to  learn  bis  real  name  or  subsequent 
history.     Dr.    Gamble  was  the  first    physician 


and  lived  on  a  half-iioored  house  west  of  the 
Methodist  church.  Dr.  H.  H.  Hood,  who 
first  opened  an  office  at  Hardinsburg,  was  the 
second  one.  and  had  his  office  at  J.  M.  Mc- 
YVilliams"  store,  which  was  between  the  Phoe- 
nix House  and  the  Central  Hotel.  On  No- 
vember 2  I  of  this  year  the  railroad  was  opened 
to  Litchfield  and  the  sale  of  the  1'retlow  prop- 
i'1't  \  following  gave  such  an  impetus  to  the  town, 
which  it  has  not  since  lost,  though  panics,  fires, 
war  and  the  removal  of  the  railroad  shops  have 
each  only  given  a  breathing  time  to  lay  wiser 
plans  and  build  its  prosperity  on  a  more  stable 
basis.  By  the  close  of  this  year  eight  or  nine 
families  in  addition  to  the  six  or  seven  fami- 
lies on  farm  lands  when  the  town  was  sur- 
veyed had  honies  in  the  city.  We  can  enumerate 
W.  O'Bannon,  W.  T.  Elliott,  H.  E.  Appleton. 
.lame-  Jefferis,  J.  P.  Bayless,  W.  S.  Palmer, 
"Nigger  Dan."  G.  Evans  and  a  little  later  T. 
G.  Ivessinger.  In  the  spring  of  1855  Messrs. 
E.  W.  Litchfield,  E.  E.  Litchfield,  E.  S.  Litch- 
field. George  II.  Hull  and  the  three  Dix  broth- 
ers and  C.  1".  Howe  came  from  central  or  west- 
ern -New  York,  all  related  to  E.  C.  Litchfield. 
who  had  become  practically  the  owner  of  the 
town  site.  Several  additions  to  the  town  were 
laid  out.  and  James  Cummings  removed  his 
store  and  contents  from  Ardinsburg  and  placed 
it  just  west  of  the  cigar  factory  on  Kyder 
street.  He  was  the  first  postmaster.  The 
original  plat  of  the  town,  which  bore  the  name 
of  Huntsville.  was  never  recorded.  It  was  the 
purpose  to  have  the  name  of  the  postoffiee  the 
same  as  the  name  of  the  town,  and  as  there  was 
a  postoffiee  called  Huntsville  in  Schuyler  coun- 
ty the  name  of  the  town  was  changed  to  Litch- 
field in  honor  of  its  virtual  proprietor.  The 
railroad  being  open  to  Alton.  Messrs.  E.  W. 
Litchfield  and  C.  F.  Howe  began  the  sale  of 
lumber,  buying  a  carload  or  two  at  Alton  and 
unloading  it  where  State  street  crosses  the 
railroad.  E.  E.  Litchfield  bought  the  Tyler 
-rain  warehouse  and.  removing  it  to  the  site 
of  the  D.  Davis  grocery  store,  converted  it 
into  a  store  and  began  the  sale  of  dry  goods. 
A  year  or  two  later  he  went  out  of  the  dry 
goods  business  and  became  a  hardware  mer- 
chant. James  and  William  McPherson  erected 
a   flouring  or  gri-t    mill    and    a   residence   just 


PAST    A\l>    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


;o; 


north  of  the  Planet  Mills'  office.  These  were 
the  first  buildings  south  of  the  railroad.  In 
the  fall  of  1855  ground  was  broken  for  the 
railroad  shops.  The  winter  of  1855-56  was 
an  open  one,  and  the  tide  of  immigral  ion  setting 
in  deep  and  steady,  building  went  on  during  the 
entire  season,  and  a  hundred  dwellings  and 
other  buildings  were  put  up  by  the  close  of 
1856.  The  passenger  station  had  been  com- 
pleted and  the  roundhouse  with  thirteen  stalls 
had  been  enclosed  and  the  foundation  laid  for 
the  machine  shops.  The  town  had  been  in- 
corporated as  a  village,  with  R.  W.  O'Ban- 
non  president  of  the  hoard  of  trustees.  The 
public  houses  had  increased  to  four — the  Mont- 
gomery House,  now  the  Phoenix,  by  A.  C. 
Paxson;  the  Litchfield  House,  opposite  Wood- 
man's lumber  yard,  by  Mr.  Johnson;  the  Cen- 
tral Hotel,  by  J.  Hawkins;  and  the  Palace 
Hotel,  by  R.  Chism.  The  Methodist  and 
Presbyterian  churches  were  built,  but  not  quite 
completed.  Hood  &  Bro.  and  Dr.  Grinstead 
had  drug  stores,  the  first  adjoining  O'Bannon's 
store  "ii  the  north  and  the  second  in  the  build- 
ing now  occupied  by  G.  B.  Litchfield  as  a 
restaurant.  Bagby  &  Corrington  had  succeed- 
ed Mc Williams  and  R.  N.  Paden  in  the  State 
street  stores  south  of  the  public  square. 
O'Bannon  &  Elliott  and  Palmer  &  Jefferis  in 
their  own  buildings  continued  to  sell  dry- 
goods  and  clothing,  and  Henderson,  Hull  & 
Hawkins  had  a  store  across  the  street  south  of 
Woodman's  lumber  yard.  Til  Shore  sold  stoves 
and  hardware  in  the  Harris  building  below 
Brewer  &  Grubbs'  bank,  which  he  had  erected 
in  1855.  E.  E.  Litchfield  was  in  the  same 
line  on  his  comer.  James  Cummings  &  Son 
were  merchants  in  the  Cummings  building  op- 
posite the  Central  Eotel;  John  McGinnis  sold 
clothing  where  Julius  Machler's  saloon  is  now 
(1882).  John  P.  Bayless  had  succeeded 
■  lame.  Cummings  in  the  postoffice.  There  was 
but  one  saloon  open,  and  that  for  but  pari  of 
the  time,  where  Peter  Kane  dispensed.  B.  C. 
Beardsley  had  begun  business  in  Litchfield's 
store.  There  were  two  physicians.  Hood  and 
Grinstead;  no  lawyer,  one  schoolmaster  and 
no  resident  preacher.  When  the  railroad  was 
opened  as  far  east  as  Litchfield.  John  P.  Bay- 
less   was  appointed  the  first  agent  and  his  office 


was  among  the  foundation  timbers  of  the  water 
tank,  which  stood  near  the  southwest  corner 
of  the  car  works  office,  it.  E.  Burton  was  the 
painter  and  photographer;  John  P.  Davis  & 
Bros.,  the  plasterers;  William  Downey,  the 
bricklayer;  while  Farrar  cV  Sinclair  kept  the 
livery  stable  where  Griswold's  .-table  is  now.     P. 

J.  Weipert,  harnessmaker ;  C.  Hoog,  I ts  and 

shoes;  and  J.  W.  Cassiday,  tailor,  were  suffi- 
cient in  their  day.  Mr.  Johnson  and  his  son 
with  saws  and  bucks  cut  the  fuel  for  the  loco- 
motives; G.  W.  Nelson  (""Fiddler  George") 
was  tin'  constable,  and  L.  D.  Palmer  the  jus- 
tice of  the  peace.  J.  L.  Eood  sold  furniture 
in  the  Cummings  building  lor  Olcott  &  Com- 
pany, of  Alton,  and  W.  B.  Charles  ("<'ap- 
tain"),  having  in  his  old  age  deserted  the  river 
steamer,  had  a  little  stock  of  clothing  tor  sale 
in  the  same  building.  Carpenters  were  count- 
ed by  the  score  and  their  wages  were  high.  The 
population  had  by  1851  increased  to  six  or 
seven  hundred.  The  earliest,  residents  were 
chiefly  from  the  slave  states.  Kentucky  or 
North  Carolina.  Messrs.  Appleton,  Grinstead 
Mr.  Long  ami  a  Mr.  Thomas  were  of  English 
birth,  while  Messrs.  Hoog  &  Weiperi  were  Ger- 
man: a  i'twv  came  from  Ohio,  and  there  was  a, 
libera]  infusion  of  persons  from  the  state  of 
\e\\  York,  while  the  Irish  brogue  was  heard 
on  every  side.  The  spring  of  1857  opened 
late,  with  rain  and  cold,  and  the  streets  were 
gorged  by  the  depth  of  black,  tenacious  mud, 
ami  as  for  sidewalks  there  were  none.  The 
second  block  east  of  State  street  was  a  shal- 
low pond  and  the  water  fowl  frequented  it  in 
the  early  spring.  I  (rams  ami  sewers  were  un- 
known and  the  rainfalls  skulked  and  dodged 
through  grass  and  rubbish  to  the  head  of  the 
water  channels  which  begin  a  mile  or  more 
distant.  A  few  dwellings  boasted  more  than 
two  rooms  and  people  slaved  here  comforting 
themselves  with  the  hope  of  improved  future 
and  a  release  from  their  narrow  surroundings. 
The  railroad  had  been  opened  to  Terre  Haute 
i  In'  previous  year  and  Edwin  C.  Dix  had  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Bayless  a.-  station  agent.  The 
previous  year  several  carloads  of  grain  had 
been  shipped  to  St.  Louis  in  sacks.  The  vil- 
lage organization  was  kept  up  and  E.  C.  Dix 
was    president    of     the    village    board.      Some 


".'IS 


AST    AND    PKESEN' 


()l 


Mn.XTCOMKKY    ('Ol'NTY 


ordinances  had  been  adopted,  but  were  not 
enforced.  The  town  was  the  common  fight- 
ing ground  for  the  surrounding  country,  and 
groups  of  bullies  would  ride  into  town,  fire 
their  courage  with  whiskey  and  then  gallop 
through  the  streets,  carrying  clubs  or  weapons. 
seeking  a  fight.  On  such  occasions  ""Old 
Shake."  foreseeing  their  purpose,  would  usual- 
ly lock  his  door  and  disappear  for  the  day 
under  (he  pretense  of  hunting  or  fishing, 
though  a  thinner  excuse  than  fishing  could  not 

lagined.     The  first  circus  tent  spiead  here 

drew    not    less   than    five   thousand    persons   to 

town,  ] pie  coming  as  much  as  forty  miles  to 

witness  the   moral  horsemanship,  to   he  aston- 
shed   at  the  wit  of  the  clown  and   to  admire 
the   frisky  mules.      Still,  the  religious   impres- 
sions  of  the   performances   have    uo1    vet  been 
hserved,  or,  if  so.  have  Failed  of  a  chronicler. 
though    the    town    i-    not    wholly    ignorant    of 
preachers  who   thought  the  noblest  passage  in 
the   Bible   was   Job's   description    of    a    horse. 
There  have   been   circuses   here   since,   but    not 
to  arouse  the  excitement  as  that   first  one,  and 
men    are    said    to    have    gone    fishing,    but    no 
one  with  so  good   a.  purpose  as  "Old   Shake,5 
in-  with  equally  as  commendable  results  as  on 
the  occasion  of  tins  first  circus  at  Litchfield." 
Mr.  Coolidge   further  relates,  in  regard  to  the 
stablishing    of    manufactures,    thai    "in    1854 
James    McPherson   and    William.   Ins    brother, 
mill   a  grain  mill  ami   residence  on  the  site  of 
the  Planet  Mill,  and  these  were  the  first  build- 
ings smith  of  the  railroad  after  the  laving  out 
of    the   town.      The    mill    would    be    called     a 
humble   affair   to-day,   but  it   was   ample   then 
for   all    local    wants.      The   next    year    P.     H. 
Peal!  and  J.  M.  McWilliams  became  the  own- 
ers   and    added     much    expensive     machinery. 
McWilliams  dying   in    1857,  the  mill   fell    into 
the  bands  of  Ezra  Tyler,  who  operated   it  un- 
til  I860,  when  he  sold   it  to  M.  J.  Gage.     Tie, 
fullv  doubling  its  >ize  and  capacity,  practically 
made   the   mill    a   new   one.      In    18(;fl    Pest   & 
Sparks   purchased    if   and    leased    it   first   to   E. 
A.  Cooley  and   John  Pest  and  then  to  A.  W. 
Samson.      The    owners    afterward    planned    to 
replace  the  wooden  structure  by  brick  mill  and 
the  main  building  was  erected,  but  in  1*70  an 
evening  fire  destroyed  the  mill  and  the  project 


of  replacing  it  was  finally  abandoned.    A  sec- 
ond  mill   was  completed    m    L860   half   a  mile 
up   State  street   by   John    (J.   Peed   and  James 
McPherson.     In   the  spring  of    L863,   in  some 
unknown   maimer,   this   was   also   destroyed   by 
lire.     The   attempt  to  connect   its   destruction 
with    military    and    political    troubles    had    no 
sufficient    basis.      Perhaps    some     card-playing 
youths  knew   more  than  they  told.    The   mill, 
however,    was   not    rebuilt.      Wesley    Pest    and 
David    If.    Sparks,    from    Staunton,    completed 
a   three  hundred  barrel  mill  on  the  railroad  a 
quarter  of  a   mile   west    of   State  street.     The 
mill  was  twice  enlarged  and  its  goods  achieved 
a    flattering   reputation.      It.   too.    was   burned 
in    February,    1879,    and     arrangements    were 
made  to  rebuild  it  in  1881.  but  when  the  walls 
were    fairly   begun   the    property   was    sold    to 
D.  L.  Wing  &  Company,  who  demolished  what 
had   been  built,  and  the  barren   site   is  to-day 
the  sole  memorial  of  what  was  one  of  the  best 
old-style  mills  in  central  Illinois.     Peter  Box- 
berger   in    1868    built   a    flouring   mill    on    the 
railroad    a   quarter    of    a   mile    east    of     State 
street.     Three  years  later  he  sold  it  to   Peter 
McLenan.     This  was  also  destroyed  by  fire,  in 
1873.     About  this  time  T.  G.   Kessinger  had 
a    custom    mill   opposite   Pest   &    Sparks'   mill, 
but   it   was   not  kept   up  long.     In   1873   Mr. 
Boxberger    built    the    flouring    mill    near    the 
Indianapolis    &    St.    Louis     depot.      Becoming 
embarrassed,    he    formed    a     partnership    with 
Julius   Machler  and    the   firm   failed.     All  the 
mills   used  bnrstones  and  completed   the  manu- 
facture of  flour  in  two  grindings.     Their  ca- 
pacity  was  limited,  and   until   the  opening  of 
♦  be  c.al   mines  and  the   introduction  of   water- 
works  they   struggled    under   great    difficulties, 
h,    the   spring   of    188]    D.   L.   Wing   tV   Com- 
pany, of  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  began  the 
erection  of  the    Planei    Mill,  which,  by  reason 
of  its  capacity  and  the  new  system  of  convert- 
ing   wheat    into   flour   and    the    character    and 
completeness  of   its  appointments,  will   bear  a 
short     description     here.       The     mill     building 
proper  was  fifty  by  one  hundred  feet  and  five 
stories  high,  exclusive  of  basement  and   texa-. 
The  basement  contains  shafting  and  main  driv- 
ing pulley,  elevators,  fan  and  wheat  sink.    The 
main    floor  contains  seven  reduction  mills  aud 


PAST    AM)    I'KKSEXT    OF    MOXTCOM KKY    COUNTY 


709 


nine  sets  of  smooth  and  corrugated  colls,  fifteen 
purifiers,  six  bolting  chests  and  flour  chests. 
packers  and  cleaning  machine,  li  may  be  of 
interest  to  know  that  flour-making  consists  of 
about  thirty  operations.  A  barrel  of  Hour  is 
made  every  two  and  one-half  minutes.  The 
motive  power  is  given  by  a  three  hundred 
horsepower  engine.  The  grain  elevator  has  a 
capacity  of  one  hundred  thousand  bushels. 
There  are  sis  buildings  belonging  to  the  mill. 
and  the  out  and  the  in  business  is  <  qua  I  to  twelve 
carloads  per  day.  Sixty-five  men  are  em- 
ployed. The  cost  of  the  mill  was  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  The  mill  went  into  operation 
November,  1881."  You  will  note  that  tins  re- 
port of  Mr.  Coolidge  in  1882,  was  just  one  year 
after  the  Planet  Mill  went  into  operation. 
Mr.  Wing  did  noi  operate  this  mill  for  any 
great  length  of  time,  but  sold  it  to  the  Koeh- 
ler  Milling  Company,  of  St.   Louis.     This  was 

decidedl}  the  si  extensive  milling  plant  ever 

built  in  this  section  of  the  state,  and  the  city 
of  Litchfield  might  well  feel  proud  of  a  mill 
whose  product  was  exported  beyond  the  seas. 
Unfortunately,  the  country  was  startled  a  few 
years  ago  by  a  terrific  explosion,  whose  vibra- 
tions were  felt  as  far  east  as  Vandalia  and 
north  ,-is  far  as  Taylorville.  People  wondered 
it  an  earthquake  shock  hail  passed  over  this 
section,  and  the  writer  well  remembers,  though 
eighteen  miles  away,  that  the  shock  was  so 
great  that  glassware  ami  china  were  toppled 
from  their  places  and  no  doubt  existed  in  (he 
minds  of  any  one  in  this  section  that  we  had 
experienced  quite  a  severe  shock  from  an  earth- 
quake. Not  long  afterward  Ave  were  apprised, 
however,  (hat  the  Planet  Mill  at  Litchfield 
had  been  destroyed  by  an  explosion.  There 
have  been  many  rumors  as  to  the  cause  of  this 
explosion.  Some  have  accounted  il  as  a  result 
of  accumulating  dust  in  the  storage  room.  It 
demolished  the  mill  completely,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  |1h>  tall  -tack  thai  for  several  years 
thereafter  stood  as  a  monument  of  one  of  the 
leading  industries  of  tin'  city.  The  mill  lias 
never  been  rebuilt,  and  it  is  the  judgment  of 
many  that  as  a  financial  investment  it  was 
not  a  success.  At  the  time  that  the  Planet 
Mill  was  built  Montgomery  county  was  a  part 
<>f  the  creat   wheat  belt  of  Illinois,  but   since 


that  time  climatic  changes  have  rendered  it 
no  longer  possible  to  raise  wheat  in  our  coun- 
ty. Nearly  twenty-five  years  have  gone  by 
since  then,  and  in  that  space  of  nearly  a  quar- 
ter of  a,  century  agricultural  products  have 
changed,  so  that  our  chief  staph'  to-day  has 
changed  from  wheat  to  Indian  corn  and  timo- 
thy hay.  That  our  people  arc  more  prosperous 
since  they  have  left  oil'  trying  to  raise  wheat 
is  apparent  to  every  observer.  Stock-raising  is 
now  carried  on  very  extensively.  Horses,  cat- 
tle, sheep  and  swine  arc  shipped  from  our 
county  in  large  numbers,  and  it  is  interesting 
to  observe  that  in  the  past  few  years  the  dairy 
interests  of  the  county  have  increased  at  least 
a  thousandfold,  and  in  addition  to  this  side- 
line of  the  farmer  he  has  another  from  winch 
he  draws  profits  equally  as  great.  The  poultry 
product,  has  become  of  such  importance  that 
no  well-kept  farm  is  without  this  department, 
being  carefully  and  systematically  looked  after. 
These  two  items  in  the  farmer's  account  are 
nearly  as  great,  when  taken  in  the  aggregate, 
at  the  close  of  the  year  as  were  his  former, 
wheat  crops,  and  when  we  realize  that  these 
products  are  distributed  throughout  the  year 
they  give  a  more  general  prosperity  to  the  com- 
munity than  we  had  under  wdiat  is  known  as 
"the  wheat  age"  of  the  country-  To  take  care 
of  the  enormous  wheat  crops  of  lKT'.i,  isstj  and 
1882  required  the  expenditure  of  all  the  en- 
ergy and  strength  possessed  by  our  farming 
people  during  the  period  of  harvest,  and.  being 
a  country  boy  of  sufficient  age  to  make  a 
"hand"  during  thai  period,  I  remember  the 
experiences  of  that  time.  Most  of  the  wheat 
was  hound  by  hand,  and  usually  five  binders 
were  required  to  keep  the  wheat  bound  ahead 
of  the  machine.  In  cutting  a  field  id'  wheat 
it  was  customary  to  divide  the  distance  around 
tin'  field  into  four  stations,  and  in  this  way 
five  men  wen.  necessary  to  keep  the  wheal  out 
of  the  way  of  the  machine.  In  an  early  daw 
when  the  old  hand  rake  was  used,  men  bound 
abreast,  and  it  required  six  or  seven  men  to 
do  the  work  that  the  could  more  easily  do 
by  binding  in  stations.  Returning  again  to  the 
report  of  Mr.  Coolidge,  he  further  says:  "The 
foundry  ami  machine  simps  of  11.  if.  Beech  & 
Company  were  built  in  1857  and  operated   a- 


7111 


AST    AND    PRESENT    OK    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


a  separate  interest  until  1876,  when  bv  sale 
they  were  consolidated  with  the  ear  works.  The 
original  concern  for  years  supplied  the  railroad 
repair  shops  with  castings  and  was  largely  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  engines  and  mill 
machinery.  The  concern  worked  an  average 
of  Jiffy  men.  As  early  as  1856  ,1  planing  mill 
was  running  where  is  now  Weigresse's  lumber 
yard.  In  a  few  years  it  was  dismantled  and 
in  186?  Mr.  Weigresse  built  his  sash,  door  and 
blind  factory,  which  was  discontinued  in  1876 
and  the  machinery  removed.  L.  Huffman 
had  a  brewery  where  the  coal  shaft  is.  and 
finding  the  business  ruinous,  abandoned  it. 
J.  E.  Gay  had  a  carriage  factory,  working 
twenty  hands.  He  had  no  capital  and  went 
into  bankruptcy.  The  railroad  shops  were  re- 
moved to  Mattoon  m  L870-71  and  the  spacious 
buildings  stood  tenantless  and  silent.  Those 
who  imagined  that  the  permanent  welfare  of 
the  city  depended  on  retaining  the  shops  be- 
gan tn  look  for  the  signs  of  decay.  The  mys- 
tery of  cause  and  effect  is  insoluble,  but  as  a 
sequence  the  city's  gift  of  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars to  the  Decatur  &  East  St.  Louis  Railroad 
was  followed  closely  by  the  removal  of  the 
shops,  and  when  that  decision  was  made  pub- 
lic the  population  had  sunk  to  the  lowest  point 
touched  in  twenty  years.  It  was  learned  that 
the  shops  could  be  obtained  on  a  lung  lease  for 
a  low  sum.  They  could  quickly  and  cheaply 
be  turned  into  car  works,  and  the  scheme  was 
elaborated  to  organize  a  stock  company  to  build 
railway  cars  and  coaches.  Parties  from  the 
easi  offered  to  conduct  the  business  if  Litch- 
field would  supply  the  capital.  The  proposal 
was  declined  without  (banks.  In  the  winter 
id"  1871-72  the  company  was  formed  and  in 
May  the  work  was  begun.  A  year  later  a  fire 
from  the  cupula  destroyed  the  foundry  and 
machine  shops.  This  portion  of  the  works  was 
rebuilt,  and  in  a  few  years  the  company's 
patronizing  roads  were  unable  to  meet  their 
engagements  and  the  company  obtained  an  ex- 
tension on  its  paper  and  at  the  appointed  dates 
honored  all  its  obligations.  The  company  was 
reorganized  in  1ST*'  with  a  diminished  capital 
stock,  but  in  effect  with  enlarged  resources, 
ami  has  been  prosperous.  Last  year  the  pay- 
rntl    bore    over    four   hundred    names   and    the 


monthly  pay-sheel  exceeded  nineteen  thousand 
dollars  (1882).  The  coal  mine  and  the  car 
works  employed  nearly  six  hundred  and  fifty 
men  and  the  monthly  wages  were  thirty  thou- 
sand dollars."  At  about  the  same  time  of  the 
1"--  of  the  I'lanei  .Mill  there  crept  in  dissen- 
sions between  the  stockholders  of  the  Litch- 
field (ar  Company  who  resided  in  the  city  of 
Litchfield  and  those  who  resided  in  St.  Louis. 
These  dissensions  continued  to  grow  until  at 
last  they  resulted  in  the  removal  of  the  shops 
to  Memphis,  Tennessee.  Some  of  the  parties 
living  at  Litchfield  built  other  shops  at  Mount 
Vernon.  Illinois,  and  to  these  shops  many  of 
the  laborers  who  had  found  employment  at 
Litchfield  left,  either  for  Memphis  or  Mounl 
Vernon.  Following  upon  the  heels  of  the  loss 
of  the  Planet  Mill,  the  additional  disaster  of 
losing  the  car  shops  brought  to  Litchfield  the 
mosl  extreme  financial  depression  that  the  citj 
had  as  yet  known.  Property  values  rapidly  de- 
creased, and  those  having  homes,  but  depend- 
ent upon  their  labor,  disposed  of  their  prop- 
erty at  whatever  figure  they  could  Let.  and 
it  is  rather  remarkable  that  values  continued 
to  depreciate  until  property  could  not  be 
rented  at  any  price  because  there  was  no  em- 
ployment in  which  labor  might  engage  for  a 
livelihood.     Those  who  had  known  the  city  in 

her   more    prosperous   ti were   surprised   on 

passing  through  her  suburbs  to  find  by  far  the 
greater  number  of  the  residence  properties  va- 
cant and  with  doors  and  windows  nailed  up  to 
I  in  \  <  1 1 1  the  absolute  destruction  of  the  proper- 
ty by  those  who  were  perfectly  willing  to  con- 
vert these  bouse-  into  fuel  or  kindling  wood. 
It  is  reported  on  good  authority  that  many 
houses  were  actually  destroyed  during  this  pe- 
riod. Put  Litchfield  lias  arisen  from  her 
lethargy  and  her  embarrassment  and  to-da\ 
pn  -ints.  in  striking  contrast,  a  prosperous  con- 
dition and  bids  lair  to  accomplish  greater 
things  than  she  has  ever  done  before.  Instead 
of  depending  upon  certain  lines  of  industry 
that  gave  employment  to  so  many  of  her  resi- 
dents, -be  has  diversified  those  line-  into 
many  smaller  concerns,  ami  thus  she  is  re- 
lieved of  a  congested  condition  that  so  often 
occurs  when  a  people  is  wholly  dependent  upon 
a  single  industry.     Her  glass  works,  employing 


PAST    AX  1)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNT!' 


Til 


i n u 1 1  sixty  to  eighty  men;  tier  machine  and  re- 
pair shops,  employing  a  similar  number,  and 
her  various  railroads,  giving  employment  to 
several  hundred  of  her  laborers,  and  in  addi- 
tion the  new  Radiator  Works  that  will  give 
employment  to  many  more,  have  been  a  means 
effective  in  restoring  to  Litchfield  a  great  de- 
gree of  her  former  prosperity.  Litchfield, 
with  her  many  railroads,  has  advantages  that 
must,  sooner  or  later,  be  recognized  h\  manu- 
facturing interests  that  seels  a  Location  that  will 
enable  them  to  have  a  wide  distribution  from 
a  common  center.  The  tendency  of  manufac- 
turing concerns  is  to  get  away  from  the  large 
city,  so  as  to  be  freed  from  the  annoyances  that 
hamper  those  engaged  in  large  enterprises  that 
require  extended  plants  in  the  manufacture  of 
their  wares.  The  price  of  real  estate  in  the 
neighborhood  of  large  cities  is  another  ele- 
ment taken  into  account  when  a  manufactur- 
ing establishment  of  any  consequence  is  to  be 
located.  This  element  alone  is  driving  the 
factory  away  from  the  large  city  into  the 
smaller  towns,  where  transportation  can  be 
had  with  equal  advantage,  with  less  cost  in  the 
erection  of  a  plant  and  less  taxation.    No  small 

cit]  in  this  secti f  the  middle  west  can  boas! 

of  superior  advantages  over  Litchfield.  We 
desire  now  to  call  attention  to  some  few  of 
the  prominent  characters  whose  efforts  have 
done  much  in  the  building  up  of  the  city. 
D.  C.  Amsdeii.  II.  II.  Beach,  James  W. 
.Miens.  David  Davis,  R.  W.  O'Bannon,  D.  R, 
Sparks.  Warder  Cummings,  D.  Van  Deusen, 
S.  M.  Grubbs,  J.  P.  Bayless  and  Dr.  H.  II. 
Hood  are  names  familiar  to  all  who  make  a 
study  of  the  history  of  the  city.  While  others 
have  contributed  as  much,  possibly,  as  those 
that  we  have  named,  yet  these  stand  out  so 
prominently  that  to  call  attention  to  them 
can  not  possibly  offend  others  who  are  as 
deserving  as  these.  Quite  a  list  of  younger 
men  are  to-day  making  history  for  Litchfield 
which  shall  be  read  with  interest  by  others  in 
years  to  come.  Among  those  actively  engaged 
in  enterprise  in  Litchfield  may  be  mentioned 
Carl  Bartling,  manager  of  the  Hoffman  estate; 
R.  ('line,  whose  department  -tore  on  State 
street  is  one  of  the  largesl  establishments  in 
the   county,  and   Taylor's   store,  consisting   of 


d r 3  goods,  clothing  and  ladies'  and  gents'  fur- 
nishing g Is,   is   also   an   extensive  affair   of 

its  kind;  Milner's  drug  store,  on  the  corner, 
and  M.  M.  Milner,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
street,  with  Hood's  drug  store  almosl  opposite, 
each  carrying  an  extensive  line  of  drugs, 
paints,  perfumes,  etc.,  furnish  the  city  and 
surrounding  community  with  everything  needed 
in  the  drug  line.  Many  small  stocks  of  mer- 
chandise are  found  in  various  parts  of  the 
city,  and  these  do  quite  an  extensive  local  trade. 
Hugh  Snell,  owner  and  manager  of  the  Litch- 
field Opera  Eouse,  also  conducts  a  laundry  in 
the  rooms  adjacenl  to  the  postoffice.  The  Wood 
brothers,  Leroy  and  Tom.  do  quite  an  extensive 
real  estate  and  collecting  business.  L.  F. 
Wood,  the  senior  member  of  t  he  firm,  has  for 
many  years  been  connected  with  various  enter- 
prises of  the  town.  Groner  &  Taylor  also  eon- 
dud  a  real  estate  business  and  contribute  their 
.-hare  to  the  business  transactions  of  the  city. 
We  have  mentioned  Mr.  Groner  before,  as  he 
served  the  county  as  superintendent  of  si  hools 
for  a  period  of  four  years.  Mr.  Taylor  for 
quite  a  number  of  years  resided  at  Walshville 
and  served  that  township  in  various  official  ca- 
pacities. Mr.  Taylor  belongs  to  that  class  of 
men  who  have  done  much  in  the  development 
of  the  count)'  within  the  last  thirty  or  forty 
years.  Joseph  Paisley  is  another  of  the  young- 
men  of  Litchfield  who  is  contributing  of  his 
means  and  energy  to  rehabilitate  the  city,  doe 
Paisley  is  well  known  for  the  energy  and  en- 
terprise which  he  manifests  in  every  under- 
taking to  which  he  puts  his  hand.  He  is  at 
present  sei  retar;  of  the  Mutual  Protective 
League,  and  to  his  efforts  is  due.  more  largely 
than  that  of  any  other,  the  success  which  this 
fraternal  insurance  company  lias  achieved.  C. 
B.  Munday,  engaged  in  the  grain  business,  is 
also  an  important  factor  in  the  city's  history. 
Mr.  Munday,  in  connection  with  D.  0.  Settle- 
mier,  has  conducted  an  extensive  grain  business 
along  the  various  lines  that  concentrate  at 
Litchfield.  They  do  a  large  export  business. 
and  besides  their  extensive  grain  investments 
find  time  to  engage  in  other  profitable  lines. 
We  arc  infon I  that  to  Mr.  Munday  Litch- 
field i-  indebted  for  the  reorganization  of  the 
old  M.  M.  Martin  Bank  into  the  new  institution 


;  iv 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


which  to-day  is  one  of  the  strongest  banking 
concerns  in  this  section  of  the  state.  Hugh 
Hall,  who  conducts  a  cigar  parlor  just  west 
of  the  hank,  is  a  young  man  of  force,  and 
doubtless  will  leave  his  mark  on  the  develop- 
m .  'Mi  of  "New  Litchfield."  Nathan,  the 
clothier,  assisted  by  "Brownie"  May,  makes  you 
feel  at  home  when  in  the  city,  and  thai  he  will 
sell  you  the  best  quality  of  goods  for  the  same 
money  of  any  house  in  the  city  we  will  leave  to 
them  to  say.  Among  the  physicians  who  are 
doing  an  extensive  practice  at  the  present  time 
are  Dr.  Colt,  Dr.  Sihler,  Dr.  Blackwelder,  Dr. 
Williams.  Dr.  Johnson  and  Dr.  Snell.  Dr.  Colt 
has  an  extensive  practice  at  the  St.  Francis 
Hospital,  and  nothing  that  we  can  say  here 
will  add  to  the  reputation  which  he  has  ac- 
quired  as  a  physician  and  surgeon  in  this  com- 
munity. Dr.  Sildcr  is  also  well  known  as  a 
very  successful  physiciarj  He  has  an  extensive 
practice  and  is  certainly  deserving  of  the  con- 
fidence which  the  people  repose  in  him.  It  is 
a  pleasure  for  the  writer  to  remark  these  kindly 
words  about  the  doctor,  as  through  a  period  of 
years  he  has  found  him  a  genial  friend  and 
wise  counselor.  Dr.  Blackwelder  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Blackwelder  family  which  has  done 
so  much  for  the  city  and  surrounding  country. 
He  is  a  son  of  I'ncle  Alfred  Blackwelder  and 
a  brother  to  William,  David  and  Monroe  Black- 
welder. Dr.  Blackwelder  has  an  extensive  prac- 
tice and  is  highly  esteemed  by  tin1  people  of 
Litchfield.  Dr.  Williams  is  also  regarded  as  a 
very  successful  practitioner,  and  Dr.  Johnson 
is  noted  for  his  scientific  research,  and  I  he 
appliances  with  winch  his  office  is  supplied 
would  do  credit  to  an  ordinary  sanitarium.  In 
regard  to  the  Blackwelder  family  I  will  remark 
that  each  of  these  brothers,  William.  David  and 
.Monroe,  has  served  his  township  in  the  office 
of  supervisor.  They  are  at  present  all  retired 
from  their  farms  and  are  living  in  the  city  of 
Litchfield,  surrounded  with  the  comforts  that 
ciime  to  those  who.  by  toil,  during  the  earlier 
years  of  life  have  provided  for  themselves  a 
competency.  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  chronicle 
that  these  are  among  the  sens  of  one  of  the  pio 
in cr  fathers  of  the  county.  Another  charac  ter 
that  we  shall  notice  is  .Tames  B.  Hutchinson, 
the  nurseryman.     Like  the  Blackwelders,  he  is 


another  son  of  one  of  the  pioneers  and  has  con- 
tributed more  to  the  horticultural  interests  of 
the'  county  than  any  other  man.  and  possibly 
all  others  combined.  Mr.  Hutchinson  is  grow- 
ing old  with  the  years,  but  in  spirit  he  is  as 
young  as  when  1  remember  him  in  his 
meridian,  and  though  the  rays  of  the  slanting 
sun  are  now  casting  a  mellow  light  across  his 
pathway,  and  though  his  day  be  nearing  the 
close,  it.  will  be  a  pleasure  to  think  of  him  as 
one  who  planted  the  trees  that  others  might 
eat  of  their  fruits. 


ROUNTREE    TOWNSHIP. 

Rountree  township  is  composed  almost  whol- 
ly of  prairie  land.  The  only  watercourse  of 
any  importance  within  the  township  is  the 
.Middle  fork  of  Shoal  creek,  which  flows  in  a 
southwesterly  direction  through  the  entire 
township,  having  its  origin  in  section  1,  north- 
east part  of  the  township,  and  its  outlet  in  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  3".'.  Fawn  creek. 
a  small  stream,  flows  through  the  eastern  sec- 
tion of  the  township.  The  soil  is  a  rich  black 
learn,  and  in  the  more  northern  pari  of  the 
township  it  belongs  to  what  was  once  known 
as  swamp  land.  This  class  of  soil  is  the  most 
productive  that  we  have  in  our  county.  Since 
these  bog  lands  have  been  thoroughly  tiled  and 
open-drained  they  are  the  most  fertile  to  lie 
found  in  any  country.  It  is  the  same  class 
of  land  that  is  to  be  found  in  what  is  known 
as  the  corn  belt   of  the  state.     The  only  hin- 

dranc ■  drawback  that  can  be  found  to  these 

Ihii  sections  of  country  is  the  monotony  of 
scenery  and  the  deep  black  mud  during  the 
rainy  seasons  of  the  year.  I  do  not  know  but 
that  since  this  section  of  the  country  has  been 
thoroughly  drained  ami  the  malaria!  conditions 

re \cd    the  health  of   our   population    in    the 

north  part  of  the  county  is  just  as  good  as  we 
have  ii  in  the  hill  country  of  the  southern  part 

el'    Montg ry.      Rountree   township  received 

its  name  in  honor  of  Judge  Hiram  Rountree, 
el'  Hillsboro,  and  in  the  language  of  Mr.  Barry 
we  may  repeat:  ■'The  name  is  a  fitting  tribute 
to  i  he  memory  of  that  most  excellent  man  who 
did  as  much   if  not  more  than  any  other  per- 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMEBY    COUNTY 


;i."> 


sou  toward  the  development  of  the  county."  It 
is  rather  remarkable  that  John  Xusman,  who 
was  the  first  settler  in  the  city  of  Elillsboro, 
should  have  removed  to  this  wild  and  unin- 
habited section.  It  is  impossible  at  this  day 
and  in  our  age  to  understand  the  impelling 
motive  that  stirred  the  pioneer  to  be  forever- 
Lastingly  moving  on  and  on.  Mr.  Xusman.  in 
1830,  made  a  settlement  in  the  south  part  of 
the  township  in  section  32.  Hon.'  he  cleared 
away  a  small  patch  and  planted  it  to  corn,  and 
some  of  his  descendants  relate  that  from  the 
door  of  his  cabin  he  could  keep  his  family 
supplied  with  all  kinds  of  wild  game;  that 
deer  were  attracted  to  his  home  out  of  curiosity; 
and  that  often  droves  of  these  timid  animals 
were  within  gunshot  of  the  house.  The  wild 
turkey  roosted  in  great  numbers  in  the  trees 
near  by.     Neax  Mr.   Musman's  residence  was  a 

camping   place  of  the   Hicka] Indians,  who 

annually  visited  this  section  for  the  purpose 
of  hunting.  They  were  friendly  to  Mr.  Xus- 
man and  seemed  to  take  great  interest  in  his 
family.  It  is  related  thai  he  carried  on  a  con- 
siderable trade  with  those  red  men  of  the  for- 
est. Mr.  Nusman  remained  on  this  place  until 
the  year  1852,  at  which  time  he  died.  Henry 
Nusman,  at  last  account,  was  the  owner  of  hia 
father's  old  homestead.  John  Dryer,  in  1833, 
came  from  Tennessee  and  entered  a  farm  ia 
section  30.  Like  all  other  pioneer  settlers,  he 
was  compelled  to  undergo  many  privations. 
The  fact  that  lie  hail  pushed  out  away  from 
other    settlements    made    the    building    of    his 

hi the   more  difficult.     It    is   reported   that 

he  lived  for  some  time  in  a  temporary  lodge 
made  of  poles,  fashioned  somewhat  after  the 
tepee  of  the  Indians.  Several  years  passed  by 
before  other  settlements  were  made  in  this 
town-hip.  hut  in  1840  William  Eeffley  entered 
a  tract,  id'  land  in  the  south  part  of  the  town- 
ship, which  he  sold  to  Wiley  Lipe  in  1844.  In 
L842  Wilson  Carriker  made  a  settlement  near- 
by, and  in  1*11  John  Riderour  and  William 
Tanner  located  in  this  settlement.  Mr.  Tan- 
ner afterward  purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  the 
northern  pan  of  the  township  and  improved  a 
home  on  which  he  lived  until  Is;-.'.  Mr.  Bide- 
noiir    improved    the    farm    upon    which    Martin 


Lingle  lives.  George  Carriker,  Alfred  Carriker, 
Allen  Lipe  ami  Noab  Lipe  were  also  early  set- 
tlers of  Rountree  township.  The  first  school 
ever  taught  in  this  township  was  by  Wesley 
King,  who  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  ablest 
teachers  in  his  day.  Noah  Lipe  built  the'  first 
schoolhouse  erected  in  Eountree  township,  for 
which  he  received  the  munificent  sum  of  scv- 
cniv-live  dollars.  This  house  was  built  in 
L846  and  Wesley  King  was  the  teacher  through 
a  period  of  -i\  consecutive  years.  The  firsi 
marriage  of  winch  we  have  any  record  was  thai 
of  Peter  Cress  to  Katherine  Xusman,  which 
took  place  in  the  autumn  of  1836.  The  firsi 
justice  id'  the  peace  was  Henry  Friedmeyer. 
who  was  appointed  m  the  year  1845  and  served 
continuously  for  a  period  of  twelve  years.  The 
first  minister  to  deliver  a  series  of  gospel  ser- 
mons within  the  boundaries  of  Rountree  town- 
ship was  the  celebrated  eccentric,  Peter  Cart- 
wright.  Through  his  efforts  an  organization 
was  effected  in  1843  and  maintained  its  iden- 
tify  until  is;  I.  when  it  was  abandoned  by  part 

of    its     mbers    uniting    with     Montgomery 

church  and  part  with  Burks  chapel.  'Idle  old 
church  building  ha-  long  since  disappeared, 
and  no  trace  remains  of  the  first  church  edifice 

erected     ill    this    lowmdiip.       An g    those    who 

have  come  into  prominence  during  later  years 
is  the  late  Jacob  Weller.  The  late  William  IF. 
Peck,  George  W.  Watson.  Maryfield  Truitt, 
Martin  Lingle,  Henry  Warnsing,  Fred  Heims, 
I'..  B.  Bowles,  George  Sims,  Henn  Hitching. 
William  X.  Shore  and  the  Englehart  brothers. 
These  present  a.  part  of  a  long  list  of  those 
who  have  successfully  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  iii  this  township.  Mr.  Truitt  served 
Rountree  township  for  many  years  on  the  hoard 
of  supervisors  and  is  a  brother  to  the'  late  .1. 
M.  Truitt.  of  llillshoro.  lie  belongs  to  one  of 
the  pioneer  families  of  Montgomery  county. 
Mr.  Truitt  is  well  known  and  well  liked,  lie  is 
in  the  closing  years  of  a  life  spent  in  useful- 
ness, and  as  the  shadows  lengthen  the  satisfac- 
tion of  knowing  that  his  best  efforts  have  been 
given  to  what  his  hands  have  found  to  do  is 
reward  sufficient  for  any  good  man.  Henry 
Warnsing  is  another  notable  character  of  this 
township,    and     he    is    known     in    all     pari-    of 


714 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


Montgomery  county.  Mr.  Warnsing  has  made 
quite  a  reputation  as  a  public  cryer  at  sales 
in  nearl]  every  township.  He  has  had  some 
little  experience  in  polities,  and  although  a 
Democrat,   lie    has     been   elected     to     township 

offices  in  the  strongest  Republican  pre i   of 

the  county.  This  evidences  the  popularity  and 
esteem  in  winch  Mr.  Warnsing  is  held  by  his 
neighbors.  Noah  Lipe  and  Wiley  Lipe  were 
for  man]  years  two  of  the  most  prominent 
figures  in  the  social  and  industrial  life  of  this 
township,  and  each  of  them  has  been  classed 
among  the  forceful,  energetic  citizens  of  our 
county.  Each  in  his  day  acquired  a  compe- 
teni  \  and  lias  left  to  his  children  quite  an  es- 
tate and  the  legacy  of  a  good  name.  George 
Watson  lived  near  the  center  of  the  township 
and  was  a  son-in-law  of  "William  EL  Peck.  For 
many  year-  Mr.  Watson  was  en  jailed  in  farm- 
ing on  a  large  scale.  He  afterward  removed  to 
Raymond  and  thence  to  Chicago,  where,  we  un- 
derstand, Mrs.  Peek  and  one  of  her  daughters 
have  since  died.  George  Watson  was  a  good 
citizen  and  Montgomery  county  can  ill  afford 
to  lose  such  men.  His  large  interests  here, 
however,  may  call  him  hack  to  spend  his  declin- 
ing years  among  his  old  friends  and  neigh- 
bors. 


AUDUBON    TOWNS] 111'. 

The  southern  part  of  this  township  is  broken 
and  somewhat  rough,  but  the  western  and 
northern  portion  is  prairie  land,  though  some- 
what undulating.     The  first  settler  is  said   to 

have  been  Thomas  Hill,  but  near  the  same  t 

Basil  1 1  ill  and  Joseph  Davis  located  near  him. 
This  settlement  was  made  in  the  central  part 
of  the  township.  The  next  year  -lames  Card 
made  a  settlement  on  the  mound  in  n  hai  has 
been  known  for  main  years  as  Card's  grove. 
In  Is::  I  a  colony  of  emigrants  from  Massachu- 
setts made  a  settlement  in  this  township. 
Among  these  were  Isaac  Hinkley,  Robert  Little, 
Otis  Little  and  William  Tike.  These  colonists 
laid  out  the  town  of  "Old  Audubon,"  ami  it  is 
said  l>\  some  thai  the]  had  Imped  in  the  mak- 
ing of  a  new  county  I"  secure  the  county  seat. 
In  this  they  were  disappointed,  and  the  location 


of  the  Indianapolis  &  St.  Louis  Railroad 
spoiled  all  their  plans  and  disappointed  their 
hopes.  Evidences  still  remain  of  this  old  town, 
yet  for  many  years  no  attempt  has  been  made 
to  carry  on  any  business  at  that  place  Rich- 
ard Crow,  however,  has  for  many  years  carried 
on  country  merchandising  at  a  point  about 
one  mile  east  of  the  old  townsite.  Mr.  Crew. 
new  a  man  of  sixty  years  of  age,  was  born  and 
reared  in  the  neighborhood.  He  tells  me  that 
these  energetic  eastern  people  had  arranged  t<> 
present  a  building  to  the  new  county  for  court 
purposes,  ami  that  they  had  provided,  at  the 
four  corners  of  their  intended  city,  quadrangu- 
lar tracts  of  land  which  were  to  lie  used  as 
public  parks.  Again  we  have  illustration  of 
"the  best  laid  plans  of  men  and  mice  gang  aft 
aglea."  In  the  northern  part  of  Audubon  it 
is  claimed  that  Thomas  Price  made  a  settle- 
ment in  1831,  and  that  his  sen.  John  Henry 
Price,  was  the  first  child  born  in  the  township. 
The  Virdens  made  a  settlement  in  North  Audu- 
bon in  about  1833.  and  George  Cottingham 
in  is:;.">.  and  in  1836  he  was  followed  by  his 
brother.  William  Cottingham,  Baily  Osborn 
and  William  Craig.  In  1843  Shipton  Estes. 
William  Orear,  James  Smith  and  William  T. 
Slater  settled  in  the  northeast  corner  of  South 
Audubon.  "I  find  it  stated  b]  T.  J.  Riley, 
in  an  article  on  Audubon  township,  that  at  an 
early  date  a  number  of  wealthy  settlers  came 
m  from  Massachusetts  and  entered  large  tracts 
of  land.  They  built  magnificent  residences  and 
fanned  extensively,  but  after  remaining  a  short 
i  inn'  grew  discouraged  and  sold  out.  disposing 
el'  their  land  at  a  price  ranging  from  thirty 
cents  to  sixty  cent-  per  acre.  The  tine  houses 
built  by  them  partially  remain,  and  though 
the]  have  gone  very  much  to  decay  they  still 
bear  signs  of  their  former  grandeur.  A  part 
of  one  of  these  farms  is  that  known  at  present 
at  the  'Old  Blue  Farm."-  The  first  school 
taught  in  this  township  was  kepi  by  Charles 
Turner,  and  the  first  church  was  organized  by 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Huntington,  of  the  Unitarian  de- 
nomination, and  a  house  of  worship  was  built 
in  1S30.  Tin1  denomination  would  indicate 
that  it  was  to  accommodate  the  New  England 
settlers,    for   Unitarianism    was  almost    wholly 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTS 


715 


unknown  among  the  earlier  settlers  who  came 
from  the  south.  The  first  marriage  recorded 
as  having  taken  place  in  the  township  was  thai 
of  John  Slater  to  .Miss  Julia  Coy.  Hiram 
Holmes  built  the  first  mill  and  kept  the  first 
hotel  in  Audubon.  Tins  was  at  the  old  town 
of  Audubon.  Samuel  Patch  and  M.  S.  Cush- 
man  were  the  firsi  merchants,  while  Isaac  llink- 
lev.  the  postmaster,  received  the  appointment  as 
Laud  agent.  One  of  the  wealthiest  and  pos- 
sibly the  largesl  landowner  of  this  section  of 
the  county  was  Robert  Little,  and  in  looking 
over  an  atlas  published  in  ISM.  forty  years 
after  Mr.  Little  came  from  Massachusetts  to 
old  Audubon,  1  find  that  several  sections  of  the 
besl  portions  of  the  township  were  owned  at 
that  time  by  Mr.  Little,  hut  thirty  years  have 
gone  by  since  then,  ami  Mr.  Little,  with  all 
those  who  came  with  him  from  his  eastern 
home,  have  been  home  by  the  current  of  years 
into  the  great  ocean  id'  the  past,  hut  many  years 
will  pass  by  before  these  pioneer  spirits  will 
be  lost  in  the  depths  of  forgetfulness.  Among 
those  who  have  contributed  later  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  township  may  he  mentioned  W.  F. 
Weber,  William  Blue.  Asbery  Rhodes.  Alfred 
Brown,  Michael  Ohlman,  Ales  Durdy,  John 
Russell.  Joseph  Whitmore,  Hiram  Virden, 
.lames  Bass,  Guilford  Bass,  William  McNich- 
ols.  Alex  Stewart,  Palmer  Mainline.  Elijah 
Ullom,  E.  X.  Prey.  J.  M.  Elwell,  S.  C.  Wag- 
ner, J.  L.  Graden,  John  Marley,  James  H. 
Glasgow,  T.  J.  Pattengale  and  Hiram  Sperry. 
These  form  a  list  that  may  well  '»•  called  a 
roll  of  lienor  for  Audubon  township.  Many 
others  should  appear  in  this  list,  hut  we  have 
forgotten  through  the  years  that  have  gone  by 
since  visiting  Audubon  township.  In  the  little 
town  of  Ohlman  we  desire  to  mention  "Eck" 
Durdy.  son  of  the  late  Alexander  Durdy.  who 
for  quite  a  number  of  years  represented  Audu- 
bon township  on  the  hoard  of  supervisors. 
"Eck"  succeeded  his  father  al  Ohlman 
in  the  hay  and  grain  business,  and  it  is  re- 
ported that  last  year  Mr.  Ohlman  shipped  from 
that  point  about  one  thousand  carloads  ,,f  bay. 
exclusive  of  Ids  grain  trade.  "Eck"  Ohlman. 
son  of  Uncle  Mike  Ohlman.  live--  on  his  father's 
old  homestead.  Besides  he  gives  attention  to 
several    hundred    acres,    which    he     owns    indi- 


vidually, that  lie  adjacent  to  his  father's  farm. 
"Eck"  Ohlman  is  one  of  the  most  extensive 
farmers  in  Montgomery  county,  lie  is  also 
a  breeder  of  fine  cattle  and  horses.  The  writer 
has  often  enjoyed  the  hospitalitj  <<l'  his  home, 
and  we  can  not.  say  that,  in  our  travels  abroad 
it  has  ever  been  our  pleasure  to  Ik'  mote  royally 
entertained  than  we  have  been  at  the  country 
place  ,,f  "Eck"  Ohlman. 


NOKOMIS  CITY  AND  TOWNSHIP. 

In  1840  Blufonl  Shaw  made  the  first  per- 
manent, settlement  in  this  township.  In  1st:; 
Hugh  Hightower  made  a  settlement  in  sec- 
tion 33  and  for  some  years  was  the  only  resi- 
dent in  this  section  of  the  county,  Mr.  Shaw 
having  moved  to  another  locality.  In  is  10 
Mason  Jewett,  Samuel  Redding,  John  Nichols 
and  John  Ileur\  located  near  where  the  present 
city  el  N'okoniis  stands,  and  a  lew"  years  later 
Royal  Lee,  John  Wetmore,  William  Bonton, 
Absalom  Vanhouser,  William  Lee  ami  Andrew 
Coiner  located  north  of  the  present  city.  John 
Wetmore  was  the  father  of  Moses  Wetmore.  the 
millionaire  tobacconist  of  St.  Louis.  Missouri. 
ami  when  a  lad  Moses  attended  the  public 
school  in  the  vicinity  of  Xokomis.  Henry 
Lohr  has  the  credit  of  having  taught  the  first 
school  in  the  township  in  Is  IS.  and  John  Wet- 
more.  before    mentio I.   was   the   first  justice 

of  the  peace  for  that  township  and  J.  W.  Han- 
cock its  first  constable.  It  is  recorded  that 
Constable  Hancock  and  Miss  Margaret  Merretl 
were  the  first  couple  to  he  united  in  marriage 
in  that  township.  Jacob  Haller,  who  lives  on 
the  mound  just  smith  of  the  city,  is  one  of 
the  mo-i  promineni  characters  living  in  that 
section,  lie  has  been  unusually  successful  as 
a  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  and  to-day  has  one 
of  the  best  appointed  farms  in  Montgomery 
county,  lie  i-  a  son  of  Henry  Haller,  who  at 
an  early  day  made  a  settlement  in  Easl  Fork 
township.  John  Beatty  was  for  many  years 
connected  with  most,  oi  the  public  enterprises 
of  the  community,  and  at  one  time  held  in 
his  possession  the  large  farm  just  west  of  Xoko- 
mis which  until  recently  was  owned  by  Abra- 
ham   Bourquin.      Mr.    Beatty    some  years    ago 


;  lg 


PAST    .VXD    PRESENT    OF    MO.VHIOM  KI!Y    COI'NTY 


moved  to  Missouri,  and  \vc  are  informed  that 
In'  has  been  dead  some  two  or  three  years.  II. 
F.  Rood  is  another  of  the  influential  men  be- 
longing to  that  time  when  Nokomis  was  being 
built.  He  contributed  of  his  means  and  in- 
fluence to  make  Nokomis  enterprises  success- 
ful, lie  was  for  some  years  president  of  the 
Nokomis  National  Bank.  Another  family  to 
be  remembered  in  Ibis  connection  is  the  ('nips. 
P>.  F.  Culp  was  the  first  cashier  of  the  National 
Bank.  He  did  not  remain  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Nokomis  very  long,  but  removed  to  Ray- 
mond, where  he  established  a  private  bank 
which  lie  conducted  until  recently.  B.  F.  Culp 
was  for  many  years  one  of  the  leading  citizens 
of  the  county,  lie  is  at  present  living  in  the 
state  of  Washington  and  is  engaged  in  the 
banking  business  in  his  new  home.  James 
Young  is  another  of  the  early  settlers  of  Noko- 
mis township  and  is  to  be  reckoned  one  of  the 
strong  financial  men  of  Nokomis.  For  some 
years  past  Mr.  Young  lias  been  living  in  the 
city.  His  large  estate  is  under  the  direct  man- 
agement of  his  son  William,  who  lives  at  the 
old  homestead  and  the  experience  of  the  writer 
can  attest  that  he  and  his  good  wife  arc  first 
class  entertainers  and  that  William  Young  is 
one  of  the  most  hospitable  and  obliging  young 
farmers  that  we  have  met  in  the  county.  James 
Young,  the  pioneer,  is  a  native  of  Ireland, 
and  has  recently  visited  his  native  land  and 
in  addition  made  a  trip  to  the  continent,  vis- 
iting France.  Italy  and  several  other  conti- 
nental nations.  Air.  Young  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  men  that  we  have  met  and  at  the 
age  of  seventy-eight   lie   is   hale  and   strong  as 

II rdinary  man  of  sixty.     John  Carsteens  is 

one  of  the  older  business  men  of  the  city.  He 
lias  been  for  many  years  engaged  in  operating 
an  elevator  at  this  place.  Associated  with  his 
son  Garrett  for  many  years,  they  did  an  exten- 
sive business.  John  ('arsleens  represented  his 
county  in  the  legislature  some  few  years  ago 
ami  it  is  remarkable  that  his  son  Garret!  served 
in  the  same  capacity  only  a  few  years  later. 
The  older  gentleman  is  living  in  an  elegant 
home  in  the  city,  but  Garrett,  unfortunately 
for  his  family  and  the  community,  died  when 
in  the  very  morning  of  a  promising  business 
and  political  career.     Among  the  business  men 


that  may  he  mentioned  as  at  present  engaged 
are  Wesley  Russell,  who  carries  a  large  line 
of  dry  goods  and  who.  by  the  way,  is  a  son 
of  one  of  tl arlier  settlers  of  Fillmore  town- 
ship. Wells  and  Brown,  who  have  an  extensive 
stock  of  ready-made  clothing  and  gents'  fur- 
nishing goods.  Joe  Weinstein.  who  carries  an 
extensive  stock-  of  ladies'  and  gents'  furnish- 
ing goods  in  addition  to  a  full  line  of  dry 
goods:  Todd  and  Snell,  also  engaged  in  a  simi- 
lar line,  do  an  extensive  business;  Jesse  Grif- 
fin, who  carries  a  large  line  of  hardware  in 
addition  to  his  extensive  stock  of  furniture, 
and  Albert  Spannagel,  who  also  carries  a  sim- 
ilar stock,  and  in  justice  to  Mr.  Griffin  and 
Mr.  Spannagel  the-  writer  wishes  to  say  that 
in  his  opinion  that  no  two  stocks  equal  to  theirs 
is  to  be  found  in  this  section  of  the  state.  John 
Crickenberger  owns  and  operates  the  electric 
light  plant  at  Nokomis.  Tic  is  also  engaged  in 
other  lines  of  business  and  is  to  be  reckoned 
among  the  very  substantial  men  of  the  city. 
Nokomis.  like  other  cities  of  its  size,  has  its 
share  of  attorneys  at  law,  notably  D.  Zopp, 
Will  Todd  and  George  Webster.  These  lawyers 
practice  in  the  county  courts,  circuit  courts  and 
the  city  court  of  Litchfield.  They  are  each  and 
all  first  class  in  their  profession  and  besides  are 
excellent  citizens.  (Something  that  we  can 
not  say  about  all  lawyers.)  J>.  Zepp  for  sev- 
eral years  after  coming  to  Montgomery  county 
was  city  superintendent  of  the  Hillsboro  and 
Nokomis  schools.  Since  his  change  of  profes- 
sions, he  has  resided  in  Nokomis  and  has  built 
up  a  good  practice  and  enjoys  a  good  income 
therefrom  as  well  as  from  his  real  estate  hold- 
ings. Mr.  Webster  is  a  genial,  whole-soul  fel- 
low, and  ipiite  popular  in  his  home  and  the 
surrounding  community.  He  is  a  young  man 
of  considerable  ability  and  promises  to  be 
heard  from  in  business  and  political  circles 
at  a  future  time.  Will  Todd  is  well  and  favor- 
ahlv  known  throughout  Montgomery  county. 
At  one  lime  a  teacher  in  our  public  schools, 
he  aspired  to  higher  things  and  after  a  few 
years  spent  in  the  study  of  law,  was  admitted 
to  the  bar.  At  present  he  resides  in  Nokomis. 
He  is  a  thorough  Democrat  and  doubtless  will 
receive  at  the  hands  of  his  party  the  treat- 
ment which  a  loyal   party  man  deserves.     Will 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMEBTf    COUNTY 


Todd   is  a    fine   fellow  socially,  a  good   lawyer 
and  a  true  friend.    The  writer  shall  be  pleased 
to  see   Mr.   Todd  occupying  some   position   of 
trust  and  responsibility,  for  surely  he  deserves 
well    of   the    people  of     Montgomery    county. 
Alfred  Griffin  conducts  one  among  the  largest 
real  estate  and  loan  lines  of  any   man   in  our 
county.     The  years  which  he  lias  spent  in  No- 
komis  building  up  an  extensive  trade  lias  also 
gained  for  him  a  reputation  for  honesty  and  fair 
dealing  not  surpassed  by  any  business  man  in 
this  section.     The  writer  having  had  occasion 
to  know  Mr.  Griffin  in  a  business  way.  is  not 
surprised  at  the  success  which  he  has  achieved. 
His  habits  of  exactness  in  detail  and  his  thor- 
oughness in  attending  strictly  to  every  phase 
of  his  business  inspires  a  confidence  in  his  pa- 
trons which   loose  and  negligent    habits  could 
never  accomplish.     Mr.  Griffin  lives  in  one  of 
the  most  elegant  homes  in  the  city  and  is  of 
thai   turn  of  mind  to  enjoy  his  surroundings. 
A.  J.  Williford,  the  very  efficient  ana  courteous 
cashier  of  the   Nokomis    National    Bank,    is   a 
son  of  Kev.  A.  J.  Williford  and  a  grandson  of 
Jordan    Williford.   the   pioneer.     We  have   no- 
ticed   in    our    sketch    of    the    Williford    family 
this    gentleman,    but    desired    to    mention    his 
name   in    connection    with    our  chapter  on   the 
city  of  Nokomis.     Mike  Ohlman,  at  present  a 
resident   of   Nokomis,   was    formerly   a    citizen 
of  Audubon  township,  hut  having  grown  old. 
Mr.  Ohlman   concluded  to  leave  the  farm   and 
come  to  Nokomis.  so  here  at  the  advanced   ape 
of  eighty-five  he.   in   company   with    hi-    wife, 
is  spending  the  evening  hours  of  ;i    Ion-  and 
useful  life.     It  is  remarkable  that   one  of  Mr. 
Ohlman's  years  should  he  so  spry  as  he  is.    He 
walks   down    town   almost    every    day    and    few 
men   of   sixty   years   would    care    to   keep   pace 
with    him.      He  has  an   elegant  home   near   tin1 
public  school  building  ami  here  "Uncle  Mike" 
is  glad   to   meet    his  many  old    friends,  among 
whom    tin'    writer    is    proud    to    hi'   numbered. 
Nicholas   Bentz   is  another  of  the  very  success- 
ful business  men  of  the  city  and  Henry  Bender 
and    Woltman    &    Company    must    not    he   for- 
gotten   in    this    narrative.     '•Tom"    Piddler    is 
not    only    well    known    in    the    vicinity    of    No- 
komis. hut  as  a  buyer  of  horses  and   mules  is 
well  known  throughout  this  section  of  the  state. 


Mr.  Bardsock,  the  miller,  and  Robert   Paddock. 
the  Lumberman,  are  among  the  successful  busi- 
ness men  of  the  city.     Dr.  T.  J.  Whitten,  son 
of    Austin    Whitten,    the    pioneer.    Dr.    Wilson 
and    Dr.    Bovey   ami    Dr.   Strange  have  each  a 
wide  practice  in  their  profession.     Dr.  Whitten 
is  perhaps  more  widely   known    in  this  section 
than  any  other   practitioner,      lie  was   for  sev- 
eral years  in  charge  of  the  Prime  Sanatarinm 
at  Jacksonville,    Illinois,  and   is  called   in  con- 
sultation   throughout    a    wider    territory    than 
any  other  physician   and   surgeon   in  southern 
Illinois.     Among  the  leading  hotels  favorably 
known    to     the    t  ravelin-     men     is   the    Hagee 
House  at    Nokomis.     other  pood  hotels  are  to 
be   found   111  the  city,  hut   the  homelike  appoint- 
ments of  this  hostelry  has  made  it   well  known 
to  the  "boys  on  the  road"  and  it  has  been  uni- 
versally   praised    by    them.        The    proprietor. 
Eugene    Hagee,    has    died    hut    recently.     His 
wife  will  keep  the  house  running,  however,  hut 
we  shall   miss  the  jolly  laugh  of  our  old  friend 
"Gene."     That    he   had    his    faults   his   friends 
acknowledge,   hut    at  the  same  time  hi-   many 
trood    traits   covered    over   the   defects    and    we 
shall  remember  him  as  a  pood  and  kind  friend. 
Richard    Dill    ami   George   Bliss,  whose  names 
have  appeared  in  the  chapter  on  Eillmorc.  are 
-mis  of  pioneers  of  Fillmore  township  and  to- 
day  these  elderly   men   are  enjoying  the  fruits 
of   well   spent    years   in    the   incomes   which   by 
toil   in   earlier  years   they  have  gathered.     We 
regret   to  he  compelled   to  close  this   narrative, 
for    so    much    that    we    should    like    to    include 
must    he   omitted    that    we    feel    that    our    work- 
is   hardly   half   done,   ami    that    the   subject    de- 
serves   fuller   treatment. 


WITT  TOWNSHIP  AND  Till'.  TILLAGES 
OF  WITT  AND  PAISLEY. 

In  is:;i  James  ami  David  Brown  located 
on  east  fork  of  Shoal  creek  on  section  1 " .  Wilt 
township.  They  did  not  settle,  however,  on 
the  same  side  of  the  si  ream.  David  making  his 
home  on  the  west  side  and  -lame-  on  the  east. 
They  lived  here  almost  isolated  for  a  period 
of  three   years,   when    Martin    Barkey    in    1833 


PAST    .VXD    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


located  on  a  farm  near  them.  Mr.  Harkey  had 
previously  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Hillsboro. 
The  next  tn  make  settlement  in  the  neighbor- 
hood was  Christopher  Armantrout.  In  1839 
Joshua  Seckler  made  a  settlement  north  of 
Arniantrout  and  the  following  year,  1840,  M. 
W.  Seckler  settled  near  his  brother.  While 
these  earlier  settlers  have  passed  away,  their 
descendants  may  be  found  in  the  neighborhood 
ami  (n  the  credit  of  their  fathers,  it  may  be 
said,  that  they  left  surviving  them  an  upright 
citizenship  of  which  the  county  and  the  state 
may  be  proud.  Nairn's  thai  will  be  remem- 
bered in  the  history  of  the  township  arc  the 
Balsleys,  the  Carrikers,  the  Chapmans,  the 
Lohrs,  the  Hoehns,  the  Marks,  and  the  Hu- 
bers.  Many  of  these  came  from  Germany  and 
settled  this  section  of  Montgomery  county,  and 
lie  it  said  to  their  credit  that  not  a  better  citi- 
zenship can  lie  found  than  the  German-Ameri- 
can boys  and  girls  who  have  come  to  man- 
hood and  womanhood  in  Witt  town-ship.  The 
village  of  Witt  was  laid  out  in  1869  bj  William 
Wood,  who  crccicd  the  lir-i  store  building  in 
the  village.  Keys  &  Bartlett  kept  the  first 
sleek  of  general  merchandise  in  this  building. 
The  following  year  Lee  Hall  put  in  a  small 
sleek  of  goods  which  lie  afterward  sold  to  An- 
tonio Leon.  Leon  in  turn  sold  to  Christian 
Marks  who  afterward  disposed  of  the  stock  to 
Henry  Welker.  The  Witt  postoffiee  was  estab- 
lished in  1869  and  was  kept  in  Keys  &  Bart- 
lett's  store.  The  first  physician  who  located  in 
Witt  was  Dr.  McElrath.  In  1867  Nicholas 
Bentz  erected  a  steam  elevator  (here.  This 
marks  the  beginning  of  a  very  prosperous  little 
village.  Some  ten  year-  ago  a  coal  mine  was 
sunk-  just  west  of  Witt  on  lands  belonging  to 
George  W.  Paislejr,  and  Mr.  Paisley  laid  out 
an  additional  village,  hut  not  as  a  part  of  the 
town  of  Witt.  The  first  to  organize  of  these 
villages  was  the  old  (own  of  Witt,  ami  taking 
advantage  of  existing  conditions,  they  included 
the  larger  pari  of  the  new  village  of  Paisley. 
However,  this  did  nol  prevent  the  Paisley  peo- 
ple From  securing  a  separate  depot,  postoffiee 
and  organizing  a  separate  school  district.  Con- 
ditions not  altogether  favorable  to  the  develop- 
ment of  these  separate  parts  of  the  village  <>f 
Witt  have  existed  since  the  organization  of  that 


town.  Recently  the  Bie  Four  Railroad  Com- 
pany has  cut  out  separate  stations  for  these 
places  ami  has  established  a  depot  near  the 
line  dividing  the  town  into  sections  ami  it  is 
the  impression  of  sonic  that  before  Long  things 
will  be  more  harmonious  and  that  these  people 
will  see  the  advantage  of  uniting  their  efforts 
in  building  up  as  one  town.  Among  the  most 
promineni  characters  in  the  village  is  the  Hon. 
George  W.  Paisley,  who  served  as  state  senator 
from  this  district.  For  many  years  Mr.  Pais- 
ley was  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the 
Montgomery  county  liar,  but  later  be  became 
more  interested  in  his  large  farming  interests 
and  removed  from  Hillsboro  to  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Witt.  Later  he  became  interested  in 
the  Montgomery  County  Coal  Company,  and  it 
is  due  to  bis  enterprise  that  the  mine  was  sunk 
at  Paisley.  At  present  be  owns  a  controll- 
ing interest  in  the  stock  of  the  company  be- 
fore mentioned  and  is  its  president  and  general 
manager.  Mr.  Paisley  is  an  unusually  force- 
ful character  and  in  all  his  enterprises  he  has 
been  fairly  successful  and  to-day  at  the  age  of 
sixty-six  he  is  one  of  the  active,  energetic  busi- 
ness men  ol'  Montgomery  county.  Robert  Dix- 
on and  Henry  Shuping  are  engaged  in  the 
grain  business  and  operate  one  of  the  largest 
elevators  in  the  county.  Both  are  genial,  en- 
terprising   D  and  have  succeeded  in  building 

up  an  immense  trade  in  their  town.  Short  & 
Ernst  operate  an  elevator  in  the  west  portion 
of  the  village  or  in  that  part  usually  known 
as  Paisley.  They  have  likewise  a  fine  trade 
and  are  both  good  business  men.  Quite  a  num- 
ber of  general  stores  are  located  in  the  two 
parts  of  the  village.  We  have  not  space,  how- 
ever, to  enumerate  or  to  give  the  attention  that 
they  deserve.  Rufus  Barringer,  son  of  Caleb 
Barringer,  is  the  present  supervisor  of  the  town- 
ship. He  is  a  livery  man  and  has  a  good  busi- 
ness. Iir.  Charles  Lockhart  is  the  only  physi- 
cian in  the  village,  and  enjoys  a  large  income 
from  one  ol'  the  mosl  lucrative  practices  of  any 
physician  in  our  county.  The  doctor  deserves 
all  the  success  which  he  has  received,  for  no 
other  physician  in  this  section  of  the  state 
has  prepared  himself  more  thoroughly  for  the 
practice  of  his  profession  than  Dr.  Lockhart. 
The   present    postmaster  of  the   Paisley  end   of 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


719 


the  town  is  Miss  Kate  Daly,  once  a  teacher  in 
the  public  schools  of  the  county.  Her  people 
are  old  residents  of  Irving  township  and  for- 
merly came  from  the  Emerald  Isle  and  settled 
in  Illinois  near  Alton,  but  afterward  removed 
to  Irving  township,  where  Mr.  Daly  for  many 
years  was  engaged  in  fanning,  bul  like  many 
others,  when  he  fell  the  weight  of  years,  deemed 
it  best  to  retire  and  consequently  we  find  him 
enjoying  a  pleasant  homo  during  his  declining 
years  in  the  village  of  Paisley.  The  people  of 
these  villages  do  not  lack  for  church  privileges 
and  we  find  several  church  organizations  in 
thriving  condition  with  houses  of  worship  and 
regular  services  everv  Sabbath  day. 


GRISHAM  TOWNSHIP  AND  THE  VIL- 
LAGE OF  DONNELLSON. 
The  firsl  settlement  made  in  this  township 
was  by  Spartan  lirisliam  aboul  the  year  1819. 
lie  settled  on  a  farm  west  of  the  village  of 
Donnellson  and  his  estate  passed  into  the  pos- 
session of  his  descendants.  Spartan  Grisham 
came  to  Illinois  with  Melcher  Fogleman  and 
lived  with  Mr.  Fogleman  until  he  set  up  house- 
keeping for  himself.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
force  of  character  such  as  the  times  demanded, 
and  he  was  indeed  a  Spartan  in  character  as 
well  as  in  name.  In  the  settlement  of  that 
section  Mr.  Grisham  was  for  many  years  the 
centra]  figure.  Next  in  settlement  in  this  im- 
mediate neighborhood  was  Jesse  Johnson,  who 
settled  just  north  of  the  present  village  of 
Donnellson,  yet  to  the  westward  of  the  town- 
ship line.  lie  afterward  removed  across  into 
East  Pork  township  and  made  a  settlement  on 
the  branch  near  what  was  afterward  known  as 
the  Russell  place.  Thomas  Johnson,  his  son. 
made  a  settlement  just  north  of  his  father 
Jesse,  and  lived  here  until  he  was  quite  an  old 
man.  He  died  a  U:\v  years  ago  and  was  buried 
in  the  Bear  Creek  cemetery.  Jesse  Johnson 
about  1840  sold  his  possessions  in  Illinois  and 
migrated  to  Iowa,  where  he  lived  but  a  few 
years  and  again  turned  his  face  westward  for 
the  Pacific  slope,  and  in  1850  we  find  him  in 
far  away  Oregon.  It  is  related  of  him  that 
he  enjoyed  every  species  of  adventure  and  that 


when  he  could  lieai-  his  neighbor's  axe  or  his 
neighbor's  wife  calling  the  cows,  he  thought  it 
time  to  move.  He  lived  to  a  good  old  age 
and  died  ami  was  buried  amidst  the  mountains 
that  girt  the  wilderness  in  which  he  hail  made 
his  home.  Nathan  Irving  was  another  who 
made  his  home  in  that  pail  of  the  county  em- 
braced within  Grisham  township,  lie  was  also 
a  rover,  having  lived  in  quite  a  number  of 
stati's.  and  hardly  had  he  warmed  a  new  cabin 
nihil  the  spirit  of  adventure  pushed  him  west- 
ward and  we  last  hear  id'  him  in  Missouri. 
The  home  of  James  Street,  who  settled  near 
the  old  pepper  mill,  was  just,  over  the  line  in 
Grisham  township.  He  built  his  cabin  at  this 
place  in  the  year  1820  and  was  the  first  to 
preach  the  gospel  in  what  was  known  as  the 
Clear  Spring  settlement,  'this  same  James 
Street  by  holding  over  the  head  of  Nicholas 
Lockerman  the  (ires  id'  an  eternal  hell,  per- 
suaded that  gentleman  to  marry  the  woman 
who  he  had  kept  for  several  years  as  his 
wife.  Street  was  a  man  of  untarnished  char- 
acter and  in  his  day  was  considered  a  very 
able  preacher.  lie  was  not  a  rhetorician  nor 
was  he  able  to  express  himself  in  those  finished 
and  superb  sentences  of  the  classical  scholar, 
vet  lie  could  preach  hell  and  damnation  until 
the  sturdy  pioneers  quaked  at  the  awfulness 
that  awaited  the  wrong  doer.  And.  gentle 
reader,  would  not  just  a  little  hit  of  (hat  same 
kind  of  gospel  accomplish  better  results  than 
thi'  sugar-coated  sermonizing  to  which  we  are 
continually  treated?  Yes,  if  heaven  is  to  he 
gained  by  righteousness  in  our  lives  and  hell 
is  to  he  shunned,  would  it  not  he  well  for  the 
clerg\  to  dwell  with  especial  emphasis  npon 
the  consequences  of  a  life  spent  in  wickedness? 
William  Griffith  settled  near  the  central  por- 
tion of  the  township  near  the  same  lime  that 
Mr.  Street  made  his  settlement.  He  was  a 
modest  and  unassuming  man  and  like  many  of 
those  whose  names  arc  forgotten,  his  work  was 
done  without  ostentation  or  show.  Many  of 
his  descendants  live  in  the  county  and  are 
among  its  besi  citizens.  Thomas  Edwards  came 
to  Illinois  from  Kentucky  in  1826  and  im- 
proved a  farm  near  Bear  creek  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  the  township.  Tt  was  the  same 
that   for  a  number  of  vears  was  owned  by  the 


720 


PAST    A  X I  >    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


Late  Charles  Edwards  and  is  the  same  now 
owned  by  his  sons,  Jesse,  Charles  and  Edward. 
Thomas  Edwards,  the  pioneer,  was  fourth  cor- 
pora] in  Captain  Rountree's  company  during 
the  Black  Hawk  war.  Mr.  Edwards  Left  sev- 
eral sons,  among  whom  were  Sidney,  Allen, 
Wesley,  Charles  and  George.  Sidney  Edwards 
Located  in  Bond  county  near  Sorento,  where  he 
lived  until  his  death,  which  occurred  some  years 
ago.  Allen  Edwards  and  Wesley  Edwards  were 
in  the  Mexican  war.  Company  C,  dames  C. 
Mi  Adam-,  captain.  Allen  Edwards  settled  in 
East  Fork  after  his  return  Erom  the  Mexican 
war  and  by  industry  and  economy  succeeded 
in  acquiring  quite  a  large  estate,  lie  did  not 
Live,  however,  to  enjoy  what  he  had  succeeded 
in  gathering,  for  he  died  at  the  early  age  of 
forty-eight  years.  Wesley  Edwards,  a  very 
genial  and  pleasant  gentleman,  lived  to  be  quite 
an  old  man.  He  died  but  recently  and  Left  quite 
a  family  of  sons  and  daughters.  Charles  Ed- 
wards, who  for  many  years  resided  upon  and 
owned  the  ancestral  estate,  died  hut  a  few  years 
ago  and  left  surviving  him  a  wife  and  several 
children,  all  of  them  having  arrived  at  ma- 
turity. Among  his  sons  are  Thomas  C.  Ed- 
wards and  Walter,  very  successful  business  men 
of  Coffeen.  William  Edwards,  the  older  son, 
is  connected  with  the  postoffice  department  in 
the  city  of  St.  Louis.  The  other  sons  are  en- 
gaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising.  He  has 
several  daughters  who  are  married  and  reside 
in  this  section.  George  Edwards,  the  younger 
son.  resides  in  the  village  of  Donnellson.  He 
has  several  sons,  among  whom  are  Thomas  H. 
Edwards,  who  lives  in  Coffeen.  and  Robert, 
who  ai  present  resides  in  Bond  county  in  the 
vicinity  of  Greenville.  Accompanying  Thomas 
Edwards  to  Illinois  from  Kentucky  came  John 
Elder,  who  improved  the  farm  owned  by  the 
late  John  Price.  We  do  not  know  that  any 
of  Elders'  descendants  remain  in  this  county. 
Robert  McCullough,  another  of  the  early  pio- 
neers who  settled  in  this  neighborhood,  has 
left  the  influence  of  his  example  in  the  vicinity 
where  he  spent  so  many  years.  His  grandson, 
Samuel  McCullough,  resides  near  Donnellson. 
In  L827  Clemen!  C.  Aydelott.  a  Methodist 
preacher,  Located  on  the  farm  now  owned  by 
his  son,  George  R.   Aydelott.     While  the  Eev. 


Aydelott  is  remembered  by  the  writer  as  one  of 
the  most  devout  men,  yet  we  iind  that  he  was 
not  afraid  to  go  to  war  and  his  name  is  to  he 
round  upon  the  roll  of  privates  in  Rountree's 
company  to  serve  in  tin.'  Black  Hawk  war. 
None  of  the  early  pioneers  could  have  exer- 
cised  greater  moral  influence  than  did  Eev. 
Aydelott.  His  religious  life  was  an  open  hook 
and  no  one  doubted  that  Clement  Aydelott 
was  .111  earnest,  sincere  Christian  man.  lie  or- 
ganized  the  first  Methodist  church  in  Grisham 
township.  He  died  m  L865  at  the  age  of  sixty 
years,  hut  his  wife  survived  him  many  years 
and  died  at  the  age  of  over  four  score.  His  son 
George  has  lone-  been  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent citizens  of  Grisham  township  and  like 
In-  father,  he  enjoys  the  confidence  and  es- 
teem of  all  who  know  him.  Clement  haws  of 
Coffeen  and  William  Laws  of  Greenville  are 
greal  grandsons  of  Clement  Aydelott  by  their 
titer's  side,  whose  mother  was  an  only  daugh- 
ter of  (dement  Aydelott.  George  Aydelott  has 
no  children  and  with  him  one  pioneer  name 
will  eease  to  exist.  William  Young,  a  brother- 
in-law  of  Clement  Aydelott,  came  to  Illinois 
in  1828,  accompanied  by  his  brother  James. 
Mr.  Young  in  L830  located  on  the  farm  now 
known  as  the  old  Young  homestead.  Here  he 
lived  for  fifty  years  and  it  was  here  that  he 
succeeded  in  laying  the  foundation  of  one  of 
the  Largest  estates  ever  built  up  in  Montgom- 
ery county.  Mr.  Young  at  one  time  served  his 
district  in  the  state  legislature  and  refused  a 
re-election  because,  as  he  said,  "a  man  with- 
oul  an  education  has  no  business  in  the  Legis- 
lature." While  the  educational  acquirements 
of  Mr.  Young  were  limited,  yet  for  good  horse 
sense  he  lias  had  no  superior  in  this  se.-tion 
of  the  country,  and  it  can  he  said  with  credrl 
not  only  to  Mr.  Young  and  to  those  who  bear 
bis  name,  but  to  the  community  at  Large,  that 
the  annals  of  Montgomery  county  will  show  no 
name  in  its  but"-  record  of  honest  and  upright 
characters  more  loved  and  more  esteemed  than 
that  of  William  Young,  very  familiarly  known 
as  "flu'  old  Squire."  The  writer  well  remem- 
bers when  a  boy  in  assisting  Mr.  Young  in 
loading  some  -rain  that  had  been  grown  on  a 
rented  farm  that  the  question  of  honest  di- 
vision on  the  part  of  the  renter  came  up  and 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


723 


Mr.  Young  remarked:     "A  man  may  i'ool  me, 
but  he  can't  fool  that  Old  Fellow  up  yonder." 
Men    would    live   and    raise    their    families   as 
renin--   of    Mr.    Young  and    it    has   been   said 
thai  he  never  requested  the  removal  of  a  ten- 
ant nor  did  he  ever  bring  suit  againsl  am   man 
or  in  any  way  enter  into  law  againsl  Ins  neigh- 
bor.    A  record  certainly  to  be  coveted  ami  an 
example   that   may    well    he    imitated.      Squire 
Young  died   at  his  home  in  Hillsboro  only   a 
short  while  ago  at  upward  of  ninety  years  of 
age.     Other  names  familiar  in   the  early   his- 
torj    of    Grisham  township    are  William     and 
Robert  Paisley.  Jacob   Eolbrook,  Spartan  Jor- 
dan and  William  Rogers;  and  later  Tipton  Cox, 
Friah    Wilson.     Fred     Heifers,    the    Angersleins 
ami    others.      James    Wilson    and     Bonaparte 
Wilson  are  sons  of  the  late  Uriah  Wilson  and 
are    among    the    most    influential    and     popular 
citizens  of  Grisham  township,     dame-   Wilson 
has    served   his   township    in    different    official 
capacities  and  is  the  present   township  super- 
vise ir.     -Bona'"  Wilson   is  extensively   engaged 
in  agricultural  lines  ami  recentl]   succeeded  in 
procuring  several  thousand  acres  of  coal  leases 
in  his  township   for  a  mining  syndicate.     The 
Messimore    family    and    the    Kessinger    family 
have    long    been    prominently    connected    with 
the  social  and  political  affairs  of  Grisham  town- 
ship.    The  village  of  Donnellson  lies  partly  in 
Montgomery  and  Bond  counties.     It  is  also  di- 
vided on  tlie  Montgomery  side  by  the  wot  line 
of  East  Fork  township.     Among  the  business 
men    of   the    village    may    he    named    William 
Boone,  hardware  ami  agricultural  implements; 
and    .lames    Price   engaged    in   the   same   line: 
Baxter    Taylor,    general    merchandise.    Wilson 
Laws  and  S.  G.  Gardner,  carrying  on   similar 
line-;     Fred    Krummel,    furniture   and     under- 
taking:  IIenr\     Myatt,    engaged    in   hay    and 
grain    trade.     Among    the    physicians    are    Dr. 
W.  A.  Allen  and  Carey  and  Son.     These  have 
an    extensive    practice.      Among   those    deserv- 
ing especial  mention  at  this  time  is  Rev.  Wil- 
liam   Young,   who   for  many   year?   was   a   resi- 
dent of   East  Fork  township;  but  during  the 
past    lew    years  has  made  his  home  in   the  vil- 
lage of   Donnellson.     He  has  been  among  the 
forceful  men  in  his  community  and  his  influ- 
ence   has    alwavs    been    on    the    moral    side    of 


ever)  question.  He  has  always  believed  in  the 
strict  enforcement  of  law  anil  his  opinion  upon 
mallei-  demanding  legal  settlement  is  often 
times  sought  by  both  parties  before  an  action 
at  law  i-  taken.  His  advice  and  council  has 
possibh  averted  more  suits  than  thai  of  any 
other  man  m  our  county.  In  other  words,  he 
might  justly  he  styled  '"The  Peacemaker." 
Shelby  Young,  a  brother  of  William  Young  of 
Donnellson,  is  another  unique  character  of  this 
section.  He  is  not  so  conservative  as  his 
brother  William,  hut  his  influence  for  good 
has  been  far  reaching  and  doubtless  Shelby 
Young  will  lie  remembered  as  well  and  as 
kindly  as  that  of  any  man  in  tin-  vicinity  of 
Donnellson.  This  hurried  survey  of  the  past 
and  present  of  Grisham  township  the  writer 
is  well  aware  is  too  briefly  stated  to  do  justice 
to  tin'  many  noble  characters  that  have  come 
and  gone  and  that  are  now"  engaged  in  the 
affairs  of  flic  present.  Within  the  narrow  con- 
tines  of  Grisham  township  many  scenes  of  in- 
terest have  been  enacted  and  much  of  im- 
portance in  the  history  of  Montgomery  count; 
has  transpired  there,  yet,  we  musl  leave  untold 
more  perhaps  than  can  he  found  in  this  nar- 
rative and  to  search  out  these  traditions  and 
chronicle  them  we  leave  to  the  service  of  an- 
other. 


WALSHVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 

About  I  Si;  (here  came  to  the  neighborhood 
of  Walshville  Nicholas  Voiles,  Melcher  Fogle- 
man.  William  Stevens,  Elias  Baker  and  his 
son  .lame-.  Two  or  three  years  later  James 
Jordan.  Austin  Grisham  ami  others  settlei 
near.  In  l^ii  J.  W.  Harrison.  Thomas  Evans. 
John  Evans  and  Joseph  Evans  and  in  182S 
Robert  GZirkland  made  settlement  in  the  same 
neighborhood.  These  men  were  in  character 
and  spirit  similar  to  those  I  hat  we  have  de- 
scribed in  the  history  of  other  townships. 
The}  were  just  as  true  just  as  brave  as  then' 
contemporaries  and  in  the  sections  where  the} 
located  Ibeir  influence  has  been  as  marked  for 
good  as  the  influence  of  pioneers  who  settled 
in    other    parts    of   the    county.      It   has    been 


PAST    AM)    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


claimed  by  some  writers  on  the  earlier  history 
of  Montgomery  county  that  .lames  Jordan  who 
settled  near  Walshville,  preached  the  lirst  ser- 
mon ever  delivered  within  the  present  bound- 
aries of  Montgomery  county.  We  know,  how- 
ever,  thai    conflicting  evidence  exists  to  show 

thai     dallies     Street      might    have     deserved     this 

honor    and    there    is     also   tradition     that    one 
Henry  Sears,  of  Hurricane  settlement,  deserves 
that  credit.     We  leave  the  matter,  however,  to 
some    more   exact    and    precise    historian.      We 
are   perfectly  willing  to   leave   these  questions 
of   minor    importance   to   be    ferreted   out    by 
someone  more   interested    in  minutia    than  the 
writer.      Ahout   the  year   1840   John    Simpson 
and  John  Ming  made  improvement  of  the  lands 
upon  which  the   present  village  of  Walshville 
now  stands.     These  two  pioneers  have  lefl  sev- 
eral   descendants    in    this    part   of   the    county. 
The    lirst    marriage    that    ever    took    place   in 
Walshville  township  was  that  of  James  Jordan 
to   Elizabeth   Grisham.     This  occurred  in   the 
year  L825.     h  is  related  that  Peter  Cartwright 
organized   a    Methodist    .lass    at  the    residence 
of  Elias  Baker  in   the  year   1824.     Probably 
this    was    the    first    Methodist    Episcopal    class 
in   Montgomery   county.     Rev.    .Tames   Jordan 
had    organized    a    Baptist  church    at  the   resi- 
dence  of  William   Cline,   which   was   later   re- 
organized by  the  Rev.  William  Burge  in  1836. 
No  church   edifice  was  erected  until  ten  years 
later.     This  was  a  log  structure  and  served  the 
congregation  until  about   1862  when  the  organ- 
ization decide,!  to  build  a  new  place  of  worship 
and    located  it    in    the    village  of    Walshville. 
This  building  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1866  and 
in    L869  they  rebuilt  their  church,  since  which 
time  the  organization  has  passed  through  the 
varying    experiences    of    prosperous    conditions 
and  depressions.     In  1850  E.  D.  Smith  opened 
a  country  store  at   what  is  now  the  village  of 
Walshville.     Some  years  later  he  sold  his  busi- 
ness to  a  Mr.  Bowers.     Bowers  in  turn  sold  to 
Chapman    and    Kennedy    and    they    to    Michael 
Walsh.     In    l<s:>-"'    Mr.   Walsh  laid  out  the  vil- 
lage and  named   it    in  honor  of  himself.     The 
township,    however,    takes    its    name    from    the 
village.     John    King  built  his   residence  aboui 
this  time  and  Seymour  and  Cline  built  a  brick 
store  room  and  put  in  a  general  stock  in  1856. 


Shortly    alter    Cline    sold    his    interest    to    Eli 
Deshane,  who  afterward  became  sole  owner  of 
the  stock.     Mr.  Deshane  did  quite  an  extensive 
business  at   Walshville  and  accumulated  a  very 
creditable  estate   by   attention   to   business  and 
the    practice   of   habits   of   economy.      William 
Kingston   tor  many  years  conducted  a   general 
merchandise  business  in  the  village,  and  several 
oilier-   whose  names  are   familiar  to  the  people 
of    this    section    may    hi-    named.      Sanders    & 
Hodges,    Blevins    &    Denny.    Hodges    &   Boyd. 
Thomas    Barlow,    Boone    Copeland    and    A.    T. 
Strange,  the  last  named  more  recently  engaged 
in  business.     A.  T.  Strange  for  the  last   quar- 
ter of  a  century  has  been  very  closelj  identified 
with  the   affairs   of   Walshville   township.      As 
an  administrator  of  large  estates  and  as  trustee 
for  panic-  left  in  trust  he  has  had  as  much  and 
possibly  more  experience  than  any  other  citizen 
of  the  township.      He  was   for  many  years  en- 
gaged    in    the    profession    of    teaching;   later, 
however,  he  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits,      lie  has  been   identified   with  organ- 
izations that  have  had  for  their  purpose  a  union 
of  the  agricultural  classes.     He  was  an  active 
organizer    of    the    Grange    and    the    Farmers 
Mutual  Benefit  Association.     No  man  residing 
in  that  section  of  the  county  enjoys  the  con- 
fidence  and    esteem   of   the   public   more   than 
Alex  T.   Strange.     Among  the  physicians  that 
deserve  mention  in  these  pages  are  the  follow- 
ing:    Ambrose  Barcroft,  John  T.   Koeu  and 
M.   S.    Davenport.     This  trio  of  very  worthy 
professional  characters,  each   of  whom  has  left 
his   influence    for  good   upon   the   locality,   has 
moved   on   to  the  silent   halls  of  the  dead,  and 
while  their  voices  are  hushed  and  while  they 
are  no   longer  able  to   practice   their  skill  that 
others  may  live,  yet  what  they  have  done  is  not 
silent    ami    the   example   of    their    lives    is    ever 
living.     T.  T.  Smith,  who  lives  just  south  of 
the  village,  is  another  id'  the  deserving  citizens 
of  the  township  ami  he  has  been  identified  with 
much    that    has    been    done    in    the    moral    and 
social  uplift  of  the  community.     William  Nei- 
man.  who  lives  near  the  west  line  of  the  town- 
ship,  is  a   German-American  who  at  different 
time-  has  represented  his  township  on  the  board 
of    supervisors,    and    along    with    him    may    be 
nai I    Harm   Reiser,  who   for  a   longer  period 


PAST    AMi    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNT! 


?23 


of  years  served  th.it  township  on  the  board 
than  any  of  which  we  have  record.  Following 
Mr.  Eeiser  comes  II.  II.  Monke,  also  of  Ger- 
man parentage.  This  township  is  largely  set- 
tled along  the  western  and  southern  pari  by 
thrifty  German  population  and  we  are  glad 
tn  note  that  no  part  of  Montgomery  count} 
has  a  tunic  enterprising  people  than  VValshville 
tnu  nship. 

The  story  which  we  have  told  is  incom- 
plete, but  space  will  not  allow  any  further  nar- 
rative of  this  township. 


FILLMORE    VILLAGE   AND  TOWNSHIP. 

We  have  had  occasion  to  notice  a  few  of  the 
first  families  of  Fillmore  township.  The  first 
settlement    of   this   township  was   made   in  the 

neighbor] I    of  the  old   town  of   Vanburens- 

burg.  It  was  made  by  John  Hill  in  the  au- 
tumn of  ISKI.  ami  here  the  succeeding  spring 
others  came  and  made  settlemeni  near  him. 
These  early  settlers  came  from  Kentucky,  and 
the  year  previous  to  their  settlement  near  the 
lung  they  had  spent  in  some  other  part  of  the 
statu.  Among  this  little  band  were  1  Ian-is 
Revis,  Henry  Hill.  Levi  Casey,  Aaron  Casey, 
John  Lee,  Joseph  Wright,  Henry  Piatt.  It  is 
related  that  these  parties  built  their  cabins  in 
a  group  about  a  Large  spring  in  that  neighbor- 
hood. It  must  be  remembered  that  not  a  few 
Indians  were  to  be  found  near  this  place,  and 
it  is  well  known  that  the  average  BZentuckian 
of  that  day  had  no  particular  love  for  the  red 
man.  Somewhat  later  this  little  community 
was  broken  up  by  each  of  the  parties  locating 
mi  different  claims.  Harris  Revis  made  his 
claim  near  the  southeast  corner  of  the  town- 
ship, where  he  lived  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1840.  Several  of  his  descendants 
live  in  the  neighborhood  of  where  this  old 
Revolutionary  soldier  made  hi^  settlement. 
Adjoining  the  Revis  farm  Henry  Hill  entered 
a  claim,  and  his  grandson  and  his  grand- 
daughters own  the  larger  part  of  the  old  home- 
stead. John  Hill,  the  first  pioneer,  entered  a 
farm  in  the  same  locality,  and  it  is  also  in 
possession  of  his  descendants.     Levi  Casey  set- 


tled on  what  to-day  is  known  as  the  Briggs 
farm,  but  in  1831  he  sold  his  homestead  and 
moved  to  Shelby  county,  where  he  afterward 
died.  Aaron  Casey,  a  son-in-law  of  Revis,  set- 
tled on  a  farm  near  Samuel  Hill,  and  John 
Lee  entered  a  tract  of  land  adjoining  Revis. 
Aaron  Case}  afterward  sold  his  farm  to  Sam- 
uel  Hill.     Joseph  Wright,  who  was  one  of  the 

c missioners  appointed  by  the  legislature  to 

fix  the  county  seat,  made  settlement  in  this 
community,  and  Henry  Piatt  built  a  home 
near  that  of  Joseph  Wright.  The  farm  set- 
tled by  Joseph  Wright  passed  to  his  son.  Jar- 
rett  Wright,  and  is  yet  in  the  family  Among 
the  most  prominent  pioneers  of  Fillmore  town- 
ship was  Newton  Coffey,  father  of  Cleveland 
Coffey  and  grandfather  of  Newton  Coffey,  who 
now  lives  on  the  old  homestead.  Newton  Cof- 
fey. Si'.,  is  the  same  who  entered  the  tract  of 
land  where  Mills] ion i  now  stands  and  after- 
ward donated  twenty  acres  to  the  county  to  be 
used  for  public  purposes.  Mr.  Coffey  came  to 
Illinois  in  the  fall  of  1811  and  settled  west 
of  the  Hurricane  about  five  miles.  His  near- 
est neighbors  wen'  those  who  were  living  over 
near  the  "burg,"  but  in  the  spring  of  1819 
several  settlers  made  their  way  to  the  neigh- 
bor]  1    of    Mr.    Coffey.      Among   these    were 

Easton  Whitten,  Colbert  Blair,  John  Beck  and 
Stephen  White.  All  these  were  from  Ken- 
tucky and  originally  from  Virginia.  Easton 
Whitten  the  next  year  made  his  settlement 
over  on  Dry  Fork,  and  Beck  settled  just  north 
of  Mr.  Coffey,  and  Stephen  'White  and  Colbert 
Blair  just  west  of  Mr.  Coffey,  near  Shoal 
creek.  The  first  mill  erected  in  Fillmore 
township  was  in  1825  by  John  Beck,  one  of  the 
commissioners  appointed  to  relocate  the  coun- 
ty scat,  and  who  selected  Hillsboro  instead  of 
Hamilton,  where  the  first  commissioners  had 
attempted  to  locate  it.  John  Beck  made  his 
settlement  not  far  south  of  the  Yanilalia  road, 
and  the  old  mill,  which  was  a  treadmill  ope- 
rated by  a  yoke  of  oxen,  stood  on  the  George 
Blackburn  place.  Benjamin  Rose  built  the 
next  mill  operated  in  the  town-hip  in  1S38. 
This  was  afterward  sold  to  a  man  by  the  name 
of  Austin,  who  did  a  very  flourishing  business 
for  several  years.  The  next  mill  was  run  by 
steam  and  operated  by  John  Hill.     It  bad  but 


;-.'[ 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


one  lnilir  and  the  demands  of  the  trade  kept  it 
going  almost  constantly.  Harris  Wright  and 
James  Kirk  bought  this  mill  and  operated  it 
until  1846.  The  sawmill  first  erected  was 
run  In  hand.  It  consisted  of  what  was  called 
a  whipsaw,  and  one  man  stood  below  and  the 
other  above,  and  in  this  way  the  log  was  ripped 
into  boards.  John  Fuller  in  1840  built  a 
mill  in  the  grove  near  where  lie  lives  at  the 
present  time.  (Deceased  but  a  few  days  ago.) 
He  operated  it  but  for  a  year  or  two,  when 
i(  was  sold  and  removed  from  the  township. 
The  first  school  ever  taught  in  Fillmore  town- 
ship was  in  1825  by  Mr.  Hatchett  in  a  little 
log  house  that  had  been  used  by  Aaron  Casey 
as  a  residence.  The  succeeding  year  Benja- 
min li'obbins  followed  Mr.  Hatchett,  and  thus 
from  these  humble  beginnings  the  excellent 
school  system  which  we  enjoy  to-day  lias  come. 
The  first  flame  schoolhouse  ever  built  in  the 
township  was  in  1845  near  the  little  village 
of  Vanburensburg,  and  it  was  known  as  the 
Easley  schoolhouse.  In  1821  a  burial  ground 
was  staked  off  on  Dry  fork  on  an  old  battle- 
field, where  at  one  time,  many  years  before,  an 
encounter  took  place  between  United  Stales 
troops  and  a  band  of  hostile  Indians  The 
first  interment  in  this  cemetery  was  that  of 
Stephen  White,  who  died  in  the  summer  of 
1821,  and  the  first  birth  in  the  township  was 
in  1819,  which  happy  event  occurred  in  the 
Famih  of  John  Reck,  and  the  first  wedding 
was  between  John  Revis  and  Patsey  Coffey. 
The  ceremony  was  performed  by  'Squire  Levi 
Case}  and  took  place  in  1822.  The  village 
of  Vanburenshurg  was  laid  out  by  Joshua 
White  in  1S4"?,  but  prior  to  this  time  there 
had  been  a  postoffice  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
as  early  as  1837  it  is  recorded  that  Benjamin 
Roberts  kept  the  postoffice  at  Hurricane.  This 
was  the  name  which  this  settlement  bore 
through  all  the  earlier  years,  and  the  name  at- 
tached to  (he  postoffice  until  it  was  abandoned 
by  the  rural  route  which  was  established  from 
Fillmore  through  the  Hurricane  neighborhood 
about  two  years  ago.  Robert  White  kept  store 
at  tlie  "burg"  through  the  same  period  that 
Joel  C.  Traylor  kept  one  ten  miles  further 
west.  The  "burg"  had  the  reputation,  during 
the  Civil  war  and  the  period  immediately  pre- 


ceding it,  of  being  a  tough  place,  and  there 
is  little  doubt  that  the  reputation  which  it 
held  was  justly  earned.  It  must  not  be 
thought,  however,  thai  many  good  people  did 
not  live  in  this  vicinity.  The  years  that  have 
passed  since  then  have  borne  away  in  their 
stream  the  unsavor}  characters  that  made 
Vanburensburg  a  place  feared  by  some  of  the 
more  timid  of  our  people  forty  years  ago. 
Emery  Wright  is  carrying  on  quite  a  pros- 
perous business  in  merchandising  at  tins  place. 
While  there  is  no  railroad  within  several  miles 
of  the  place,  this  country  store  is  patronized 
very  widely,  and  Mr.  Wright  enjoys  an  ex- 
cellent business.  Jocie  Lynn  settled  in  this 
neighborhood  some  time  later  and  acquired 
quite  an  estate,  which  at  his  death  fell  to  bis 
sens  and  daughters,  who  at  present  live  in 
Fillmore  township.  Dr.  B.  Haynes,  a  veteran 
physician,  removed  from  East  Fork  township 
to  Fillmore  some  thirty  years  ago.  Besides 
being   very   successful    in   his   practice,  he  has 

1 n  very   prominent  in  the  political  and  social 

life  of  the  community.  He  is  still  living  on 
his  farm  and  actively  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  bis  profession,  though  seventy-six  years 
have  left  their  marks  upon  him.  Prominent 
among  the  settlers  who  came  tn  the  township 
somewhat  later  than  those  mentioned  in  the 
earlier  history  of  ihe  township  are  Fred  Sny- 
der. John  Fuller.  Ed  Hurd,  Joseph  Easley, 
Tom  llai'\c\  and  the  Blackburn  brothers.  Most 
of  these  canic  from  Ohio,  but  were  originally 
from  Virginia.  Moses  Fuller,  father  of  John 
Fuller,  died  but  a  few  years  ago.  after  having 
rounded  out  a  century.  Richard  Blackburn, 
the  eldest  of  the  brothers,  was  the  first  to 
make  Ids  home  in  this  section.  He  bought  the 
property  known  as  the  old  Bradley  tavern  and 
settled  in  that  community  about  1838.  Wil- 
liam Blackburn,  George  Blackburn.  Charles 
Blackburn  and  Robert  Blackburn  came  about 
two  years  later.  They  settled  near  one  another 
and  Eor  many  years  this  was  known  as  the 
Blackburn  settlement.  All  these  brothers  suc- 
ceeded in  building  for  themselves  good  home- 
steads. Their  descendants  own  much  of  the 
lands  formerly  entered  by  their  father-.  Since 
the  death  of  Fncle  Robert  Blackburn,  which 
occurred  about  one  year  atro.  Harrison  Black- 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF-  MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


burn,  oldest  son  of  George  Blackbura,  is  the 
oldest  member  of  the  Blackburn  family  now 
living,  ilc  resides  on  a  farm  in  East  Fork 
township.  Imt.  also  owns  the  Tom  Earvey  farm 
in  Fillmore  township.  Earrison  Blackburn 
properly  belongs  to  tin-  sketch  of  East  Fork 
township,  imt  his  identity  is  Linked  with  the 
history  of  Fillmore  township  more  closely. 
Lafayette  Blackburn,  only  son  of  Robert 
Blackburn,  lives  on  the  homestead  of  his 
father.  For  many  year,-  Lafayette  Blackburn 
was  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Billsboro, 
and  immediately  following  his  removal  from 
Eillsboro  to  Oregon  he  was  engaged  in  real 
estate  ventures  in  that  western  country.  His 
son  ami  daughter  have  been  engaged  in  edu- 
cational and  mining  enterprises  in  the  west. 
Stewart  is  at.  present  in  Colorado,  and  Miss 
Blanche  during  the  past,  year  has  been  making 
her  home  with  her  father  at  the  old  homestead. 
There  are  several  members  of  the  Blackburn 
family  living  in  the  neighborhood  of  Coffeen. 

Ja s.   a   son   of   William    Blackburn,    lives   in 

the   village   and    his   brother   John   at    the    old 

h e.      Charles    Blackburn    left    Imt    one   son, 

who  lives  somewhere  in  the  west,  and  besides 
H.  H.  Blackburn,  George  Blackburn,  Sr.,  has 
a  -on.  Ezra,  living  in  St.  Louis.  Richard 
Blackbura  also  has  a  son.  George,  living  some- 
where in  Kansas.  A  daughter  of  Richard 
Blackburn  was  the  wile  of  Rev.  T.  W.  McDa- 
vid,  whose  family  we  have  noticed  in  the  chap- 
ter on  Fast  Fork,  .lames  Kirk  came  to  Fill- 
more anil  settled  in  the  north  part  of  the  town- 
ship near  Bost  Hill.  Flo  afterward  changed 
his  location  to  the  farm  where  he  lived  until 
a  lew  years  before  his  death.  Mr.  Kirk  was 
a  very  peculiar  man.  quiet  and  inoffensive, 
vet  exerting  a  wide  influence,  lie  was  very 
successful  in  acquiring  a  large  estate,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death  was  one  of  the  largest 
landowners  in  the  township.  Another  family 
prominent  in  the  settlement  of  Fillmore  town- 
ship and  closely  identified  with  the  ('less  fam- 
ily were  the  Bosts — John  Bost,  Henry  Bost 
and  Martin  Bost,  sons  of  Jacob  Bost.  who 
came  from  North  Carolina  in  1838  and  settled 
on  a  farm  about  one  mile  south  of  the  pres- 
ent village  of  Fillmore.  His  brother  Aaron, 
who    accompanied    him    from    the     old     north 


state,  -ell  led  -. mie w! ia t  later  on  the  farm  now 
owned  by  .John  I.  Bost.  at  wdiat  is  known  as 
Host  Hill.  Henry  Bust,  who  died  some  years 
ago.  left  surviving  him  several  sons  and 
daughters,  among  whom  is  Rufus  Bost.  who 
lives  at  present  in  Oklahoma:  Durley,  who 
lives  iu  Christian  county,  and  Victor,  who  is 
engaged  in  agriculture  and  stock-raising  un 
a  farm  smith  of  Fillmore.  Victor  Host  has 
been  very  successful  in  a  financial  way  and  has 
earned  the  reputation  of  being  among  that 
class  of  our  citizens  who  reflect  high  credit 
upon  the  community  by  the  moral  standards 
which  they  have  adopted.  Mr.  Bost  war-  for 
several  years  the  president  of  the  County  Sab- 
hath  School  Assoeiat ion.  and  by  his  interest 
he  has  contributed  very  largely  to  the  suc- 
cess that  has  come  from  this  union  of  effort. 
John  Bost   for  many  years  lived  on  his  father's 

old    In stead,    but    has    within    the    lasl    few 

years  retired  to  the  village  of  Fillmore  and 
has  given  the  control  of  the  farm  over  to  his 
son,  John  Q.  Bost.  who  lives  upon  the  ances- 
tral estate.  Martin  Bost,  who  has  been  dead 
for  many  years,  left  surviving  him  a  widow 
and  ten  children,  among  whom  are  Cyrus, 
Byron,  George  and  Herbert,  all  citizens  of 
Fillmore  township.  Among  the  daughters  of 
Martin  Bost  are  Dorcas,  wife  of  Dr.  John  T. 
Eendrix,  of  Colleen.  Dr.  Hendrix  until  re- 
cently was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession in  the  neighborhood  of  Fillmore.  For 
several  years  the  doctor  enjoyed  a  wide  and 
successful  practice  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
village  of  Fillmore.  However,  in  1902  the 
doctor  saw  fit  to  change  his  location,  and  since 
that  tunc  has  been  residing  in  Coffeen.  About 
the  ti that  the  Bosts  ca from  North  Caro- 
lina there  came  from  New  Hampshire  and  set- 
tled in  his  neighborhood  Joseph  Knowles,  Al- 
fred Bliss,  the  Lanes,  the  Richmonds  and  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Fairbanks.  Alfred  Bliss 
settled  on  the  mound  near  where  George  Rich- 
mond now  lives.  Like  all  the  earlier  settlers, 
he  built  for  himself  a  loe  house,  in  which  he 
lived  -nine  years  and  raised  quite  a  largo  fam- 
ily of  children,  several  of  whom  are  to-day 
honored    citizen-    of    the    county.      Some    time 

along  in  the  '50s  Alfred  Bliss  becai :onnect- 

ed  with  the  Methodist    Episcopal  conference  as 


72G 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


a  local  preacher.     He  afterward  was  identified 

as  an  itinerant  minister  and  for  several  years 
"rode  the  circuit."  No  character  in  this  sec- 
tion was  more  widely  known  than  that  of 
Uncle  Alfred   Bliss.      He   was  among  the   few 

Methodisl  preachers  who  succ led,  by  eonorny 

and  thrift,  in  securing  a  small  fortune.  Mr. 
Bliss  was  a  very  successful  business  man.  and 
no  one  had  a  keener  perception  of  what  con- 
stituted a  good  bargaiD  than  Uncle  Alfred. 
For  the  last  few  years  of  his  life  he  lived  with 
his  daughter,  Mrs.  White,  over  near  Effing- 
ham. In  the  division  of  his  estate  he  gave  to 
his  children  and  grandchildren,  by  will,  an 
equal  inheritance  in  all  his  property — that  is, 
the  child  and  the  grandchild  were  made  to 
share  alike.  At  the  age  of  more  than  four- 
score years  this  aged  patriarch  closed  his 
earthly  career.  By  an  active  life,  tilled  with 
many  valuable  experiences,  lie  had  earned  the 

rest    which    had    I n    promised    him.    and    the 

well-spent  life  is  a  legacy  more  enduring, more 
valuable  to  his  children  and  grandchildren 
than  any  other  which  he  could  have  given  them. 
Charlie  Bliss,  sun  id'  Alfred  Bliss,  editor  of 
the  Montgomery  News,  will  he  aoticed  in  the 
article  given  the  Montgomery  county  press. 
George  Bliss,  another  son,  lives  at  Nokomis 
and  is  a  retired  farmer  of  considerable  means. 
George  Bliss  and  wife  have  no  children,  hut 
the  disposition  of  Mr.  Bliss  is  such  that  all 
the  children  in  his  neighborhood  call  him 
uncle.  They  have,  however,  an  adopted 
daughter  in  whom  they  are  very  much  inter- 
ested. Among  the  daughters  of  Alfred  Bliss 
are  Mrs.  -Tames  Moody.  Mrs.  L.  ('.  Allen  (now 
deceased).  Mrs.  Devore  (also  deceased)  and 
Mrs.  While,  who  lives  in  Effingham  county. 
Mrs.    Moody     lives    with    her   son     Charles   at 

the  home  of  the  late  .lames   M I  v.      She  has 

a  ver\  interesting  family,  consisting  of  the 
son.  (diaries,  and  several  daughters.  L.  C. 
Allen,  who  married  another  of  the  1'diss  girls, 
has  been  identified  with  nearly  all  the  pro- 
gressive movements  in  his  town  and  township 
for  many  years.  He  is  at  present  conducting 
a  private  hank  at  Fillmore,  and  it  is  consid- 
ered among  the  soundest  financial  institutions 
in  the  county.  Mr.  Allen  built  the  first  brick 
structure   In   the   village  and    has  been   one  of 


the  factors  in  building  up  the  wade  of  that 
town.  His  son  Xed  is  conducting  a  hardware 
store,  furniture  store,  undertaking,  and  at  the 
same  time  (anil's  a  large  line  of  vehicles  and 
agricultural  implements.  Xed  Allen  and 
Anna,  his  wife,  are  much  interested  in  the 
social  life  of  the  town.  The  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  of  which  Mrs.  Allen  is  a  valued 
member,  owes  much  to  her  efforts  in  building 
up  a  Sabbath-school,  league  work  and  the 
financial  assistance  which  she  gives  to  the  dif- 
ferent benevolences  of  the  church.  Xed  Allen 
has  inherited  from  his  father  energy,  push  and 
economy  and  to-day,  although  under  forty  years 
of  age,  he  is  one  of  the  financially  strong  men 
of  Fillmore.  Ned  is  courteous  in  all  his  deal- 
ings and  the  trade  which  he  has  established  is 
evidence  of  his  honesty  and  fair  dealings  in 
business,  frank  Herron  married  Jessie  Allen, 
only  daughter  of  L.  < '.  Allen.  At  present 
Frank  is  cashier  in  the  Allen  Bank.  Carl  Al- 
len is  professor  in  the  Southern  Illinois  Nor- 
mal at  Carbondale.  lie  is  a  rising  young  man 
and  doubtless  will  occupy  high  place  in  the  edu- 
cational world.  Joseph  Kuowdes.  who  settled 
in  Fillmore  township  in  ls:!S.  was  the  father 
of  John  Knowles.  William  Knowles,  Joseph 
Knowles.  dr..  and  George  Knowles.  He  had 
three  daughters  who  were  married  to  Alfred 
Bliss.  Gideon  Richmond  and  Martin  Bost. 
Of  these  William  Knowles.  John  Knowles. 
Harriet  Richmond  and  Hannah  Bust  are  vet 
living,  hut  much  advanced  in  years.  (1904.) 
George  Richmond  is  the  oldest  son  of  the 
late  Gideon  Richmond  and  at  present  he  is 
living  on  the  old  homestead.  Ernest  Rich- 
mond, a  second  son.  died  some  years  ago. 
The  late  J.  B.  Kane  was  for  many  years  one 
of  the  most  prominent  figures  in  Montgomery 
county.  He  was  associate  judge  at  the  time 
when  the  present  courthouse  was  built.  For 
many  years  he  kept  a  stock  of  general  mer- 
chandise in  the  north  part  of  the  township, 
lie  had  quite  an  extensive  trade  from  the  sur- 
rounding  country  and  his  store  was  a  great 
meeting  place  for  the  north  Fillmore  people. 
.1.  Bowers  Lane  had  much  to  do  in  having 
the  village  of  Fillmore  located  at  its  present 
site  and  his  influence  did  much  in  having  the 
contest  between  Chapman  and  Fillmore  decided 


PAST    AND    PKESENT    OF    MONTGOMEKY    COUNTY  727 

in  favor  of  the  latter.  Ee  was  an  excellent  more  road  on  the  west  side  of  Shoal  creek, 
business  man  and  lefl  to  his  family  < [ n i t < -  an  He  raised  a  large  family  of  children,  who  are 
estate.  "Tim"  Lane,  his  eldest  son,  is  among  among  the  honored  citizens  of  this  county, 
the  popular  business  men  of  Fillmore  and  con-  John  and  Richard  Alexander  are  among  those 
duels  a  general  store  at  bis  father's  old  stand,  who  formed  the  settlement  on  Dry  fork  im- 
"Torny"  Lane  lives  in  Litchfield  and  is  en-  mediately  south  of  the  present  village  of  Fill- 
gaged  in  genera]  merchandise.  Ora  Lane,  the  more.  John  Alexander  was  the  father  of  Mrs. 
youngest  sun.  died  recently.  He  had  several  Thomas  Sears  who,  by  the  way,  was  the 
daughters  who  are  married  and  are  living  in  mother  in  turn  of  Mrs.  Isaac  Hill,  mother  el' 
tlie  i  lei  "hi  id  i'Iii  K  id  el'  Fd  I  n  a  i  re ;  I  lis  eldest  daugh-  our  1 1  resent  states  attorney,  L.  V.  1 1  ill.  Richard 
ter,  however,  is  the  wife  of  A.  A.  Cress,  of  Alexander  was  among  the  prominent  citizens 
Ilillslmrii.  Muses  Cress,  father  of  Pan  Cress,  id'  liis  section  of  the  county  in  his  day.  His 
came  from  North  Carolina  and  settled  on  a  sons  Joseph  and  Samuel  were  well  known  and 
farm  near  the  western  boundary  of  the  town-  at  one  time  were  prominent  in  Montgomery 
ship  where  •"Little  Dan"  now  resides,  and  it  is  county  politics,  dames  Alexander,  son  of  Rich- 
on  this  farm  that  I  remarked  in  another  chap-  aid  Alexander  by  a  second  wife,  is  the  present 
ter  than  many  of  the  old  time  agricultural  circuit  clerk  of  Fayette  county.  Peter  Alex- 
implements  may  he  seen.  Dan  Cress  has  been  ander  is  a  son  of  John  Alexander  and  is  well 
much  interested  in  the  growing  of  Norman  and  favorably  known  in  Fillmore  township, 
horses  and  line  breeds  of  cattle,  lie  has  one  Mark  Mason,  father  of  Henry  Mason,  settled 
of  the  best  stock  farms  in  Montgomery  county  in  this  neighborhood  at  about  the  same  time 
and  mi  it  may  he  seen  some  of  the  best  horses  with  the  Alexanders.  Henry  Mason  lives  on 
and  cattle.  His  son  Frank  is  associated  with  the  old  Mason  home  and  is  among  the  few  old 
him  in  the  care  and  management  of  his  estate,  settlers,  the  first  native  horn  of  the  county. 
Frank  is  a  young  man  whose  inclinations  lead  Mark  Mason,  Jr.,  is  engaged  in  general  mer- 
him  to  adopt  the  vocation  of  farmer  and  stock  ehandising  in  the  village  of  Fillmore.  He 
man  in  preference  to  that  of  a  profession.  maintains  the  excellent  reputation  borne  by  his 
The  writer   well    remembers    Frank    Cress  as  a  ancestors    and    those    who    patronize    his    place 

student  at  scl I   much   interested    in  all   that  of  business  know  well  that  they  will  he  treated 

pertained  to  agriculture.  Peter  Cress  who  set-  fairly.  Mr.  Mason  married  Miss  Flora  Black- 
tied  in  the  north  part  of  Fillmore  township  burn,  daughter  of  Harrison  Blackburn,  of  Cof- 
caiue  from  North  Carolina  during  the '20s  and  ','1'11-  William  Snyder  and  Samuel,  his  brother, 
made  settlement  near  Host  Hill.  The  records  were  sons  of  Frederick  Snyder  of  pioneer  times. 
show  that  Peter  Cress  was  a  private  in  I'ouii-  Neither  of  these  lived  to  he  old  men,  but  tile 
tree's  company  during  the  Black  Hawk  war.  influence  of  their  lives  has  been  felt  in  the 
It  is  a  matter  somewhat  difficult  to  discover  the  community  in  which  they  lived.  William 
relationship  that  existed  between  Peter  Cress,  Snyder  left  several  sons,  among  whom  arc 
Moso>   Cress    ami   Jacob   Cress,    who   were   all  John  W.  of  Morrisonville,  Fred  and  Ora,  who 

early  settlers  of    Montgi try   county.     There  live  on  the  old  home,  and  several  daughters  who 

came  to  the  county  at  a  much  later  date  Dan-  are  married  and  live  in  this  community.  Sarn- 
ie] Cress  and  his  brother  Eli.  Daniel,  fro-  nel  Snyder  also  lefl  quite  a  family  of  children, 
quently  called  "Big  Dan."  settled  on  a  farm  among  whom  are  John  II.  ami  Lafayette. 
near  Shoal  creek  that  had  previously  belonged  These  hoys,  now  in  the  meridian  of  life,  are 
to  Henry  Hill.  Sr.  It  was  one  of  the  first  among  the  solid  ami  substantial  citizens  of 
settlements  in  the  western  part  of  Fillmore  Fillmore  township.  The  several  daughters  of 
township.  "Big  Dan"  married  lor  a  second  Samuel  Snyder  are  married  and  reside  near  the 
wife  a  daughter  of  , lames  Kirk,  who  has  been  "Id  home.  John  I. ander-  i-  another  of  the 
noticed  in  this  article.  \t  the  present  time  Mr.  Fillmore  farmers  that  deserves  a  place  in  this 
Cress  lives  on  the  old  .Inn  Kirk  homestead.  narrative.  While  he  came  to  the  township  at  a 
Fli     C-  ISS    settled    on    the    Hillshoro    and     Fill-  later   date    than    mam    others,    vet    be    has   been 


;-.'s 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


very   prominently  connected  with  tin1  political 
and   social    life  of   its   people.      Ee   married   a 
.Miss  Hill,  sister  of  Sam    Hill   and  a  daughter 
of  Henry   Hill,  the  pioneer.     By  this  marriage 
Mr.  Landers  lias  several  children,  among  whom 
are  his  son  Samuel,  now  city  superintendent  of 
the   Dallas   (Oregon)    public  school.       He  is  a 
young  man  of  much  promise  and  will  be  heard 
from  in  his  country's   history.      Edward    Lan- 
ders ami  John  are   fanners,  living  in  Fillmore 
township.     The  daughters  are  all    married   to 
some  of   the   best    citizens   in   the   community. 
Uncle  John  lives  on  the  old  home  and  is  happy 
and  contented  as  he  passes  down  the  evening 
of  life.     Harris  Wright  and    Elijah   belong  to 
the    pioneer    Wright    family.      They    are    both 
men  now  in  the  decline  of  life,  having  Eought 
a  good  Sght,  and  they  are  waiting  the  call  to 
join    the    ureal    host    of    relatives   and    friends 
that   have  gone  on.     Jefferson  Wright,  son   of 
Elijah  Wright,  is  a  prominent  business  man  of 
Ramsey,  [llinois.     Stephen  White,  who  died  in 
ls'.'i.  left  surviving  him  two  sons.  Ambrose  and 
James.     Ambrose  White  settled   near  the  west 
line  of   Fillmore  i<>u  nship  not   Ear  from  « here 
New  Boston  is  situated,     lie  left  two  sons.  Wil- 
liam and   Stephen.     William   White,  the  elder 
sen  died  a  good  many  years  ago  and  left  sur- 
viving him   ha  J.  White,  Ambrose  White  and 
Stephen   II.  White,     ha  J.,  the  oldest  son  of 
William    White,    is    among    the    eldest    school 
teachers  of  Montgomery  county  ami  is  actively 
engaged   in  the  work  of  his  profession  to-day. 
Ambrose  and  Stephen   II.  are  both  engaged  in 
farming  ami    live   in   the   vicinity  of   Coffeen. 
Stephen  White,  second  sun  of  Ambrose  White 
and   grandson   of  Stephen    White,  the  pioneer, 
lives  en   a    farm   south   of  Coffeen   at   the  ad- 
vanced  age  of   eighty-three  years  and   may  he 
reckoned  one  among  the  oldest    Dative  horn  in 
the  county.     Stephen    White   has  several    sons 
who  live  on  the  old  ancestral  homestead.    Docia 
White,   daughter  of   Ambrose   White,   was   the 
wife    of  John    Boyd.      She   left    surviving   her 
several    children,    among    whom    are    William. 
Stephen,    Robert.    Curtis    and    James.      These 
sons  live  in  the  neighborhood  whore  they  were 
raised.     Among  those  who  came  to  Montgom- 
ery   county     about    the     year    1840    was    Henry 
Sellers.    George     Ohmert    and     Jo     Sherman. 


These  settled  north  of  the   Vandalia   road   on 
what    was   afterward    known    as    the    Hoffman 
estate.    The  farm  at  present  is  owned  by  Byron 
Host.     Henry  Sellers  left  surviving  him  several 
>ons.    among    whom    are    Samuel.    Daniel   and 
John.      Samuel    Seller-    lives    in   the    west    part 
of  Fillmore  township  on  the  top  of  the  hill  on 
the  east   side  of  Shoal   creek  as  you  go  from 
Coffeen    to    Fillmore    by    way    of    tin1    Sellers 
bridge.     Uncle  Sam  is  a  unique  character  and 
enjoys  telling  a   story   as  well   as  any  man   in 
the    township.      He   is    growing    old.    however, 
vet   for  one  of  liis  age  he  is  blessed  with  sood 
health.     Sam  has  raised  a  large  family  id'  chil- 
dren, all   of   whom   arc    grown   ami  have  gone 
out  into  the  world  to  build  for  themselves  a  for- 
tune and   a  name.     George   M.   Ohmert  after- 
ward removed  to  East  Fork  township.     Among. 
the   children    left    by   George  M.    ohmert   was 
Jacob  Ohmert  of  Logan  county,  now  dead,  and 
Small,  afterward  the  wife  of  Joel   C.   Traylor. 
She   is  living  at   the  advanced  age  of  seventy- 
six   vears   ami   has   recent!}    removed    from    the 
old  Traylor  homestead  to  the  village  of  Coffeen. 
Harriet  Allen   was  also  a  daughter  of  George 
Ohmert.     Shi'  was  the  mother  of  Dr.  Allen  and 
George   Allen,   who  have   been   noticed    in   the 
chapter   of     Fast      Fork    township.       McCager 
Wright,  son  of  Joseph  Wright,  the  pioneer,  im- 
proved a  homestead  in  the  neighborhood  of  bis 
father.     He  died  some   lew    years  ago  and  left 
surviving  him   four  sons:  James.  John.  Charles 
and  Cook.    James  and  John  live  in  the  vicinftj 
of  the  old    home,   while   Cook   and    Oharles   live 
in   other  sections   of   the   country.      George  W. 
Miller   lor  many  years  lived   on   the    farm   now 
owned   by   Tim    Livingstone.        lie  was  a    very 
enterprising    and    energetic   citizen    and   much 
interested    iii    the    organization    of    the    farm- 
ing    class     into     societies     that     would     enable 
them   to  act    in  harmony  and    for  their  best  in- 
terests,  lb'  was  organizer  for  the  Grange  move- 
ment   that    swept    over  the  west     about    thirty 
years  ago.     George   Miller  left  surviving  him 
George  W.   Miller,  who  lives  on  a   farm  in  the 
western    part     of    Fillmore    township;     David 
Miller,  a  carpenter,  who  resides  in  the  village  of 
Fillmore:  William  Miller,  also  of  Fillmore  and 
engaged  in  the  same  line  of  work  as  hi-  brother 
David:  Jack  Miller,  whose  whereabouts  are  un- 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


?29 


known  to  the  writer,  and  several  daughters, 
among  whom  are  Mrs.  I'.  J.  Hill,  of  Hillsboro, 
Henry  Hill,  the  pioneer,  Left  among  other  chil- 
dren Henry  and  Levi,  who  settled  in  the  neigh- 
borhood near  where  ilic  present  village  of  Chap- 
man is  located.  Levi  Hill  died  some  years  ago 
and  left  several  sons  who  live  on  and  near  the 
old  homestead.  Henrj  Hill.  Jr.,  is  at  present 
living  with  his  son-in-law,  "Ted"  Hicks,  on 
the  farm  which  he  improved  many  years  ago. 
Uncle  Henry  is  nearly  eighty  yearsold  and  get- 
ting quite  feeble;  however,  we  see  him  occasion- 
ally en  the  streets  of  Coffeen.  He  has  one  son 
living  a1  Hillsboro  and  another  on  a  farm  near 
the  village  of  Coffeen.  Peter  Hill,  the  oldest 
son  of  Henry  Hill,  is  engaged  in  coal-mining 
ami  Jefferson,  the  second  son.  in  farming  and 
stock-raising.  Another  character  thai  we  shall 
notice  in  our  narrative  of  Fillmore  is  Jude 
Smith,   who   settled    several    years   ago   amidst 

the   virgin    w Is   that    covered    the   hills    east 

of  Shoal  creek  and  immediately  south  of  Bost 
Hill.  Mr.  Smith  by  years  of  toil  succeeded  in 
clearing  away  the  forest  and  making  for  him- 
self a  comfortable  home.  He  has.  however,  re- 
cently removed  to  the  village  of  Fillmore  that 
he  may  have  a  lew  years  of  rest,  to  which  he  is 
entitled  by  reason  of  labor  faithfulh  performed. 
Mr.  Smith  has  succeeded  in  rearing  a  family 
of  interesting  children,  among  whom  are  Delia 
and  Bertha,  teachers  in  the  public  schools  of 
Montgomery  county:  and  Walter  and  Milton, 
both  of  whom  have  left  the  profession  of  teach- 
ing for  other  lines  of  service.  An  older  daugh- 
ter is  the  wife  of  Archie  Sellers,  who  is  re- 
lated to  the  Sellers  family  already  noticed  in 
this  narrative.  About  the  year  1827  Wooten 
Harris,  accompanied  h\  his  sons  Benjamin  and 
William,  emigrated  from  Hickman  county, 
Tennessee,  to  Montgomery  county,  Illinois. 
The  ancestors  of  Wooten  Harris  originally  came 
from  Wales  and  settled  in  Virginia.  An  older 
son  of  Wooten  Harris,  named  Starling,  re- 
mained in  North  Carolina  on  the  removal  of 
his  father  from  that  state  to  Tennessee.  It 
will  he  noticed  that  Wooten  Harris  originally 
came  from  Virginia  to  North  Carolina,  thence 
to  Tennessee  ami  thence  to  Illinois.  Wooten 
Ilarri-.  pioneer,  had  a  brother  Zachariah,  who 
came   from    Humphreys  county,  Tennessee,  to 


Illinois  in  1829.  lie  hail  seven  son-:  Aneil, 
Benjamin,  Zachariah.  Pendleton.  Jacob, 
Wooten  and  Henry.  Wooten  Hani-,  the  elder, 
was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  for 
several  years  drew  a  pension  from  the  govern- 
ment for  services  rendered  during  that  great 
struggle.  Benjamin,  son  of  Wooten,  settled  on 
a  farm  since  known  as  the  Scribbner  home- 
stead. It  lies  southwest  of  the  village  of 
Fillmore  about  one  mile  ami  a  half. 
The  sons  of  Benjamin  were  Wooten,  Joel, 
Benjamin,  Jr.,  William  and  John.  He 
had  four  daughters;  Elizabeth,  Sarah,  Prances 
ami  Mary.  Elizabeth  was  married  to  Henry 
Bost;  Sarah  to  J.  Bowers  Lane;  and  Mary  to 
Isaiah  Toberman.  Wooten  Harris,  sou  of  Ben- 
jamin, married  Evelyn  ('.  Woolard  in  1853. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  James  Woolard, 
a  pioneer  Methodisl  preacher;  well  and  favor- 
ably known  to  all  the  earlier  settlers  through- 
out this  section  of  the  state.  Wooten  Harris. 
the  xiii  of  Benjamin,  was  for  many  years  an  in- 
fluential and  esteemed  citizen  of  Hillsboro. 
He  was  one  id'  the  founders  of  the  Haskill- 
Harris  Hank  ami  when  that  institution  failed  it 
brought  ruin  to  Uncle  Wooten.  yet  no  one  who 
|.i,-i  in  thai  institution  ever  blamed  Wooten 
Harris  for  the  failure.  Wooten  Harris  left 
surviving  him  two  sons.  Henry  and  Bert,  the 
latter,  however,  died  some  years  ago.  The 
former  is  nol  living  in  this  state  nor  is  his 
whereabouts  known  to  the  writer.  John  Harris, 
a  son  of  Benjamin,  married  Sarah  ('.  Tober- 
man in  1857  ami  by  her  he  had  two  sons,  Jas- 
per  ami  Homer,  ami  also  several  daughters. 
Jasper  and  Homer  are  living  on  farms  in  this 
community.  William  B.,  son  of  Wooten  Har- 
ris, the  pioneer  and  who  came  with  his  father 
to  Illinois  in  1827,  died  in  L875.  lie  had 
four  sons.  Thomas  D.,  William  M.,  Benjamin 
and  Woolen:  the  latter  died  without  issue.  He 
had  also  seven  daughters:  Prances,  who  mar- 
ried Li  \i  Sears;  Sarah,  wife  id'  Whitfield  Hal- 
ford;  Polly,  wife  of  George  Turnbo^  ;  Betsey, 
wife  of  Prank  Scribbner;  Kate,  wife  of  Robin 
Rhodes;  and  Mahala,  the  wife  of  Willis  Casey. 
William  M..  son  of  William  B.  and  grandson 
of  Wooten.  the  pioneer,  lives  at  Bingham,  Illi- 
nois, ami  is  at  present  in  a  fair  state  of  health 
For  one  of  his  age.     He  was  seventy-sis  years 


730 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


"I.I  in  March  last.  He  is  the  lather  of  E.  Har- 
ris of  Goffeen,  Illinois,  and  also  of  Nilla,  wife 
of  Willis  Donaldson,  station  agent  at  Fill- 
more, Illinois.  He  has  other  children  who  live 
in  Oklahoma  ami  Texas.  Isaiah  Toberman, 
who  married  Mary  Harris,  daughter  of  Ben- 
jamin, is  (ho  present  owner  of  the  old  Harris 
estate,  s< jtimes  called  the  Seribbner  home- 
stead. Isaiah  Tobennan  has  I'm-  main'  years 
been   an  active  husinoss  man   in   the  village  of 

Fill re  and   associated    with   his   smis  ho  has 

carried  on  a  grain  and  hay  business  in  Fillmore, 
Chapman  and  Coffeen.  Although  a  gentleman 
of  considerable  years,  he  remains  active  in  the 
business  cares  of  the  large  trade  which  he  ami 
his  sons  have  built  up.  Mr.  Toberman  for 
many  years  was  engaged  in  farming  and  stock- 
raising  ami  during  the  threshing  season  he 
operated  a  threshing  machine  for  quite  a  nutn- 
ber  of  years.  1  have  heard  it  stated  that  Isaiah 
Toberman  is  the  only  man  in  this  section  who 
ever  made  any  money  out  id'  running  a  thresh- 
ing machine.  He  tells  me.  however,  that  by 
this  means  he  largely  built  up  his  present 
estate.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  very  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  the  township.  His  soil 
Marion  assists  him  in  looking  after  the  Fill- 
more part  of  the  business  and  Benjamin  until 
recently  had  charge  of  the  work'  al  Chapman, 
while  Walter  was  in  control  of  the  elevator  and 
hay  business  at  Colleen.  Ben  has  recently 
moved  to  Coffeen  and  Walter  has  removed  to 
St.  Louis  to  look  after  their  large  interests 
in  the  city  trade.  Elijah  Donaldson,  who  is  at 
present  living  in  the  village  of  Fillmore,  was 
formerly  a  resident  if  Witt  township  ami  served 
as  supervisor  for  that  township  several  terms. 
lie  also  represented  this  senatorial  district  in 
the  stale  legislature  as  a   Democrat.     He  was 

nf  the  famous  1()1  who  supported  John  M. 

Palmer  for  the  Hnited  States  senate.  1  think, 
however,  that  when  Palmer  deserted  the  Demo- 
cratic  party  in  L896  thai  Elijah  refused  to  wear 
his  lot  badge  and  relegated  it  to  a  place  among 
the  antiquities  which  he  expects  tn  bequeath 
to  his  children.  Mr.  Donaldson  is  an  active 
Inisiness  man  and  has  been  unusually  success- 
ful in  all  his  ventures.  He  is  engaged  in  the 
real  estate  business  and  in  looking  after  his 
landed    property   north  of  the  village  of  Fill- 


'c      Elijah     Donaldson's     father,     William, 

came  fr Tennessee  tn  Illinois  a  few  years  lie- 
fore  the  Civil  war  and  settled  a  few  miles  north 
of  the  present  village  of  Bingham.  Among 
his  sons  were  Elijah,  above  mentioned,  Presley 
and  James.  His  daughter  Sarah  married  Dan- 
iel Griggs,  who  is  at  present  in  business  in 
Fillmore.  Aaron  Butler,  ex-sheriff  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  is  another  of  the  prominent 
characters  of  Fillmore  township.  He  was 
married  to  Miss  Jane  Casey  and  settled  north 
of  the  present  village  of  Fillmore  about  the 
close  of  the  Civil  war.  Here  by  industry  and 
frugality  he  added  much  to  the  estate  which 
his  wife  held  from  her  father,  John  Casey.  Mr. 
Butler  has  retired  from  the  farm  to  a  beautiful 
home  in  the  village  of  Fillmore.  Here  he  and 
his  wife,  after  the  struggle  of  raising  a  family 
is  over,  feel  that  they  are  entitled  to  the  pleas- 
ures that  a  substantial  income  may  furnish. 
Mr.  Butler  is  a  pillar  in  the  Methodist  church 
at  Fillmore  and  has  done  much  to  build  up  the 
society  at  that  place.  Dr.  Short  and  Dr.  Hoyt. 
his  son-in-law.  are  the  only  physicians  resident 
in  the  village.  Dr.  Short  has  practiced  his 
profession  in  that  community  for  many  years 
and  has  not  only  built  up  and  maintained  a 
widi  practice,  but  at  the  same  time  has  gath- 
ered a  fair  competency  for  his  declining  years, 
and  be  it  said  to  his  credit  that  no  man  in 
Montgomery  county  has  given  better  opportu- 
nities to  his  children  to  secure  collegiate  edu- 
cation than  lie.  His  sons  William  and  Sheri- 
dan are  both  practicing  physicians,  while  Wal- 
ter, after  completing  a  course  at  the  University 
of  Illinois,  received  an  appointment  in  the 
United  States  Army.  Bird,  bis  younger  son, 
we  understand,  is  also  preparing  himself  for  a 
physician  at  Marion-Sims  Medical  College.  He 
has  two  daughters.  Lutie  and  Stella.  Lutie  is 
the  wife  of  Dr.  Jesse  Hoyt,  of  Fillmore,  and 
Stella  is  the  wife  of  Walter  Toberman.  of  St. 
Louis,  Missouri.  Dr.  Hoyt,  of  Fillmore,  is 
among  the  leading  physicians  of  this  section 
of  the  county,  and  his  wife  acts  as  his  assistant 
in  the  postoffiee.  Horatio  Prater,  son  of  Asa 
Prater,  lives  on  his  father's  old  homestead 
near  the  center  of  tlte  township.  He  has  held 
various  township  offices  and  is  regarded  in  every 
way  as  an  exemplary  man.      His  mother  was 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


;:u 


the  daughter  of  Harrison   Brown,  who  at  one 

time  was  slier  iff  of  Montgomery  county,  and  a 
sister  of  J.  C.  Brown,  who  lives  near  Coffeen. 
The  long  roll  of  reputable  and  deserving  char- 
acters who  have  contributed  to  the  history  and 
many  who  are  to-day  adding  to  the  materia] 
progress  of  Fillmore  township  we  are  com- 
pelled by  lack  of  space  to  omit  from  this  nar- 
rative. 


EAST  FORK  TOWNSHIP  AND  THE  VIL- 
LAGE OF  COFFEEN. 

A  long  time  ago,  in  the  year  1820,  William 
McDavid  came  from  Tennessee  and  settled  in 
East  Fork  township  near  the  famous   Fox   In- 
dian   spring   and   here    for    forty-six   years    he 
made  his  home.     Children  grew  up  about  him 
and  in  turn  made  homes  of   their  own.     Mr. 
McDavid    was    an   eccentric    character,   a   man 
possessed  of  far  more  native  ability   than  the 
average.     It  is  related  that  after  he  had  made 
settlement    that    occasional    visits    were    made 
by  individual  members  of  the  Fox  tribe  to  the 
vicinity    of   their    former    home   near   the   Big 
spring  down  as  late  as  the  year  1835.     T.  W. 
McDavid.  the  youngest  son  of  Uncle  Billy,  lives 
on  the  old  homestead,  where  he  was  horn  more 
than  seventy   years  ago.     When   Mr.  McDavid 
came  from  Tennessee  he  was  accompanied   by 
Jesse   Johnson,  his   father-in-law,   who   settled 
in  Grisham  township,  near  where  the  village  of 
Donnellson  now  stands.     Alter  Mr.   McDavid, 
James   Card    made   settlement    in     East    Fork 
township  in  1821  and  located  on  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Daniel  Cress.     Mr.  Card  lived  for  one 
war  at  this  place  when  his  wife    having  died, 
he  returned  to  Ids  former  home  in   Kentucky. 
He  came  back,  however,  in  is-.':;  and  settled  in 
the  north  part  of  Fast   Fork  township  near  the 
Irving  line.     He  remained  here  for  two  years 
and  then  removed  to  Fillmore  township.     It  is 
remarked  of  Mr.  Card  that  he  was  a  remarkable 
man  in  many  respects,  daring,  intrepid  and  in- 
tensely   religious.      AD.    Card    made    the    first 
overland  trip   from   this  section  of  the  county 
to  St.   Louis.      He  had   no  means  to  direct  his 
course  but  a  small  pockel  compass  and  of  neces- 
sity he  was  compelled  to  cut  his  roads  through 


the   woodland   and   to   make  a     fording    place 
across  the  stream.      It     required    many    days' 
traveling  with  his  slow  ox  team,  but  his  return 
trip    was    fully    as    difficuH    because    of    being 
heavih  loaded  with  supplies,  which  he  had  pur- 
chased   in  St.    Louis.      Many  of   Mr.  Card's  de- 
scendants yet   reside  in  this  county.     A  settle- 
ment was  formed  in  the  south  part  of  the  town- 
ship in  the  years  between   182]   and    L826  and 
among  those  whose  names  appear  we  find  as  fol- 
lows:    .Joseph   Williams,  John   Kirkpatrick,  E. 
Quinn,  Henry  Rowe  and  David  Bradford.    Wil- 
liams   settled    on     the    farm    which    was    after- 
ward   know  n    as    the    Riley    Hampton    Mound. 
It    is  now   the  home  of   Rev.  Alexander   Hamp- 
ton,   a    grandson    of   Joseph    Williams.      Kirk- 
patrick   located  over  near  where  the  village  of 
Donnellson  stands.     The  exact  location  of  these 
other    earl)    settlers    is    not    known.      In    1826 
Benjamin  Rhodes  came  from  Indiana  and  set- 
tled   on   section   8,    in   the  north    part  of  East 
Fork  township.     His  was  the  only  cabin  in  this 
part  of  tlie  township  for  some  years.     William 
P.   Linxwiler,  a   step-son.  afterward  owned  the 
Rhodes   property  and   later  sold   it  to  Joel  K. 
McDavid.      In    1824    Jordan    Williford    came 
from  Tennessee  and   located  on  a  piece  of  land 
near  Uncle  Billy  McDavid's.     He  lived  on  this 
place  about  three  years  and   then  sold  out  to 
"Mr.  McDavid  and  moved  over  on  Shoal  creek. 
where   he    remained    until    1856,    when   he   re- 
moved  to   Arkansas.     Jordan   Williford  had  a 
large    family    of    children,    among    whom    was 
Andrew  .1.  Williford,  a  minister  of  the  primi- 
tive  Baptist    church   and   well    known    through- 
oul    this    section    for   a    period    of    many   years 
Oncle    Jackie    Williford,     as    he     was     called, 
preached  at   Bethel,  just  north   of  where  Cof- 
feen now  stands,  for  a   period  of  nearly  half  a 
century.      Air.   Williford   has  left   several   sons, 
who  reside  in  Montgomery  county.     Grandsons 
of  the  elder  Jordan  Williford,  the  pioneer,  ami 
tin'  son-  of  A.  J.  Williford.  the  preacher,  are 
James   Williford,  of   Litchfield;  Thomas  Willi- 
ford. who  lives  in  Payette  county;  Hiram  Wil- 
liford, the  SCl I  teacher,  also  living  in  Payette 

county:  and  A.  J.  Williford.  Jr..  the  efficient 
cashier  of  the  Nokomis  National  Bank.  These 
men  are  well  known  and  respected  in  the 
neighborhood  in  which  thev  were  reared,  as  well 


?32 


PAST    AND    l'KFSFNT    OK    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


as  in  the  localities  in  whirl)   they  have  estab- 
lished their  I es.     Andrew  J.  Williford,  Jr., 

presents  an  article  in  tins  work  under  tin.' head 
of  the  banks  and  banking.  It?  perusal  will 
be  of  interesl  to  all  who  have  not  studied  the 
Win-kings  of  thi'  national  hanking  system.  Mr. 
Williford.  the  cashier,  has  an  elegan!  home 
and  most  interesting  family  in  the  city  of 
Nokomis.  Here  ho  has  lived  for  several  years 
and  during  this  period  he  has  established  a 
reputation  in  connection  with  the  hank  that 
makes  his  services  of  great  value  to  that  insti- 
tution. His  success  proves  that  a  young  man 
of  energj  ami  industry,  coupled  with  economy. 
may  within  a  few  years  provide  for  himself 
the  things  necessary  for  the  comfort  and  hap- 
piness of  those  dependent  upon  him.  Mr.  A. 
J.  Williford.  Jr..  was  married  to  Mary  John- 
son, a  daughter  of  the  late  Ben  E.  Johnson,  of 
Hillsboro.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
a  family  of  several  hoys  and  mil-.  Hiram 
Williford.  the  teacher,  has  hut  one  son.  who 
has  received  an  appointment  as  a  eadet  jn  the 
military  academy  at  West  Point.  This  young 
man.  Forest  Williford.  has  the  making  of 
character  that  some  day  will  command  the  re- 
sped  and  esteem  of  his  fellows.  We  base  this 
assertion  or  assumption  on  the  fact  that  the 
elements  of  the  pioneer  and  the  preacher  have 
cume  down  through  the  generations  to  find  ex- 
pression in  the  efforts  and  achievements  of 
this  scion  of  one  of  the  pioneer  families.  Two 
brothers  by  the  name  of  Mann  came  to  settle 
in  the  northern  part  of  East  Fork  township 
about  the  year  1830.  One  of  these  was  the 
father  of  Robert  Mann,  who  for  many  years  was 
a  prominent  citizen  of  Hillsboro.  Samuel 
Ilaller  made  a  settlement  some  two  miles  north 
of  where  Coffeen  is  now  located.  Mr.  Ilaller 
raised  a  large  family  of  children,  man]  of 
whom  have  been  promineni  in  county  and  local 
affairs.  Henr]  Ealler  for  many  years  lived  -,r 
Eillsboro  and  was  engaged  in  different  lines 
of  business  at  that  place,  lie  died  some  two  or 
three  years  ago.  Jacob  Ilaller.  of  Nokomis, 
I, ne  ef  (he  must  successful  farmers  and  stock 
men  of  the  county,  is  a  sun  of  Henry  Haller. 
Dr.  T.  P>.  Haller,  recently  deceased,  was  also  a 
son  of  this  pioneeT  settler.  Dr.  Haller  for 
many  years  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his 


profession  at  Vandalia  and  it  was  here  that  he 
built  up  a  large  and  Lucrative  business.  Caleb 
Traylor  built  the  first  mill  in  the  township 
at  the  place  now  known  as  New  Boston.  This 
was  in  the  year  1836.  lie  ami  his  father.  James 
Traylor.  had  come  frmn  Kentucky  the  year 
previous.  The  elder  James  Traylor  was  one 
of  the  first  school  teachers  within  the  county 
and  some  few  of  the  older  citizens  remember 
having  attended  his  school.  Caleb  Traylor 
was  most  unfortunate  in  the  operation  of  his 
mill.  On  one  occasion  his  hand  and  arm  were 
crushed  in  some  of  the  machinery  and  later  he 
fell  from  some  part  of  the  upper  story  upon 
some  timbers  below  and  broke  his  neck.  This 
was  unfortunate  for  the  family  of  Mr.  Traylor 
n  more  ways  than  simply  the  loss  of  his 
services  as  bread  winner  for  his  Eamily  for  hav- 
ing a  large  family  of  boys,  the  advice  and 
council  which  a  father  alone  can  give  was 
[osi  lo  them  at  a  period  when  they  needed  it 
so  much.  The  second  mill  built  in  Fast  Fork 
township  was  operated  l>\  D.  M.  Williams.  It 
was  in  the  neighborhood  of  Traylor's  store 
hut  built  before  .loci  C.  Traylor  established  his 
store  in  that  part  of  the  town-hip.  This  mill 
was  operated  for  a  period  of  twenty  years  or 
more  ami  was  finally  sold  to  Alfred  Bliss,  of 
Fillmore,  by  Joel  C.  Traylor,  who  had  come 
into  possession  of  it.  The  writer  has  faint 
remembrance  of  this  "Id  mill.  For  as  a  child 
he  played  with  others  about  the  yard  at  hide 
and  seek  among  the  logs.  Fort]  years  have 
gone  by  since  the  removal  of  the  old  mill,  yet  a 
o  »  of  the  old  logs  are  to  he  seen  lying  about 
in  their  decay,  marking  the  place  of  one  of  the 
earlier  enterprises  of  the  township.  The  water 
still  Hows  from  the  old  spring,  vet  little  trace 
of  the  pond  that  collected  it.-  waters  for  the  use 
of  the  mill  is  to  he  found.  The  burstones  that 
ground  the  corn  into  meal  were  reserved  when 
the  mill  was  -old  ami  these  -tones  are  to  he  seen 
in  the  yard  at  the  old  Traylor  homestead.  The- 
first  store  doing  a  general  merchandise  busi- 
ness was  opened  by  duel  t '.  Traylor  in  the 
south  part  of  the  township  in  1844.  For  many 
years  Mr.  Traylor  gathered  the  produce  from 
the  surrounding  country  and  hauled  it  over- 
land to  St.  Louis,  bringing  back  in  return  such 
merchandise    as    the    people    at    that    time    re- 


PAST    AND    PKESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


733 


quired.  I'ntil  the  building  of  the  1.  &  St.  L. 
Railroad  it  was  the  custom  of  Mr.  Traylor  to 
send  down  a  wagonload  of  produce  every  week 
in  the  year.  To  do  this  it  became  necessary 
to  have  two  wagons  and  while  one  was  on  the 
trip  tn  tin'  city,  the  other  was  engaged  in  gath- 
ering its  load  for  the  succeeding  week.  Many 
of  the  old  citizen-  of  the  south  pari  of  the 
county  will  remember  these  weekly  visits  of  his 
produce  wagon.  In  this  way  Joel  C.  Traylor, 
who  having  been  a  cripple  from  birth  and  re- 
quiring the  assistance  of  crutches  by  which  to 
walk,  was  possessed  of  that  same  spiril  as  the 
other  pioneer  settlers  and  the  thought  of  ask- 
ing assistance  because  of  his  condition  would 
have  stung  his  pride  and  he  would  have  re- 
sented as  an  insult  the  charge  that  he  was  un- 
able to  make  his  way  as  other  men  in  the  world. 
Traylor's  stove  was  a  ureal  meeting  place  for 
the  country  for  miles  around  on  election  days, 
at  conventions  ami  the  annual  horse  show  which 
took  place  here  in  the  early  spring  of  each 
year.  Here  were  brought  together  some  of  the 
I. reeds  of  horses  that  would  sound  familiar  by 
name  to  our  readers  of  that  generation.  Jim 
Kirk  usually  would  have  at  the  show  his  Cop- 
per Bottom  and  Stump-a-deler  and  Tom 
Whitton  with  his  Diomede  (Old  Tom  Benton) 
and  Uncle  Clem  Aydelott  with  Eed  Lion, 
Uncle  John  Trice  with  Old  Archie.  These  are 
a  few  who  would  congregate  and  take  much 
pride  in  showing  the  good  points  of  their  stock. 
These  were  horses  of  endurance  and  I  doubt 
that  Montgomery  county  can  show  a  grade  of 
horses  superior  to  those  that  were  bred  in  the 
county  just  prior  m  the  Civil  war.  While  the 
introduction  of  our  large,  beefy  Norman  and 
Clydesdale  horses  have  added  a  spirit  of  docil- 
ity, they  have  at  the  same  time  so  reduced 
the  endurance  that  the  horse  found  on  the 
farm  to-day  is  not  the  equal  to  those  which 
our  fathers  bred  forty  years  ago.  Among  those 
living  in  the  Traylor  settlement  were  the 
Roper-,  the  Wardens,  the  Neals,  Laws.  Thack- 
ers.  Hawkins.  Aliens.  McCaslins,  Harrisons, 
Jones  and  the  Woods.  The  Ropers  removed 
from  this  section  to  Missouri  some  thirty-five 
pears  ago.  Nathan  Warden,  a  carpenter,  set- 
tled near  the  old  mill  about  the  year  1845.  He 
came    from    Kentucky   and    was    regarded   as   a 


most  quiet  and  inoffensive  citizen.  Together 
with  his  good  wife.  Aunt  Polly,  he  lived  in 
this  vicinity  until  about  twenty  years  ago,  when 
he  removed  to  the  neighborhood  of  Walshville. 
He  died  here  some  ten  of  twelve  years  ago. 
Quite  a  family  of  boys  and  girls  were  raised 
by  Mr.  Warden  and  several  of  these  reside  in 
Montgomery  county.  His  second  son,  Alfred 
M.  Warden,  studied  law  with  Judge  E.  Lane, 
of  Hillsboro.  This  young  man  left  the  an- 
cestral h ami  settled  at  Washhurn.  Wiscon- 
sin. We  understand  thai  "All"'  has  become 
quite  a  prominent  citizen  in  his  adopted  home 
Having  been  elected  to  positions  of  honor  and 
trust  in  his  county,  we  are  glad  to  note  that  a 
fellow  schoolmate  is  succeeding  so  well  in  the 
world.  He  is  at  present  judge  of  the  city  court 
of  Washburn,  Wisconsin.  Hugh  McCaslin  and 
his  brother  Graj  settled  near  the  line  between 
Bond  and  Montgomery  counties  early  in  the 
'30s.  Hugh's  home  was  over  in  Montgomery 
and  Gray's  just  across  the  line  in  Bond. 
Hugh  McCaslin  lived  to  the  good  old  age  of 
ninety-three.  He  left  several  sons  who  have 
been  prominently  connected  with  the  affairs  of 
the  neighborhood  and  county.  Wiley  F.  Mc- 
Caslin, the  wagonmaker,  recently  died  at  the 
age  of  eighty-three  and  Mark  McCaslin.  his 
brother,  wbo  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Nokomis, 
has  been  dead  for  several  years.  Wiley  Mc- 
Caslin leaves  a  son.  William  S.  McCaslin.  who 
is  a  business  man  of  Coffeen,  and  one  maiden 
daughter,  Miss  Ella,  a  school  teacher,  who  lives 
on  the  old  homestead  in  the  Traylor  neigh- 
borhood. William  Neal  came  to  this  county  at 
the  same  time  that  his  father-in-laf  Uncle 
Douglas  Young  made  a  settlement  on  Bear 
creek.  William  Neal  was  regarded  among  his 
neighbors  as  a  strictly  religious  and  moral 
character.  He  was  identified  with  the  church 
work  of  the  neighborhood  I'm'  many  years  and 
assisted  in  building  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  at  Edwards  Chapel  and  the  Free  Meth- 
odist church  at  Walnut  Grove.  X"  man  in 
the  neighborhood  enjoyed  the  confidence  <>f 
ever}  one  more  than  did  William  Xcal.  I  I'  lie 
ever  had  a  difference  with  any  of  his  neigh- 
bors, there  i-  no  tradition  that  relates  it  and 
in  the  memory  of  the  writer  he  stands  out  in 
hold   relief  as  the  exemplar}'  Christian,   father 


734 


PAST    AND    l'KK.SKXT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


and  neighbor.  William  Neal  and  his  wife, 
Sarah,  have  passed  on  to  that  country  from 
which  no  traveler  returns.  They  Lefl  several 
children  and  grandchildren,  among  whom  are 
Allie.  who  lives  in  Eillsboro,  and  Burton,  a 
minister,  who  resides  in  St.  Paul.  .Minnesota. 
Their  oldesl  daughter,  Ellen,  who  married 
Cyrus  Bost,  died  early  in  life  leaving  one 
daughter,  Zella.  who  is  our  present  stenog- 
rapher. Dona  and  Frances  live  at  Greenville, 
Illinois,  the  latter  the  wife  of  Albert  Eayden. 
William  Laws,  who  is  ye1  Living  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty  years,  made  settlement  near  Wal- 
nut Grove  some  sixty  years  ago.  Mr.  Laws 
married  a  daughter  of  Gray  McCaslin  and  by 
her  has  raised  several  children,  among  whom 
are  Thomas  G.  Laws,  the  presenl  postmaster  at 
Coffeen;  C.  L.  Law-,  township  treasurer:  and 
Wilson  Laws,  a  merchant  of  Donnellson;  sev- 
eral other  children  whose  whereabouts  are  un- 
known to  the  writer.  Dr.  B.  Haynes  also  lived 
in  this  community  for  a  number  of  years  and 
was  one  of  the  leading  characters  in  the  com- 
munity. The  doetoT  had  the  largesl  family  of 
any  one  in  the  neighborhood  and  it  was  a  great 
pleasureto  the  boys  and  girlswhen  thetimecame 
for  a  party  down  at  the  doctor's,  for  we  well 
knew  that  it  meant  a  good  time,  as  the  doctor 
never  tailed  to  provide  for  the  entertainment  of 
i  he  young  folks.  George  Wilson,  who  settled 
on  the  old  Davenport  place,  was  another  to  eon- 
tribute  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  schools  and 
churches  of  the  neighborhood.  Uncle  George 
and  Aunt  Jane  never  failed  to  attend  Hie 
prayer  meeting  and  the  Sabbath-school  unless 
by  sickness  or  some  unavoidable  cause  they 
were  prevented.  Uncle  George  is  living  at 
Donnellson,  enjoying  the  evening  of  life  as  well 
as  ,.ne  of  his  advanced  years  could  expect. 
Aunt  Jane  has  gone  to  her  reward  and  if  ever 
it  might  he  said  "I  know  that  my  Redeemer 
liveth,"  none  could  have  left  behind  an  evi- 
dence of  a  trust  more  abiding  and  assuring 
than  she.  John  S.  Stevens,  who  had  spent  his 
earlier  life  upon  the  high  sea>  and  who  had 
visited  almost  everj  quarter  of  the  globe,  by 
chance  drifted  into  Montgomery  county.  It 
was  here  that  he  met  a  young  widow  by  tin1 
name  of  Betse]  Brown,  a  daughter,  however, 
of    William    Cannon,   of    whom    we    have   before 


spoken  at  length.  The  hardy  sailor  succumbed 
to  the  charms  of  the  young  widow  and  in  due 
time  they  were  married  and  after  a  few  years' 
residence  on  Hear  creek  they  came  to  live  in  the 
settlement  at  Walnut  Grove.  Here  they  have 
raised  a  large  family  and  here  they  have  ac- 
quired quite  an  estate  for  themselves  ami  for 
their  children.  The  elder  son.  Thomas,  died 
hut  a  short  while  ago  and  left  surviving  him 
three  sons,  who  are  earnest  and  industrious 
young  men.  John  Stevens.  Jr..  live-  on  the 
farm  and  has  acquired  quite  a  reputation  as 
public  auctioneer.  Mary  is  the  wife  of  I.  J. 
Brooks  and  Eliza  is  the  wife  of  H.  H.  Brooks, 
while  Permelia  is  the  widow  of  Henry  Root. 
Commodore  is  living  on  the  old  homestead  and 
i-  regarded  as  a  shrewd  business  man.  Robert 
Milner  settled  just  west  of  the  Hampton 
Mound  about  1850.  Quite  a  colony  came  from 
the  eastern  part  of  the  state  in  Edgar  county 
ami  made  settlement  at  the  same  time  with 
Mr.  Milner.  Among  these  were  the  Hawkins, 
the  Gordon,  the  Tennison  and  the  De-art  fam- 
ilies. Robert  Milner  was  a  very  excellent  citi- 
zen. He  had  but  two  children:  Isaac  and 
Jennie.  Isaac  Milner  was  married  to  Emma 
Frame  and  together  they  commenced  the 
building  of  an  estate.  Isaac  was  unusually 
fortunate  in  his  investments  and  being  a  Ear- 
sighted  business  man,  he  promised  to  become 
a  man  of  much  means,  but  early  in  life  he  was 
seized  with  consumption  and  died  almost  at 
the  beginning  of  the  race  in  which  so  much  had 
been  expected.  He  left  a  son,  Alva,  who  has 
since  grown  to  manhood  and  occupies  the 
homestead  of  his  father.  Alva  is  an  energetic 
fanner  and  stock  man  and  will  accomplish  good 
in  the  world.  Thomas  Wood  came  into  this 
part  of  the  township  in  the  latter  part  oi  the 
'20s  and  settled  near  Sugar  Camp  branch.  He 
wa-  the  earliest  settler  in  his  immediate  neigh- 

borh 1.     Captain  Peter  C.  Wood  is  a  son  of 

Thomas  Wood  and  is  the  oldest  living  person 
born  in  East  Fork  township.  Captain  Wood  is 
rather  a  remarkable  man  in  many  respects. 
During  his  early  manhood  he  spent  much  of 
his  time  in  study,  preparing  for  professional 
life,  and  has  during  all  the  years  since  been  a 
very  wide  reader  of  scientific  and  literary  hooks. 
Few  men  in  the  township  have  so  wide  a  knowl- 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTS 


;.;  I 


edge  01  so  practical  an  education  as  Captain 
Wood  and  his  reminiscence  of  men  and  earlier 
times  is  very  interesting  to  any  one  who  desires 
a  knowledge  of  the  earlier  settlement  of  the 
country.  Captain  Wood  served  as  a  volunteer 
through  the  Civil  war  and  was  captain  of  a 
company  during  a  greater  portion  of  that  time. 
John  W.  Young,  a  son  of  William  Young,  who 
settled  near  Donnellson  in  1830, pushed  eastward 
across  the  prairie  and  settled  near  the  home- 
stead where  his  widow  now  resides.  John  \\ . 
Young  was  the  must  successful  stockman  in 
the  south  part  of  Bast  Fork  township.  He  was 
Eor  several  years  an  extensive  buyer  of  hogs  and 
cattle  and  shipped  by  way  of  Donnellson  to  St. 
Louis  and  Buffalo  markets.  He  was  a  man 
whose  integrity  could  not  be  impeached  and 
who  established  a  reputation  for  scrupulous 
honesty  in  all  his  dealings  with  his  fellow  men. 
It  lias  been  said  of  him  that  a  widow  or  an  in- 
experienced hoy  would  be  treated  with  the  same 
fairness  that  he  would  show  to  the  experienced 
trader.  Mr.  Young  by  his  industry  and  eeon- 
nini  acquired  a  large  body  of  land  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Donnellson.  By  exposure, 
which  the  character  of  his  business  necessitated. 
lie  contracted  pneumonia  and  lived  hut  a  few 
days  thereafter.  Mr.  Young  will  long  lie  re- 
membered  by  those  who  knew  him,  for  he 
was  a  faithful  friend,  a  kindly  father  and  a 
just  man.  dames  W.  Johnson,  sun  of  Thomas 
Johnson  and  grandson  of  Jesse  Johnson,  the 
pioneer  who  settled  near  Donnellson.  improved 
the  farm  now  owned  by  Shelby  Young,  .lames 
Johnson,  during  the  years  of  his  productive 
manhood,  acquired  quite  a  competency,  bu1  in 
an  evil  moment  he  was  persuaded  by  designing 
men  to  invest  very  extensively  in  Chicago  real 
estate.  This  was  in  1892-93,  just  prior  to  the 
Columbian  Exposition,  a  time  when  real  estate 
sharks  spread  over  the  country  their  nets  to 
catch  the  unwary.  Unfortunately,  Mr.  John- 
son in  company  with  other-  fell  into  the  scheme 
that  afterward  proved  his  financial  ruin.  In 
1903  Mr.  Johnson  removed  to  Portland,  Ore- 
gon, there  in  tin'  evening  of  life  to  begin  over 
again  life's  struggle.  No  picture  more  sad  than 
this,  when  through  the  years  of  our  pro- 
ductiveness by  thrift  we  have  gained  a  com- 
petencv    for  old   age   to    lind    that    in    a    moment 


of  weakness  we  have  been  shorn  of  all  and  left 
exposed  to  the  humiliations  of  an  unsym- 
pathetic world.  It  is  true  that  our  friends 
may  pity.  ye\  even  this  to  the  sensitive  soul  is 
gall  ami  bitterness.  Cozba  Hawkins,  with  his 
sons.  Aaron.  Henry  ami  Matt,  came  to  East  Fork 
township  with  the  Milners  ami  others.  They 
were  very  successful  as  farmer-  and  acquired 
for  themselves  elegant  homes  in  the  south  part 
of  the  township.  The  old  gentleman  and  his 
son  Aaron  are  dead.  Matt  has  removed  to  Kan- 
sas and  Henry  is  a  citizen  of  Donnellson.  Hen- 
derson Hawkins,  a  son  of  Aaron,  lives  at  the 
country  seat  of  his  uncle  Henry,  which,  by  the 

way,  is  the  -; •  a-  was  settled  by  Hugh  Mc- 

Caslin  at  least  seventy-five  years  ago.  Allen 
Edwards  may  he  styled  the  pioneer  of  tin.' 
prairies,  for  he  was  the  lirsl  among  the  hardy 
spirits  who  pushed  out  into  the  midst  of  the 
prairie  to  establish  a  home.  It  required  the 
effort  of  many  years  to  improve  and  fence  a 
large  body  of  prairie  lands.  This  is  what  Mr. 
Edwards  did  ami  died  before  he  was  fifty  years 
old.  He  left  an  estate  of  several  hundred  acres 
of  land,  which  is  the  nucleus  of  the  beautiful 
farms  which  his  several  sons  now  own  as  homes. 
The  older  of  these  is  William  T.  Edwards,  the 
present  supervisor  of  East  Fork  township, 
while  the  second.  John  W.,  is  an  extensive  land 
owner  living  west  of  Coffeen  some  three  or 
four  miles.  Frank  Edwards  lives  in  Coffeen 
and  is  engaged  in  the  banking  business.  He 
lias  been  very  successful  in  his  financial  ad- 
ventures and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  solid 
men  of  the  community.  Samuel  Edward-  is 
a  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  He  is  also  engaged 
in  the  buying  and  shipping  of  live  stock  from 
Coffeen.  The  two  younger  sons,  Amos  and 
Allen,  Jr.,  are  very  successful  and  are  rated 
among  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  township. 
R.  S.  Allen  came  to  Illinois  from  North  Caro- 
lina in  an  early  day  ami  was  employed  by  Joel 
C.  Travlor  as  helper  in  his  store  and  in  the 
huckstering  which  he  carried  on  between  the 
people  of  his  neighborhood  and  St.  Louis.  Mr. 
Allen  proved  himself  an  efficient  a  — i.-tant  to 
Mr.  Traylor  in  his  work,  and  while  he  was  win- 
ning the  respect  and  confidence  of  Ins  employer 
he  also  won  the  regard  of  Harriet  Ohmert,  the 
sister-in-law  of  Mr.  Travlor.     lie  was  married 


736 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


to  Miss  Ohmert  and  settled  within  a  few  rods 
of  the  Tfaylor  homestead.  Here  be  lived  for 
several  years  and  here  were  reared  his  sons,  Dr. 
W.  A.  Allen,  of  Donnellson,  and  (ieorge  N. 
Allen,  who  lives  on  a  farm  some  three  or  four 
miles  west  of  Coffeen.  Robert  Allen  died  some 
ten  years  ago,  hut  his  influence  in  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  lived  and  with  those  with 
whom  he  had  associated  will  ever  remain  until 
those  who  knew  him  have  followed  him  into  the 
great  beyond.  Mr.  Allen  was  of  a  devout  char- 
acter and  the  religious  bent  of  his  mind  in- 
fluenced others  to  a  consideration  of  these  great 
subjects.  Harriet  Allen,  the  mother  and  wife, 
has  also  laid  aside  the  cares  and  burdens  of 
life,  for  she.  too.  has  followed  her  husband 
Robert  S.  Allen  into  that  far  country  from 
which  they  will  return  no  more.  Dr.  W.  A. 
Allen  has  practiced  his  profession  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Donnellson  for  the  last  quarter  of 
a  century.  He  has  arisen  by  attention  to  busi- 
ness  tn  be  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading 
phvsicians  in  this  section  of  the  state,  and 
while  he  has  succeeded  professionally  he  has 
also  acquired  an  extensive  estate  of  some  twelve 
hundred  acres  of  choice  land  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Donnellson.  George  N.  Allen,  the 
younger  of  the  two  brothers,  while  never  a 
robust  man  of  health,  has  succeeded  in  a  finan- 
cial way  and  has  an  elegant  farm  of  four  hun- 
dred acres,  the  larger  part  of  which  is  rich 
black  soil  and  for  which  he  has  refused  quite 
a  little  sum  of  money.  Mr.  Allen  is  a  director 
in  the  Hillsboro  National  Bank  and  has  in- 
terests in  Arkansas  timber  lands.  Recently 
he  has  purchased  an  elegant  residence  in  the 
village  of  Donnellson,  to  which  he  will  remove 
in  the  near  future.  His  suns  Orin  and  Cullen 
will  take  charge  of  the  farm  and  conduct  it 
along  the  same  lines  in  which  their  father  has 
been  so  successful.  Tobias  Thacker  settled 
near  William  Laws,  having  married  a  daugh- 
ter of  Gray  McCaslin  and  a  sister  to  Mrs.  Wil- 
liam Laws.  Tobias  Thacker  was  a  sou  of 
Allen  Thacker,  who  lived  in  the  north  part  of 
Bond  county  and  who  reached  the  extreme  age 
id'  one  hundred  years.  Mr.  Tobias  Thacker, 
however,  died  at  the  age  nf  about  seventy  years. 
Uncle  Tiihe.  as  we  used  to  call  him,  was  a  man 
noted    for    the    firmness    of    his    character.       In- 


deed, it  has  been  said  of  him  thai  in  some  in- 
stances his  firmness  amounted  to  stubbornness, 
hut  withal  Mr.  Thacker  was  so  sure  of  being 
right  that  hi'  was  persuaded  that  the  position 
which  he  took  on  any  question  was  necessarily 
right  and  needed  no  defense  whatever.  Uncle 
Tobe  was  a  lirm  believer  in  the  Presbyterian 
confession  of  faith  and  for  many  years  he  was 
the  chief  supporter  and  mainstay  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church  in  his  neighborhood.  There  is 
no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  those  who  knew  him 
hut  that  Uncle  Tobe  earned  the  plaudit  of 
"Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant." 
Quite  a  number  of  sons  and  three  daughters 
were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thacker.  The 
oldest  of  these.  Robert  Thacker,  is  a  man  of 
exceptional  mental  power.  For  several  years 
he  was  engaged  in  the  profession  of  school 
teaching.  Imt  has  since  operated  a  telephone 
system  in  the  south  part  of  the  state  and  a  line 
of  dairies  along  the  Aandalia  Railroad.  Pres- 
ton Thacker,  a  school  man.  has  been  engaged  in 
his  profession  as  superintendent  of  the  city 
schools  of  Raymond  during  the  past  three  years. 
He  was  a  very  formidable  candidate  on  the 
Republican  ticket  for  county  superintendent  of 
schools  in  L902.  Although  Montgomery  county 
at  the  time  gave  to  some  of  the  Democratic 
nominees  six  or  seven  hundred  majority,  yet 
Mr.  Thacker  was  defeated  bythe  small  minor- 
ity of  sixty-one  votes,  and  it  is  to  his  credit 
that  this  township,  which  is  his  home,  although 
Democratic  at  the  previous  election  by  one 
hundred  and  fifty  majority,  reversed  itself  and 
gave  to  Mr.  Thacker  a  majority  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-four  votes.  Preston  Thacker  is  a 
rising  young  man  and  if  I  might  forecast  his 
future  I  would  give  to  him  a  prominent  place 
among  educators  of  our  state.  Gordon  Nichols, 
a  very  worthy  character,  came  and  settled  in 
that  part  of  East  Fork  township  known  as 
Lazy  Neck  about  the  year  1850  and  by  perse- 
verance and  economy  be  was  able  to  build  up 
quite  an  estate  which  he  enjoyed  until  some 
two  years  ago.  when  by  an  accident  he  was 
thrown  from  a  loaded  wagon  and  received  in- 
juries from  which  he  shortly  afterward  died. 
Mr.  Nichols  has  left  several  children  in  the 
vicinity  of  Coffeen.  among  whom  are  W.  C. 
Nichols,  an   only   son.    Mrs.    Frank    Edwards, 


PAST    AND    PKHSHNT    OF    MONTGOMEE17    COUNT!7 


::;: 


Mrs.  Sam  White  and  Mrs.  Newton  Lyles.  In 
the  earlier  settlement  of  the  township  a  I'.nmh 
of  Jones  came  to  East  Pork  from  Smith 
Carolina  and  among  these  were  William.  Mar- 
tin P.  and  Hardin.  Ea.eh  of  these  three  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Jones  family  have  descendants 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Coffeen.  Quite  a  good 
manv  years  ago  Martin  P.  Jones  was  about  the 
only  counselor  at  law  in  the  township  and  in 
the  absence  of  James  Davis,  who  was  the  only 
lawyer  in  the  county,  the  word  of  Martin  P. 
was  sufficient  in  the  courts  of  justice  in  this 
section  of  the  county,  and  much  of  the  law 
that  we  bear  on  the  corners  of  the  street  in 
Coffeen  to-day  has  comedown  from  some  of  the 
legal  expressions  of  Uncle  Mart.  Hardy  Jones 
was  not  the  same  type  of  man  as  Unele  "Mart, 
for  while  Martin  was  hospitable  to  a  fault  and 
would  share  his  last  dollar  witli  a  friend.  Uncle 
Hard  was  as  close  in  a  financial  sense  as  the 
hark  on  a  blackjack.  Unele  Hani  enjoyed  his 
liquor  quite  as  much  as  did  any  of  the  early 
pioneer-,  but  sir.  "I  buy  my  own  liquor  for  my 
own  use"  is  a  remark  attributed  to  Uncle 
Hard.  While  this  spirit  was  not  often  met 
with  at  that  early  day.  we  do  not  find  it  infre- 
quent in  our  own  time  and  I  believe  that  when 
it  comes  to  a  matter  of  drinking,  if  the  social 
feature  could  he  eliminated  entirely,  much  less 
harm  would  he  done.  "Ki"  Thacker  and 
"Fee"  were  also  early  settlers  in  the  western 
part  of  Lazy  Neck  and  here  they  raised  to  man- 
hood anil  womanhood  large  families  of  chil- 
dren. These  two  old  men  yet  remain  and  fre- 
quently may  he  seen  on  the  streets  of  Coffeen. 
Both  are  intensely  religious  in  their  profes- 
sions and  the  example  of  their  lives  is  felt 
in  the  community  in  which  they  live.  The 
most  prominent  family  in  the  settlement  of 
East  Fork  township  was  thai  of  William  Mc- 
David.  Flis  son  "Carroll,"  W.  C.  McDavid, 
who  for  nearly  half  a  century  was  a  justice  of 
tin'  peace,  was  the  first  child  born  in  Fast  Fork 
township  of  white  parents,  and  although  Uncle 
Carroll  lived  to  he  over  eighty  years  old,  he 
made  hi-  home  within  a  short  distance  of  where 
he  was  horn.  It  is  said  id'  Uncle  Carroll  that 
during  the  long  period  that  he  was  justice  of 
the  peace  that  no  case  decided  by  him  was 
ever  reversed   in  the  circuit  court.     In   religion 


he  was  a  Cumberland  Presbyterian,  a  man  verj 
firm  in  his  opinions.  This  feature  of  his  char- 
acter made  him  respected  of  all  men  and  espe- 
cially fitted  him  for  the  office  which  he  held  so 
long  and  which  he  so  efficiently  tilled.  In 
early  life  \Y.  ( '.  McDavid  was  married  to  a  Miss 
Hunter  and  to  them  was  horn  one  son.  James 
S.  McDavid,  the  honored  president  of  our  vil- 
lage hoard.  His  second  wife  was  Lydia  Wilson 
and  she  bore  to  him  Joshua.  Emily  and  Logan. 
The  first  named  lives  in  Hillsboro  and  i>  dep- 
uty county  clerk.  Emily,  married  to  David 
Xeisler.  is  living  in  Colorado  and  Logan  lives 
mi  the  family  homestead  and  is  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits.  Logan  is  a  graduate  of 
the  Missouri  Medical  College  ami  stood  high 
in  his  classes,  lie  preferred,  however,  the  oc- 
cupation of  the  farmer  and  -lock  man  rather 
than  that  of  his  profession,  lie  is  by  reason 
of  his  education  and  scholarly  accomplishments 
an  interesting  gentleman.  James  S.  McDavid 
is  identified  with  the  village  of  ( 'oH'oen  in  vari- 
ous wavs  since  its  organization.  James  S.  Mc- 
David has  done  much  to  further  the  best  inter- 
ests of  the  community.  Like  many  other-,  he 
became  interested  in  the  .-inking  of  a  coal  she  I 
at  this  place  and  as  a  result  he  suffered  finan- 
cial reverses  that  swept  away  much  of  the  prop- 
erty which  by  industry  and  economy  he  had 
been  man\  years  in  accumulating.  lie 
among  those  that  have  contributed  to  almost 
ever  enterprise  that  has  made  Coffeen  what 
it  is  to-day,  and  though  he  has  lost  much  in 
property  he  lias  not  lost  that  genial  spirit 
which  makes  and  holds  to  him  that  class  of 
friends  who  can  appreciate  his  true  worth. 
Thai  he  has  faults  is  perfectly  natural,  for 
who  of  us  have  none?  Put  we  have  been  able 
to  discover  few  men  among  our  associate-  w 
were  faultless,  and  it  has  been  m\  observation 
that  force  of  character  and  men  of  large  indi- 
viduality have  some  very  grievous  shortcom- 
ings, hut  the  wise  friend  will  not  condemn  be- 
cause of  these  peculiar  kink-  of  nature.  Mr. 
McDavid  was  for  several  years  clerk"  at  tic 
shaft,  city  superintendent  of  schools  and  first 
assistant  in  the  high  school,  member  oi 
village  hoard  and  president  of  the  same,  so  that 
these  evidences  of  the  appreciation  of  hi-  good 
qualities   have    not    been    lost    upon    the    ■ 


:',s 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


munity.     T.  W.  McDavid,  the  younger  sou  of 
William    McDavid,    the    pioneer,    Lives   on    his 
father's  old   homestead.      Ee   is  a   minister  of 
the  Cumberland    Presbyterian  church   and   has 
served    his    people   as   a    faithful    and    efficient 
steward   through    many  years.     Ho  lias  raised 
quite  a   large    family   of   sons   and   daughters. 
His  eldest  son,  Frank,  is  state  senator  from  the 
Springfield    district    in    Missouri;    his    second 
son.  Emmett,  is  cashier  of  the  National  Bank 
at  Raymond;  his  son,  Cook  McDavid.  has  not 
bei  n  at  home  for  several  years  and  his  where- 
abouts are  unknown  to  the  writer.    Lester  Mc- 
David was  for  several  years  a   teacher  in   our 
public  schools,  but  lias  lately  engaged  in  farm- 
ing.     Horace    McDavid    is   a    student   at   the 
Mi  liken   University.     Horace   is   an  exception- 
ally bright  young  fellow  and  doubtless  will  re- 
flect   credit  upon    his     family  ami    the    com- 
munity in  which  he  spent  his  youth.     Several 
daughters  in  the  family  arc  married.    The  old- 
est is  the  wife  of  M.  B.  Traylor,  Denver,  Colo- 
rado; the  second  is  married  to  Lawrence  File, 
of   Irving,   Illinois :   Ella   married    Eolla    Carr 
and  is  living  in   California:  while  Anna,  who 
had   spent  some    years    in    teaching,    married 
George  Beck  and  lives  on  the  old  Beck  home- 
stead.      Minnie    and     Lena,     two    unmarried 
daughters,   remain   at  home  with   their  father. 
James  B.  McDavid.  one  among  the  most  noted 
characters   of   East     Fork,    served    his     town- 
ship and  the  county  in  official  capacity  at  dif- 
ferent   periods    of   his   life.      Uncle    Jim.    un- 
fortunately for  himself  and  for  his  friends,  in 
the  closing  years  of  his  life  allowed  himself  to 
he  drawn   into   speculation,   which    caused   him 
much   worry   and   the   loss  of  his   large  estate. 
Uncle   Jim   was   a    man    of  kindly   disposition, 
hut  at  the  same  time  very  desirous  of  accom- 
plishing his   purposes,  and   having  entered   the 
vortex   of   speculation   he   was  not   satisfied   to 
withdraw  so  long  as  he  felt  confident  that  he 
hail   a   chance  of  winning.     Tn  this  case  again 
we    are    able    to    point    a    moral,  that    it     is 
dangerous    to    change    horses    while    crossing 
the  si  ream,  and  so  we  find  that  there  is  an  ele- 
uieiii   of  danger  always  attending  any  change 
thai  is  made  late  in  life  from  an  occupation  or 
profession   in   which   we  have  achieved  success 
In   one  of    which    we   arc    entirely    ignorant. 


.lames    B.    McDavid   died  hut  a   few  years  ago 
ami   his  vast   estate  was   swallowed    up  in  the 
settlement   of   claims   that   had    been    made   to 
further    his    financial    ventures    into   which    he 
had  been  led  in  his  old  nge.     Another  character 
that  we  desire  to  notice  at  this  time,  who  for 
many    years    was    one   of    the    most    prominent 
in  this  seel  ion  of  the  state,  is  Joshua   H.   Wil- 
son,     lie  was  one  of  tile  most   extensive  stock- 
raisers,    buyers    and    shippers    to    he    found    in 
southern  Illinois,     lie  belonged  to  a  class  that 
existed    in    this   country   about   thirty   or   forty 
years   ago.      Barney   Hunter,   of   Bond    county, 
and  Jacob  Strong,  of  "Morgan  county,  were  his 
contemporaries  and  belonged  to  the  same  class 
as  Mr.  Wilson.    At  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  some  thirty  years  ago.  he  owned  nearly 
three  thousand  acres  of  land,  hundreds  of  cat- 
tle, mules  and  horses,  and  the  sale  of  his  per- 
sonal effects  is  remembered  to  this  day  as  the 
largest    public    sale   ever   held    in    Montgomery 
county.      .Tosh    Wilson    was    one     of    nature's 
noblemen,    ami    like    all    men    of   large    enter- 
prises he  was  generous,  sympathetic  and  kind. 
It  is  related  of  him  that  he  furnished  teams  to 
those   who   might   want   to  engage   in    farming 
hut  had  not  the  means  to  buy.     He  supplied 
poor     families    throughout     the    section     with 
milch   cows,   only  stipulating  that  they  should 
he  careful  not  to  kill  the  calf  with  the  churn 
stick,   and   if  it  were   a   question   as  to   whom 
more    acts    of    charity    might    lie    credited,    I 
doubt  not  that  the  name  of  Josh  Wilson  would 
lead  lhal  of  any  other  in  all  this  section.     Mr. 
Wilson    left   surviving  him    two   sons  and   one 
daughter.     The  elder  son.  William  H.  Wilson, 
is  living  on  his  father'-  old  homestead.    Thomas 
H.  Wilson,  the  second  son.  died  some  few  years 
ago  ami  leli  behind  him  three  children,  a  wife 
and  a  good  name.     The  daughter.  Mattie  Wil- 
son, is  now  the  wife  of  James  B.  Barringer  of 
Hillsboro,  who,  by  the  way,  is  a  grandson  of 
William  McDavid  of  pioneer  fame.     Harrison 
Brown,    another   of   the    early    settlers     and     a 
neighbor   of   Josh    Wilson,    was    at     one     time 
sheriff   of   Montgomery    county.     On   the   old 
Brown  homestead  lives  J.  C.  Brown,  familiarly 
known   as  Jack   Brown.      Jack   is  an   excellent 
farmer  and  has  succeeded  in  farming  ami  stock- 
raising.     For  several  years  he  has  been  engaged 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


;:;:i 


in  breeding  shun  horn  cattle  and  one  of  the 
besl  herds  is  to  be  found  on  his  farm.  Daniel 
Sellers  and  Boone  [saacs  were  also  earlj  set- 
tlers alnng  the  Vandalia  road  in  East  Fork 
township.  Both  of  these  old  settlers  have 
passed  away  but  have  lef  1  many  children  sur- 
\  i\  i ng  them  who  are  residents  of  di  f- 
ferent  parts  of  the  county.  Jus1  before 
the  In-raking  oui  of  the  late  Civil  war,  Leonard 
Fath,  a  German  who  had  settled  in  Missouri  and 
engaged  in  blacksmithing  and  farming,  removed 
to  Illinois  and  bought  an  extensive  tract  of  land 
in  the  north  part  of  the  township.  Be  had  sev- 
eral -mis  who  grew  to  manhood  and  became 
prominent  in  the  political  and  social  Life  of 
the  county.  His  son.  Leonard  Fath.  Jr.,  was 
elected  and  re-elected  to  the  office  of  sheriff 
and  his  son,  John  Fath,  served  the  county  as 
circuit  clerk  through  a  term  of  four  years. 
John  Fath  has  purchased  property  in  CofEeen 
and  will  soon  become  a  resideni   of  the  village. 

A ng  others  whose  names  were  familiar  thirty 

years  ago  might  be  mentioned  Joel  Holmes, 
Ruben  Lewey,  Dave  Lewey,  John  Lewey  and 
Wesle]  Edwards.  These  formed  part  of  a  set- 
i lenient  near  Allen  Edwards'  estate.  Long 
pears  age  one  Fountain  Whitledge  settled  the 
farm  on  which  the  present  village  of  Coffeeu 
is  located.  For  some  reason  unknown  he  com- 
mitted suicide  and  left  his  wife  and  children 
in  possession  of  quite  an  estate.  His  son  John, 
who  lives  in  Hillsboro  and  is  identified  with 
much  of  the  county's  history,  not  caring  to  con- 
duet  agricultural  enterprises,  sold  his  father's 
estate  to  G.  F.  Coffeen  and  here  comes  into 
the  history  of  East  Fork  one  of  the  most  unique 
and  forceful  men  who  has  ever  resided  in  this 
section.  When  the  1.  &  St.  L.  road  was  build- 
ing, G.  F.  <  toffeen.  then  a  young  man,  had  con- 
tracts for  building  certain  parts  of  the  mail. 
After  the  completion  of  the  road,  Mr.  ( loffeen 
drifted  into  Montgi ry  county.  Here  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  stock  raising  and  no  man 
though!  more  of  a  good  horse  than  did  Gus 
Coffeen.  Mr.  Coffeen  represented  his  district 
in  the  state  legislature  in  1860.  Tn  1880, 
when  the  location  of  the  Toledo.  Si.  Louis  & 
Kansas  City  Railroad  was  being  fixed  through 
this  section.  Mr.  Coffeen  was  successful  in  hav- 
ing it  located  across  his  farm,  and   hv  his  in- 


fluence he  secured  the  location  of  the  depot 
and  siding  at  this  place.  It  was  also  due  to  his 
energy  and  influence  that  the  coal  mine  which 
has  been  everything  to  the  town  was  located  at 
tins  place.  Yet,  Mr.  CofEeen  was  more  fortu- 
nate than  the  other  stockholders  in  the  Coffeen 
Coal  and  Copper  Company,  lie  sold  out  his 
interests  in  thai  concern  for  five  thousand  dol- 
lars and  was  the  onl\  one  of  the  original  stock- 
holders who  made  anything  out  of  the  venture 
while  several  of  them  lost  not  only  what  they 
put  in  hut  thousands  of  dollars  in  addition. 
< ;  ust ;i \  us  Coffeen,  in  whose  honor  the  village  is 
named,  in  general  appearance  was  a  magnificent 
specimen  of  manhood,  about  -i\  fret  in  height, 
broad  shouldered  and  weighing  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  pounds.  The  intelligent  expression 
of  his  face  and  bis  physical  hearing  would  at- 
traej  attention  in  any  group  of  men.  He  was 
naturally  a  leader  among  his  fellows.  A  par- 
tisan Demoi  i ; 1 1  In  stood  for  many  years  as  a 
leader  of  that  party  in  the  community.  An  in- 
cident which  he  enjoyed  relating  occurred  while 
he  was  serving  on  the  claims  committee  in  the 
state  legislature.  The  famous  W'anhvell  gun 
claim  was  before  the  committee.  That  at  Leas! 
one-half  of  the  claim  was  "padded"  was  evident 
to  all  the  members  of  the  committee.  The 
claimant-  had  secured  just  one-half  the  com- 
mune favorable  to  the  allowance  of  the  claim 
and  it  required  an  additional  vote  to  report  it 
out  favorably  from  the  committee.  The  agent 
for  the  Wardwells  offered  Mr.  Coffeen  twenty 
thousand  dollars  to  make  a  favorable  report, 
which,  he  it  said  to  his  credit,  he  indignantly 
refused.  He  states,  however,  that  the  claim 
was  allowed  at  the  succeeding  session  of  the 
legislature.  It  is  evident  that  in  this  case  some 
one  was  found  in  the  next  legislature  willing 
to  take  tin'  bribe,  ami  it  is  further  evident  that 
the  people  were  not  protected  against  bribe 
givers  forty  years  ago.  nor  are  they  protected 
against  (hat  favor-seeking  class  to-day,  and 
only  the  adoption  of  a  constitutional  amend- 
ment providing  for  "The  Initiative  and  Refer- 
endum" will  prevent  this  whole-ale  jobbing  in 
special  privileges  by  our  state  legislatures.  W. 
S'.  Barry,  son  of  John  Barry,  of  Hillsboro 
township,  was  for  many  years  a  prominent 
farmer   and    stock    man.   but    unfortunately   he 


:   u 


PAS'l'    AND    I'h'FSKNT    OF    MONT<i<  )M  K1!V    COFNTY 


eeame  interested  in  the  Cofieen  Coal  and  Cop- 
per Company  and  was  circled  the  lirst  president 
iif  that  concern.  Like  many  others  that  had 
to  do  with  the  Coffeen  Coal  Company,  his  ex- 
perience cost  him  very  heavily.  Mr.  Barry  has 
always  borne  the  reputation  of  being  an  up- 
right and  honorable  man  and  the  misfortunes 
which  came  upon  him  in  his  old  age  are  much 
to  he  regretted,  hut  being  of  an  ambitious  spirit, 
it  is  to  be  hoped  that  out  of  the  tangles  of  the 
company's  business  .Mr.  Barry  will  be  able  to 
come  off  with  a  sufficiency  to  provide  for  his 
declining  wars.  Donald  McLean,  a  Scotch- 
man, settled  in  East  Fork  township  about  1840 
and  secured  for  himself  and  his  children  several 
hundred  acres  of  the  best  land  in  the  town- 
ship. Among  those  sons  are  John.  Duncan. 
Xeil  and  Thomas.  All  of  these  men  live  on 
farms  and  are  engaged  in  agriculture  and  stock 
raising.  John  and  Duncan  McLean  both  lost 
heavilv  in  the  collapse  of  the  Coffeen  Coal  and 
Copper  Company,  but  with  the  accustomed 
spirit  and  energy  of  the  Scotch  blood,  they  have 
-one  to  work  with  will  and  will  soon  recover 
rom  the  losses  which  thej  sustained.  Henry 
Ludewick.  who  lives  on  the  mound,  is  another 
early  settler  of  the  township.  In  his  declining 
cars  he  enjoys  the  comforts  of  an  elegant 
home  and  all  that  a  competency  may  firing. 
His  wife,  however,  has  been  an  invalid  for  sev- 
eral years.  Wood,  an  only  son,  is  a  very  sue- 
i  ssfu]  stock  raiser  and  £ ler.  Calvin  Pais- 
ley, who  lives  m  the  north  part  of  the  township, 

is  t  our  best  citizens  and  most  successful 

inner-:  and  the  Funks,  who  live  west  of  Mr. 
Paisley,  are  a  German  family  who  have  acquired 
,  uiie  an  estate  by  energy,  thrift  and  economy. 
i  Itto  Funk,  the  oldesl  son,  is  a  musician  of  more 
than  local  reputation.  After  completing  his 
-Indies  in  this  country,  he  was  for  several  years 
a  -indent  in  Germany.  We  predict  for  him  a 
brilliant  future.  Mr.  Robert  Funk,  another 
-en.  is  among  the  successful  business  men  of 
Irvine.  Early  in  the  settlement  of  the  wide 
i  mi  re  thai  -i  retches  eastward  from  Hillshoro 
there  came  two  brothers,  John  and  Abner  Short, 
and  they  succeeded  in  changing  much  of  the 
wild  prairie  into  beautiful  farms.  Both  of 
these  pioneers  have  passed  away,  but  their  sons 
are  honored   citizens  of  the  county.     John   C. 


Short,  son   of   Abner  Short,  is  one  of  the  in- 
fluential  citizens  of   the  township.     He  has   a 
very  interesting  family,  and  it  has  been  a  mat- 
ter of  interest  with  .Mr.  Short  to  give  his  chil- 
dren  an   education   as  thorough   as   our   schools 
would    provide  and  in  this  way  his  home  has 
become  a  center  of  refinement.     James  Short, 
son  of  John  Short,  is  living  at  Paisley,  Illinois, 
and  is  engaged  in  the  gram  and  hay  trade.      Mr. 
James   Short  is  among  the  prominent  citizens 
of   his   section  and  personally   we  esteem  him 
among  our  especial  friends.     William  Frame, 
an  early  settler  of  the  county,  was  also  a  pio- 
neer of  the  prairies  and  like  most  of  those  who 
left  the  skirts  of  timber  and  pushed  out  into 
the  "blue  stem"  wilderness,  has  been  richly  re- 
warded for  the  privations  which  they  for  sev- 
eral  years   endured.     Uncle   Billy   Frame    has 
several  children,  who  are  at  present  among  our 
best  citizens.     Amos  and  George  live  on  farms 
in  this  township  and  Mary,  his  daughter,  is  the 
wife  of  Samuel  Edwards,  of  Coffeen.     Howard 
Young  and  Jacob  Young  are  sons  of  William 
Young,  the  pioneer  and  brothers  of  John  W. 
Young,  whom  we  have  mentioned  in  this  con- 
nection.    These  men  are  among  the  substantial 
and  solid  citizens  of  the  township.     They  enjoy 
the    reputation    for   integrity   and   uprightness 
bequeathed    to    them    as   a   legacy    from    their 
father.     Howard  Cress  is  another  of  our  young 
men.  who  is  establishing  for  himself  a  reputa- 
tion among  his  fellow  men  that  is  without  flaw 
or  blemish.    He  is  a  nephew  of  Joseph  P.  Price 
and  lives  on  an  adjoining  farm.     Mr.  Cress  is 
related  to  the  Fillmore  branch  of  the  Cress  fam- 
ily.    Joseph  P.  Price,  who  lives  in  the  extreme 
northeastern   part  of   the   township,   is   a    man 
of  more  than  ordinary  ability.      He  has  served 
his   township   in  various  official  capacities  and 
lias  also  been  a  member  of  the  state  legislature 
from   this  senatorial   district.      Mr.  Price  lias  a 
beautiful    farm  well  stocked  and  well  kept  and 
though   In-    friends  have  tried  to   persuade  him 
to  move  from  the  farm  to  the  town,  he  has  ver\ 
wisely  refused  to  accede  to  their  wishes.     He  is 
a   Democratic  partisan   ami  at  present  is  com- 
mittee-man   for  his  township.     Mr.  Price  is  a 
gentleman   of  great  force  of  character  and  he 
is    an   acquisition   that   any   community   might 
feel  proud  to  have.     Another  character  living  in 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    ((HXTV 


741 


the  rural  section  of  the  south  part,  of  East  Fork 
we  must  not  fail  to  mention  is  Jacob  Boohcr, 
living  on  the  farm  where  bis  Eathei  settled  early 
in  the  '20s,  and  is  among  the  oldesl  native  born 
of  the  township.  He  has  succeeded  financially, 
socially,  and  otherwise  in  his  neighborhood,  He 
has  served  the  township  as  supervisor  and  in 
other  minor  capacities.  His  older  In-other, 
Thomas  Booher,  lives  near  him  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-two  and  is  possibly  the  oldest 
native  born  except  John  Fogleman  and  John  T. 
McDavid,  in  the  county.  In  passing,  we  de- 
sire to  notice  a  few  of  the  more  prominent  busi- 
ness men  of  Coffeen  as  it  presents  a  record  to- 
day. We  have  Dr.  Cook,  the  veteran  physician 
of  the  community,  still  active  in  the  practice  of 
bis  profession  after  torn  years  of  service,  and 
J)r.  Entrekin,  who  also  enjoys  a  large  and 
lucrative  practice.  Dr.  Entrekin  has  lived  in 
Coffeen  about  fifteen  years  and  is  highly  es- 
teemed as  a  physician  and  public  citizen.  We 
have  also    Dr.   Turney,   who   has   lately    located 

among   us.      He  e< s   well    recommended   and 

we  extend  to  him  a  hearty  welcome  and  wish  for 
him  a   prosperous  future.     W.    F.    Pfertner  & 

C pany,  <>.  A.  Edwards,  Sidney  Hilton.  Fred 

Morse.  Sam  Walker.  Oliver  Edwards,  Fiken  & 
Company  and  Earry  Hickman  include  those 
doing  a  general  merchandise  and  grocery  busi- 
ness. ('.  A.  Traylor  carries  on  the  only  hard- 
ware establishmenl  in  town  and  Roberl  McGuire 
and  Al  Mathews  do  a  restaurant  business  and 
Robert  [sley  at  the  brick  and  John  Barringer 
at  the  Morgan  Eouse  provide  good  things  bo  eal 
Eor  all  who  may  come  this  way.  Charles  Lewey 
provides  us  with  the  besl  pork  and  steak  and 
Clem  Laws  sells  to  the  farmer  harness,  saddles 
and  bridles  and  vehicles  of  all  kinds.  Jo 
Myers,  the  optician  and  jeweler,  will  sell  yon  a 
watch,  will  fix  your  eye,,  or  do  anything  else 
for  yon  in  his  line.  Taylor  Phipps,  the  barber, 
and  Bud  Jones,  in  the  same  line,  are  here  to 
cut  your  hair  and  give  you  an  easy  shave.  Ella 
Daly  and  Nellie  Barkley  each  keep  an  eleganl 
line  of  millinery.  We  have  two  banks  which 
will  receive  notice  in  the  chapter  on  bank.-  and 
banking.  Our  real  estate  men  are  the  Edwards 
Brothers.  Homer  Roberts  and  L.  R.  Traylor. 
These  will  sell  you  anything  from  a  town  lot  to 
a   ranch   in   Texas.     E.    Harris,   our   furniture 


dealer  and  undertaker,  does  an  extensive  busi- 
ness.  He  is  a  licensed  embalmer  and  in  his 
preparation  of  tin.  dead  for  burial  has  no  su- 
perior  in  tin-  section  of  the  state.  We  are  well 
provided  with  three  livery  men,  who  furnish  the 
best  turn-outs  for  little  money.  Mr.  ( 'undiff, 
Mr.  Fleming  ami  Mr.  Bunton  are  all  courteous 
gentlemen  and  supply  Coffeen  with  everything 
needed  in  the  livery  line.  The  Toberman 
Brothers  operate  the  grain  elevator  and  buy  hay. 
timothy  and  clover  seed  ami  all  oilier  products 
that,  come  in  their  line.  Jake  Sherer  and  Jo 
Chumley  each  do  a  good  business  at  black- 
smithing.  John  Elam  owns  and  operates  the 
dairy  at.  this  place,  lie  pays  out  several  thou- 
sand dollar-  to  the  farmers  of  this  section  an- 
nually for  milk.  We  have  four  churches  in 
the  village.  Possibly  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
people  have  the  largest  following.  The  Five 
Methodists  have  a  prosperous  society  here  and 
the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  church  is  in  fair 
condition,  although  they  have  no  regular  pastor 
at  present.  Rev.  Charles  Koehler  is  the  present 
Methodist  Episcopal  pastor  and  Rev.  J.  C.  Sills 
officiates  in  the  same  capacity  for  the  Free 
Methodist  people.  The  Catholic  society,  which 
has  I n  established  as  an  organization  for  sev- 
eral year.-,  has  not  as  vet  built  themselves  a 
house  of  worship,  but  hold  their  services  in  the 
hall  of  the  Howell  Building.  They  have  no 
resident  pastor,  hut  are  supplied  by  the  priest 
at  New  Douglas. 


HARVEL    TOWNSHIP    AND    THE     VIL- 
LAGE  OF    HARVEL. 

This  is  the  smallest  civil  township  in  the 
county,  consisting  of  but  one  half  of  a  con- 
gressional township.  Formerly  Harvel  town- 
ship comprised  both  Pitman  and  Harvel  in  its 
territory,  but  in  1878  on  petition  the  township 
was  divided  and  its  present  boundaries  fixed. 
This  township  is  possibly  the  only  one  in  the 
county  that  reports  no  waste  land.  No  settle- 
ments were  made  in  tins  section  until  1854 
when   Herman    Pogenpohl,  a   German^   made  a 

settle lit      in     section     30.        Following    him 

came    C.    Coureier    who   settled    near    Mr.    Po- 


i  I-.' 


PAST    AND    PKKSKXT    OF    MONTGOMEKY    COUNTY 


genpohl.  This  gentleman,  however,  was  a 
Frenchman  and  after  living  some  ten  years 
in  the  neighborhood,  sold  his  farm  to  Joseph 
Vincent.  We  learn  that  Mr.  Courcier  removed 
from  Illinois  tn  Texas  and  that  he  has  accu- 
mulated quite  a  fortune  in  the  Lone  Star  state. 
Nicholas  Eankinson  is  another  who  made  his 
settlement  in  1854  north  of  Mr.  Pogenpohl. 
Descendants  of  Mr.  Hankinson  still  live  near 
the  village  of  Harvel.  In  is:,:,  William  F. 
Jordan,  A.  C.  Jordan  and  ('.  EL  .Ionian  made 
settlements  in  this  prairie  country.  Jea& 
Baptiste  Millett,  a  Frenchman,  also  made  a 
settlement  in  Harvel  at  about  this  time.  Be 
sold  out  soon  thereafter  to  William  Bockewitz. 
John  Munsterman  in  the  summer  of  is:,:,  set- 
tled the  farm  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
township,  which  he  afterward  sold  to  Conrad 
Weller.  B.  Tulpin,  a  Frenchman,  is  another 
of  the  early  pioneers  of  Harvel  township. 
Mr.  'rnl], in  afterward  engaged  id  ousmess 
ventures  in  the  village  of  Harvel.  The  vil- 
lage of  Harvel  sprang  up  soon  after  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Wabash  road  and  derived  its 
name  from  John  Harvel  who  made  the  loca- 
tion of  the  village.  William  Vansandt  kept 
the  lirst  general  assortment  of  merchandise 
and  lie  was  followed  shortly  afterward  by  B. 
Tulpin  previously  mentioned.  The  Harvel 
postoffice  was  established  in  1870  with  George 
Vansandi  as  postmaster.  In  1873  Ira  Nelson 
ami  0.  0.  Settlemeyer  built  the  first  elevator. 
— ami  in  1876  Henry  Xiehaus  built  a  much 
larger  one.  This  passed  into  other  hands  a  few 
j-ears  later  and  several  changes  have  been  made 
in  tin'  ownership  since  they  were  first  erected. 
limn  Bennett  was  the  lirst  physician  to  lo- 
cate  in  Harvel.  William  Adams  has  been  for 
many  years  in  the  elevator  and  milling  busi- 
ness at  this  place  and  W.  W.  Whitlow  also  was 
engaged  for  several  years  in  shipping  grain 
and  hay  from  thai  point.  J.  -I.  Care}  lor  sev- 
eral  terms  supervisor  of  Harvel  township,  is 
another   of   the   business    men    who    have    suc- 

c led    in    their    enterprises    in    that    village. 

While  owning  a  valuable  farm  east  of  town. 
Mr.  Care}  carried  on  an  extensive  trade  in 
lumber.  Mr.  Carey  is  the  father  of  Mrs.  A. 
X.  Banes  of  Hillsboro.  Tt  will  he  remembered 
thai    Mr.    Banes  is  an  efficient  deputy   in  the 


county  clerk's  office  at  Hillsboro.  W.  W.  Whit- 
low, whose  name  appears  above,  was  for  sev- 
eral years  a  member  of  the  hoard  of  super- 
visors from  this  township  ami  it  was  the  priv- 
ilege of  the  writer  to  serve  with   him,  and  we 

are  pleased  to  acknowledge  that   he  was  o: f 

the  most  capable  men  of  that  board.  Martin 
Brown  and  John  Young  are  characters  that 
belong  to  the  history  of  this  township.  Martin 
Brown  is  the  father  of  our  present  county 
treasurer,  Dan  Brown,  ami  Uncle  Martin  has 
long  been  known  as  a  political  factor  in  his 
low  1 1 -hip.  He  has  reared  quite  a  family  of  .  hil- 
dren  who  are  residents  of  Montgomery  county 
and  who  honor  in  character  and  service  their 
parents.  John  Young  is  of  German  stock  and 
has  served  In-  township  in  the  capacity  of  a-^ses- 
sor  through  more  years  perhaps  than  any  other 
similar  township  officer  in  the  county.  Much 
might  he  said  of  those  who  have  contributed 
to  the  building  up  of  the  magnificent  homes  of 
this  township,  of  those  who  settled  in  this  bog 
like   section    of    Montgomery   county    and    who 

by    toil    and    the   expenditure   of   much    m - 

succeeded  in  draining  these  marsh  lands  and 
securing  to  cultivation  the  richest  section  of 
our  county.  We  are  told,  however,  that  the 
history  of  a  people  begins  when  the  actors 
have  passed  from  the  scenes  of  their  activity 
and  a-  man}  remain  who  were  participants  in 
the  settlement  of  tin-  section  of  our  county, 
the  story  is  the  more  briefh   told. 


Tn\\  XSlliP   ok    BOIS    D'AEC    AND   THE 
VILLAGE  ok  FAEMEESVILLE. 

This  township  is  one  of  the  most  fertile  in 
the  county.  The  soil  belongs  to  thai  class 
of  lands  described  as  black  loam  soil.  In  no 
section  of  the  state  Jo  we  find  more  fertile  -oil 
than  in  Bois  d'Aiv.  Montgomer}  county.  One 
of  the  lirst  settlers  in  this  territory  was  John 
Henderson  in  1825.  lie  was  followed  shortly 
after  by  a  Mr.  Hendershot  ami  these  two  fam- 
ilies were  the  sole  inhabitants  of  this  section 
for  a  number  of  year-.  In  IS:1,:,  a  settlement 
was  made  at  Macoupin's  Point  by  a  man 
named  Woods.  Here  he  built  a  tavern  which 
was    a    favorite    stopping    place    for    travelers 


PAST    AND    PKESENT    OF    MONTGOMEKY    COUNTY 


;  t3 


making  the  journey  from  Springfield  to  flills- 
boro.  A  postoffice  was  established  here  soon 
after  and  kept  h\  Mr.  Woods.  Louis  Sedentop 
is  the  present  owner  of  the  old  Wood  home- 
stead. In  1850  Louis  11.  and  Samuel  If. 
Thomas  in  making  a  prospecting  trip  through 
this  section,  were  so  favorably  impressed  with 
the  character  of  the  soil  that  they  determined 
to  make  their  homes  in  tins  section.  In  L852 
they  located  claims  which  toda^  are  known  as 
the  Louis  Thomas  and  Samuel  Thomas  home- 
steads. Samuel  R.  Thomas  has  been  dead  for 
several  years,  but  by  his  enterprise  and  in- 
dustry he  secured  for  Ins  family  quite  a  large 
area  of  these  very  rich  lands.  His  family  re- 
tain the  greater  part  of  what  the  father  gath- 
ered. Louis  II.  Thomas,  at  one  time  the 
owner  of  nearly  three  sections  of  this  soil,  is 
one  of  Montgomery  county's  very  best  citizens. 
Unfortunately  for  Mr.  Thomas,  within  recenl 
years  he  was  drawn  into  a  railroad  speculation 
that  cost  him  the  larger  part  of  this  immense 
estate.  Mr.  Thomas  has  been  a  friend  to  the 
deserving  of  his  township  and  his  neighbors 
relate  many  incidents  illustrating  his  gener- 
osity  to   those   who   sought    his   aid.     When    a 

a I   man  has  financial   reverses,  it  should  not 

lake  the  name  of  failure,  for  no  man  of  this 
character  can  fail.  He  may  lose  his  material 
possessions,  lmt  he  may  retain  his  character, 
which  ic.  after  all.  the  only  possession  whose 
value  is  not  measured  by  gold.  The  "Gold 
Standard"  may  be  the  highest  known  among 
nations,  but  it  is  inadequate  in  measuring  the 
value  of  character.  Yon  mak  ask  how  then  shall 
we  estimate  such  an  elusive  thing?  By  com- 
parison this  physical  world  and  all  the  stars 
that  stud  the  sky  can  not  purchase  faultless 
character,  but  men  and  women  may  have  it  for 

t 

the  living.  Absalom  Clark  came  with  the 
Thomas  Brothers  and  entered  the  north  half 
of  seel  ion  7  and  the  south  half  of  section  8. 
This  he  converted  into  one  of  the  best  farms  of 
our  county.  Among  those  that  wo  desire  to 
name  are  Prior  Witt.  "William  Smith.  Joseph 
Smith.  Anthony  Almond,  John  Ward.  Frank 
Dunkley,  Mark  Risley,  Hiram  Young,  George 
Rice,  Kan  ford  flow.  Peter  Christopher,  Albert 
Clayton,  John  Trice.  .lames  Woodward.  Wil- 
liam Garrison.  Eenn  Weston,  Henrv  Hathaway. 


William  ting,  George  and  Cornelius  Lyman 
and  Michael  Simason.  These  are  perhaps  a 
majority  of  the  names  of  those  who  made  early 
settlement  in  Bois  d'Arc  township.  Some  of 
them  are  yel  living  and  are  glad  to  relate  their 
experiences  in  settling  up  this  prairie  country. 
Quite  a  colony  id'  [rish  settlers  located  near  the 
line  separating  Hand  and  Hois  d'Arc  town- 
ships ami  are  to-day  among  the  wealthier 
citizens  id'  our  county.  At  the  time  when 
they  made  these  settlements,  this  land  was 
covered  for  the  greater  portion  of  tin1  year 
in  stretches  of  lakes  and  tall  water  grass,  ami 
I  have  thought  that  possibly  these  Irish  emi- 
grants «ere  reminded  by  the  condition  of  the 
land  of  the  bog  lands  of  their  native  country, 
and  that  in  reality  they  selected  this  section 
from  choice.  The  village  of  Farmersville 
sprang  up  on  the  new  railroad  that  had  been 
built  by  D.  L.  Wing  &  Company  from  Peoria 
to  Litchfield,  which  road  is  now  a  part  of  the 
Illinois  Central,  situated  in  a  territory  some- 
what removed  from  other  centers  of  trade. 
Farmersville  has  made  rapid  growth  and  to- 
day boasts  of  several  hundred  inhabitants. 
Louis  Sedentop.  who  lives  at  the  old  Woods 
homestead,  has  contributed  very  largely  to  the 
building  of  this  little  town  and  much  the  larger 
part  of  the  present  village  plat  has  been  made 
on  his  lands.  A.  J.  Witt  has  contributed  also 
in  additions  to  the  village.  John  Ball,  the 
banker,  has  given  assitance  in  various  ways  to 
the  upbuilding  of  this  little  city.  Among  the 
industries  located  here  is  a  brick  and  tile  fac- 
tory which  does  an  extensive  business.  The 
elevator  operated  by  Nobbe  &  Son  does  a  large 
business  in  grain  and  hay.  They  also  keep  a 
lumberyard  in  connection  with  their  grain 
business.  Several  stocks  of  general  merchan- 
dise that  do  credit  to  a  village  of  this  size  have 
a  wide  trade  throughout  an  extensive  farming 
section.  Lee  Paul,  cashier  of  the  Farmersville 
Bank,  is  anion,!;  the  young  enterprising  busi- 
ness men  of  Farmersville.  and  William  McLean, 
who  owns  an  elegant  homestead  just  west  of  the 
village,  is  another  who  lias  served  his  township 
faithfully  and  well.  John  Newport,  who  rep- 
resented  this  township  for  several  years  on  the 
hoard  of  supervisors,  has  exerted  a  wide  influ- 
ence  for   good   in   that  township.     TTnele  John 


;  1 1 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


is  now  a  very  old  man  and  has  within  the  last 
few  years  resided  in  tin'  village  of  Farmersville. 
Here  lie  is  spending  the  evening  of  life  as 
pleasantly  as  the  infirmities  of  age  will  allow. 
Finishing  the  chapter  we  feel  some  little  sat- 
isfaction in  knowing  that  during  a  recital  of 
these  fey  facts,  we  have  in  a  sense  visited  some 
of  our  old  friends  in  Bois  d'Arc  township,  that 
the  names  of  some  whose  friendship  we  prize 
just  as  much  may  chance  to  be  omitted  here 
results  from  the  lapse  of  memory  and  not  be- 
cause of  anv  desire  to  neglect. 


PITMAN     TOWNSHIP    AND    THE    VIL- 
LAGE OF  WAGGONER. 

This  township  was  originally  a  part  of  Har- 
vel,  but  for  the  accommodation  of  its  citizens, 
the  township  of  Harvel  was  divided  and  the 
west  part  was  named  in  honor  id'  Joseph  Pit- 
man. This  township  is  almost  wholly  within 
tin'  black  soil  belt  of  the  county.  The  first 
settler  of  this  township  was  Henry  Denton, 
who  entered  a  piece  of  land  in  the  year  L822. 
lie  lived  mi  this  homestead  until  1830,  when 
he  died  and  his  was  the  first  burial  of  which 
we  have  any  record  in  this  township.  John 
ETaynes  was  another  early  settler  of  this  sec- 
tion. He  came  some  years  later  than  Denton. 
llenn  and  Green  Haynes,  sons  of  John  Eaynes. 
were  living  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  olrt 
homestead  at  last  accounts.  John  Eaynes  was 
a  brother  of  Dr.  Baxter  Haynes,  who  i-  living 
at  an  advanced  age  in  Fillmore  township. 
John  L.  Rogers  in  L829  made  a  settlement  in 
tin'  southwest  part  of  the  township.  Here  he 
built  a  mill  ami  operated  it  for  some  years. 
Mr.  Rogers  died  in  1852  and  left  surviving  him 
three  sons  and  two  daughters.  These  are 
among  the  honored  citizens  of  the  country.  At 
last  accounts  the  son-  were  located  in  differ- 
ent sections  of  the  state  id'  Illinois.  That  three 
families  by  the  name  of  Rogers  settled  in  the 
western  part  of  Montgomery  county,  makes  it 
somewhat  difficult  to  omit  tangles  in  their 
genealogy.  Tin1  daughters  of  John  1,.  Rogers, 
if  we  are  not  in  error,  were  the  Misses  Jennie 
ami  Mollv,  who  were  for  several   years  teachers 


in  the  public  schools  in  the  city  of  Litchfield. 
ttni'  id'  these.  Miss  .Molly  lingers,  is  now  the 
wife  of  a  physician  and  resides  in  the  city  of 
Charleston.  At  last  account  Miss  Jennie  Rog- 
ers was  engaged  in  school  work  in  East  St. 
Louis.  Theodore  Rogers,  son  of  John  L.  Rog- 
er-, became  prominent  as  a  Methodist  divine 
and  the  writer  does  not  know  whether  he  is  liv- 
ing at  present  or  not.  Davis  Bagby  came  to 
this  section  with  his  father-in-law.  Miller 
Woods,  in  is.")-.',  and  located  in  the  southwest 
corner  of  the  township.  Both  were  men  of 
excellent  reputation  ami  each  did  his  part  in 
the  struggle  to  subdue  the  wilderness.  Bagby 
was  a  soldier  id'  the  war  of  1812  ami  seems  to 
have  won  distinction  during  that  memorable 
struggle.  The  records  are  silent  with  refer- 
ence   to    Miller    Woods,   hut    we   gather    it    that 

Ic  die, I  quite  a  g I  many  years  ago,  hut  David 

Bagbj  lived  until  1865,  when,  worn  with  the 
cans  of  a  long  and  eventful  career,  he  closed 
his  earthly  account,  and  we  are  informed  by 
those  who  remember  him.  that  he  was  a  most 
excellent  gentleman  and  good  neighbor.  D.  G. 
Whitehorn  was  another  of  the  earlier  settlers 
of  Pitman  township,  locating  a  homestead  on 
section  18  in  1831.  He  married  a  daughter  of 
the  David  Bagbv  previously  mentioned.  Miss 
Katherine  Bagby,  1834.  This  was  the  first 
marriage  ceremony  performed  in  this  part  of 
the  country.  Another  early  settler  was  George 
Waggoner,  lie  came  to  Illinois  from  Ken- 
tucky  about  1830,  and  settled  on  section  29. 
Mr.  Waggoner  died  in  1864,  and  left  surviving 
him  several  children.  In  1833  Frederick  Ham- 
ilton settled  in  the  western  part  of  the  town- 
ship. He  did  not  remain  in  this  neighborhood 
for  anv  great  length  of  time,  but  removed  to 
the  south  part  of  the  county  and  many  of  his 
descendants  reside  in  that  neighborhood.  Fred 
Hamilton,  however,  made  several  trips  to  Kan- 
sas prior  to  the  Civil  war  and  died  in  that 
state.  His  sister  was  an  aunt  by  marriage  to 
the  writer  of  this  article.  T  notice  in  a  pre- 
vious history  of  this  county  it  is  stated  that 
Fred  Hamilton  died  in  Zanesville  township  in 
L835.  This  is.  however,  an  error,  and  T  am  not 
surprise.!  that  these  mistakes  often  creep  in  be 
as  careful  as  we  may.  Retween  the  years  of  1837 
ami   is  in  Zadok  Leach.  William  King,  Tazewell 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTC 


;  15 


Brown,  Flower  Husband,  William  Hamilton 
and  L.  ('.  Richards  came  from  the  south  and 
settled  in  this  section.  Each  of  these  were 
valuable  accessions  to  the  neighborhood  and  in 
marly  every  case  some  representative  of  these 
families  remain.  .Most  of  these  pioneers  were 
laid  to  rest  in  the  old  burying  ground  at  Sul- 
phur Spring.  Many  of  their  graves  are  un- 
marked and  the  story  of  their  lives  must  re- 
main a  simple  tradition.  The  first  school  in 
Pitman  was  kept  by  William  Mclver,  in  1854, 
in  a  little  school  house  built  by  the  united  ef- 
fort of  the  earlier  settlers.  Pitman  township, 
however,  four  years  later  enjoyed  the  privilege 
of  having  a  public  school,  which  was  kept  b\ 
William  King.  The  first  justice  of  the  peace 
was  John  L.  Rogers,  elected  in  1840.  The 
church  history  of  this  township,  like  that  of 
the  others  mentioned,  was  of  a  primitive  char- 
acter, hut  the  religious  fervor  of  the  pioneers 
was  just  as  intense  and  the  devotion  of  her  peo- 
ple was  just  as  sincere  as  was  found  in  the 
other  settlements.  The  village  of  Waggoner 
situated  two  miles  from  the  south  line  and 
two  and  a  half  from  the  west  line  of  Pitman 
township,  is  a  thriving  little  village.  Sur- 
rounded by  an  enterprising  citizenship  Wag- 
goner hids  fair  to  become  quite  a  little  town  in 
the  near  future.  Among  (hose  who  have  been 
prominent  in  the  affairs  of  this  township  the 
pasi  few  years  we  may  name  Horace  G.  Wag- 
g i'.  Henry  and  John  Waggoner,  Felix  Rich- 
ardson, J.  W.  White.  ('.  H.  .Ionian.  Charles 
Gillman,  S.  F.  Brubaker,  C.  IF  Burton,  who 
foi'  man}"  years  was  school  treasurer  of  his 
township  ami    Charle]    Treadway,  once  among 

the    mi. st    Successful    teachers    of    this    sect  lull    of 

the  county.  I'elix  6.  Richardson,  whose  name 
appears  above,  has  for  several  years  served  his 
township  as  a  member  of  the  hoard  of  super- 
visors. Mr.  Richardson  is  one  of  the  public 
spirited  influential  men  of  Pitman  township. 
The  late  Horace  Waggoner  was  another  of  the 
forceful  characters  of  thai  section.  Unfortu- 
nately he  had  arrived  scarcely  at  his  meridian 
when  the  grim  messenger  called  him  from  the 
affairs  of  life,  .lames  White  is  another  who 
through  the  struggles  and  privations  gathered 
for  himself  an  estate  ample  for  all  the  needs  of 
ape.     Mr.  White  lias  also  passed   into  the  be- 


yond, hut  he  has  left  several  children  who  are 
among  the  best  citizens  of  our  county. 
Frank  DeWitt,  the  political  heavyweight  of  the 
Democratic  parly  in  Montgomery  county,  lives 
in  Pitman  township.  While  Mr.  DeWitt  tips 
the  scales  at  over  three  hundred  pounds  of 
avordupois,  he  has  a  heart  proportionately  large 
and  a  generosity  as  ample  as  any  man  of  his 
means  could  possibly  be.  Tins  gentleman  is 
well  known  throughout  the  country,  having 
been  mixed  up  in  some  of  the  political  wind 
-tonus  that  sweep  over  our  county  every  four 
years.  While  Mr.  DeWitt  has  not  succeeded 
in  knocking  the  political  persimmon,  it  does 
not  follow,  however,  thai  he  would  not  make 
an  acceptable  county  official. 


ZANESVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 

Tins  township  is  undulating  in  part  and 
level  in  part.  It  is  drained  by  tributaries  of 
the  west  fork  of  Shoal  creek  and  Macoupin 
creek.  Robert  Palmer  is  supposed  to  have  been 
the  first  settler  within  the  limits  of  this  town- 
ship, at  bast  we  find  it  recorded  that  he  had 
established  an  inn  near  the  site  of  Old  Zanes- 
ville  as  early  as  1824.  Tradition  speaks  of 
Robert  Palmer  as  an  all  around  hard  character. 
Many  robberies  having  been  com  mil  led  in  his 
locality,  suspicion  soon  attached  to  him.  His 
tavern  was  stopping  place  for  a  gang  of  thieves 
and  gamblers  and  soon  became  noted  in  this 
western  country  as  a  dangerous  place  for  one  to 
stop  who  had  money.  It  was  no  uncommon 
thing  in  an  early  <la\  for  the  traveler  to  dis- 
appear to  be  heard  of  no  more  ami  doubtless 
Palmer  and  his  gang  were  quite  as  notorious 
as  the  Benders,  who  operated  some  years  ago 
along  the  Kansas  frontier.  Palmer,  finding 
that  he  was  under  suspicion,  disappeared  rather 
mysteriously.  Later,  it  is  reported,  that  he  was 
hanged  afterward  for  complicity  in  a  brutal 
murder  in  the  state  of  Iowa.  Conditions  were 
-ueh  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the 
Palmer  tavern  that  few  permanent  settlements 
were  made  while  he  remained  in  that  section. 
We  find  that  in  1828  George  Brewer  entered 
the  land  on  which  the  village  of  Old  Zanesville 
was  located  and   that  he  laid  out  a   part   of  his 


;  n; 


PAST    WD    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


land  in  town  Lots.  Be  secured  the  Location  of 
a  postoffiee  at  this  place  and  called  it  Leesburg 
in  honor  of  a  wholesale  merchant  in  St.  Louis, 
in  whose  name  the  laud  was  entered.  Mr. 
Brewer  built  a  commodious  store  building  and 
piil  in  a  stock  of  general  merchandise.  Other 
parties  were  attracted  1>\  the  opportunities 
which    seemed    to    present    themselves    in    the 

neighborh I  of  Leesburg.     By  1830  there  had 

been  accessions  to  the  town  and  surrounding 
community  thai  warranted  the  organization 
of  a  school  and  the  building  of  a  place  of  wor- 
ship. So  rapidly  did  this  frontier  burg  im- 
prove that  in  1835  it  lacked  but  few  in  popu- 
lation of  being  as  large  as  Hillsboro.  While 
this  settlement  at  Leesburg;  was  being  made, 
several  pioneers  had  entered  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  the  township  and  had  made  a  settlement 
there.  Among  those  wliose  names  have  been 
kept  were  Isaac  Bailey,  James  Crawford. 
Thomas  and  Zebedee  Williams.  Somewhat 
later  Robert  Allen  settled  near  them  and  fol- 
lowing Mr.  Allen  was  Beatty  Burk,  George 
Burroughs,  D.  V.  Schumway  and  Oliver  Chas- 
tme.  About  1840  a  settlement  was  made  near 
the  head  waters  of  Shoal  creek  and  among  these 
we  find  Walker  Williams.  Elgin  Smith,  Jeffer- 
son Parrott  and  Moses  Martin.  Another  party 
settled  in  close  proximity  to  the  village  of  Lees- 
burg. Among  those  are  Joseph  Vignos,  Dr. 
(aldwell  and  Spence  Smitherman.  Dr.  Cald- 
well was  one  of  the  earliest  physicians  of  this 
section  and  at  last  accounts,  the  doctor  was  liv- 
ing in  retirement  at  the  village  of  Waggoner. 
The  writer  remembers  him  as  a  resident,  of  the 
old  village  of  Zanesville,  about  twelve  years  ago. 
The  doctor  was  very  entertaining  and  enjoyed 
reciting  the  experiences  of  pioneer  times. 
Spence  Smitherman  was  engaged  in  farming 
and  stock-raising.  He  took  especial  pride  in 
breeding  a  class  of  traveling  horses  and  some 
of  the  Inst  roadsters  that  were  sold  from  this 
county  went  from  the  Smitherman  farm.  He 
also  operated  a  flouring  mill  in  the  village  of 
Old  Zanesville  (formerly  called  Leesburg). 
The  Jacksonville  and  Vandalia  stage-coach 
lines  passed  through  Leesburg  and  the  state 
road  leading  from  Carlinville  to  Taylorville  in- 
tersected the  old  Vandalia  road  at  this  place. 
In    1838    Edward    Crawford    erected    the    first 


horse  mill  in  the  township.  This  primitive 
concern  was  operated  almost  day  and  night  to 
supply  the  settlements  adjacent  with  bread  stuff. 
In  1869  a  company  consisting  of  Messrs.  Sharp, 
Johnson  ami  Berry  erected  and  equipped  the 
Zanesville  flouring  mill.  It  is  reported  that 
i  he  first  cosi  of  this  mill  was  sixteen  thousand 
dollars.  At  its  completion  it  was  the  largest 
ami  nio>t  complete  null  in  Montgomery  county, 
having  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  barrels  of 
flour  per  day.  For  three  or  four  years  this  mill 
did  an  extensive  business  and  paid  large  divi- 
dend to  its  owners,  but  m  ls;:i.  when  the  finan- 
cial crash  came  and  a  panic  seized  the  people, 
this  enterprise,  like  many  others,  became  seri- 
ously involved.  Sharp  and  Berry,  who  had  be- 
come sole  owners,  disposed  of  the  mill  to  Spence 
Smitherman  and  Clark  Sinclaire,  who  for  rea- 
sons best  known  to  themselves,  never  attempted 
to  operate  it.  At  the  first  election  held  in  this 
precinct  which,  al  that  time,  1835,  included 
the  entire  northwest  part  of  the  county.  George 
Brewer  and  .lames  Crawford  were  elected  jus- 
tices of  the  peace  Stephen  Crawford,  son  of 
James  Crawford,  horn  in  1831,  on  the  night  of 
the  13th  of  November, was  the  first  child  horn 
in  the  township.  It  is  recorded  that  the  great 
metoric  shower,  known  as  the  falling  stars,  oc- 
curred on  this  date.  Certainly  James  Craw- 
ford, tin'  pioneer,  would  ha\ icasion   to   re- 

inber  the  event.      The  first  school  teacher  was 

one    Henry    Mayor,  hut  the   exact    ti is  not 

recorded.  The  schools  of  this  township  were 
not  different  from  those  in  other  earl]  settle- 
ments in  the  county.  Usually  some  vacated 
cabin  was  appropriated  and  made  to  serve  as 
a  school  room.  In  other  cases  we  find  that  the 
settlers  came  together  at  some  point  near  the 
center  of  the  settlement  and  built  a  log  cabin 
for  school  purposes.  In  many  instances  these 
rude  structures  were  not  provided  with  other 
than  a  dirt  floor  and  a  log  sawed  out  of  the 
easl  or  south  side  served  as  a  window  to  admit 
light.  At  the  west  or  north  was  built  a  large 
open  tire  place  with  a  stick  chimney  daubed 
with  mud.  ami  in  these  primitive  academies 
our  fathers  and  mothers,  the  sons  and  daughters 
of  the  pioneers  of  Montgomery  county  learned 
to  read,  to  cipher  and  to  write.  Elder  James 
Street,  id'  Clear  Spring  settlement,  preached  at 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


TIT 


the  residence  of  Jacob  Baker  as  early  as  L830. 
and  a  Baptist  organization  was  effected  in  that 
neighborhood    soon    after.      Other    denomina- 
tions have  bad  their  organizations,  have  built 
ejnirehes  and   each    in    its   time   lias   flourished, 
but    the   building   up   of  surrounding    villages 
and   towns  along  our   railroads  has   interfered 
ut\  seriously  with   the  maintenance  of  church 
organization   in   rural  communities  and  Zanes- 
ville  township  is  no1  an  exception  to  these  con- 
ditions.    While   we   do   not   desire   to   bar  the 
progress  or  stay  the  immutable  law  of  change, 
yet   to   travel   throughout   the  country   districts 
in  any  part  of  our  state,  the  decay  of  the  rural 
church  is  so  noticeable  as  to  bring  a  feeling  of 
sadness  over  one  whose  early  life  knew  only  the 
sacredness  of  the  country  church.    To-day  these 
tenantless  houses  standing  so   near  the  burial 
places  of  our  fathers  keep  silent  watch  as  they 
crumble  into  decay  over  the  last   resting  place 
of  our  pioneer  dead.    If  there  is  aughi  that  can 
stay  the  mad  rush  of  the  present  generation  in 
its  scramble  for  wealth,  it    might   be   for  each 
to  walk  alone  through  the  deserted  graveyards 
which  may  be  found  in  many  parts  of  the  coun- 
try   where   slabs   of  marble,   green    with    lichens 
that  almost  obliterate  the  letters  carved  on  the 
face,  tells  in  few  words  the  name  of  the  worthy 
dead    who   lies   beneath.     To    reflect    upon   the 
end  of  the  struggle  which  has  no  purpose  higher 
than   dollars  might  well  afford  to  listen  to  the 
teachings   that  come   from   those  silent  graves. 
Tn  1869  the  village  of  Zanesville  had  four  large 
general    stores,    one    grocery,    three   blacksmith 
shops,  two  wagon  shops,  two  hotels,  one  cooper 
shop    and    two    saloons.     The   latter   always    a 
eurso   to   any    people.     Three   physicians   hung 
out   their  signs  in  this  busy  little  burg,  George 
Mayfield.  J.  W.  Wheeler  and  G.  W.   Caldwell. 
Dr.  Mayfield  was  among  the  earlier  physicians 
of  the  town.     In  an  altercation  with  a  man  by 
the  name  of  Hardy,  Mayfield   was  killed.     Tn 
the  trial   it  was  proven  that   Mayfield   was  the 
aggressor    and    Hardy    was    acquitted    on    the 
ground     nf    self-defense.      Another     record     of 
murder  belongs   to    Zanesville    township.       Tn 
1853  Andrew  Nash,  in  a  drunken  brawl,  killed 
Peter  Lookerman.     Nash,    escaping    from    the 
country,  was  afterward  apprehended  in  Arkan- 
sas, brought  hack  and  placed  in  jail  at  Carlin- 


ville.  lie  was  tried  ami  condemned  to  he  hung. 
Ih-  friends  circulated  a  petition  to  he  pre- 
sented to  the  governor  to  have  his  sentence 
commuted  to  life  imprisonment,  fearing  that 
the  governor  might  grant  the  petition,  a  mob 
of  Lockerman's  friends  appeared  before  the  jail 
in  Carlinville  at  night  and  so  frightened  Nash 
that  he  committed  suicide  by  hanging  himself 
in  his  cell.  Among  those  who  are  to-day  fore- 
most in  the  affairs  of  Zanesville  township  are 
George  W.  .Martin,  who  owns  a  wry  line  farm 
ii  the  southeastern  part  of  the  township.  0.  K. 
Rummons,  who  lives  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Old  Zanesville.  and  Oscar  B.  Cane,  his  neighbor, 
a iv  both  farmers  who  contribute  to  the  pro- 
gressive spirit  of  the  community.  R.  A.  Bar- 
nett,  who  lives  in  tin1  southwestern  part  of  the 
township,  has  also  been  a  leading  character  in 
his  immediate  section.  Among  those,  whose 
names  were  familiar  a  few  years  ago.  was  Dan 
P.  Rogers,  Perry  Martin,  .lames  Duff.  Joseph 
Vignos,  Spenee  Smitherman  and  many  others 
whose  accounts  are  closed  but  whose  works  are 
living  still.  At  present  there  is  no  postoffiee 
within  the  limits  of  the  township  unless  it  be 
at  Barnett,  where  a  portion  of  the  village  lies 
within  Zanesville.  Three  railroads,  the  Wa- 
bash, crossing  the  southeast  corner,  the  Illinois 
Central,  dividing  the  township  almost  into  two 
parts  from  north  to  south,  and  the  Burlington, 
which  touches  the  southwest  comer,  have  proven 
of  but  little  immediate  value  to  Zanesville 
township,  as  no  station  of  importance  has  been 
located  therein. 


RAYMOND   TOWNSHIP    AND  THE   VIL- 
LAGE OF  RAYMOND. 

Raymond    township   was    named    in    honor   of 
Thomas    Raymond,  at   one  time  vice-president 

of  the  Wabash  Railroad.  This  township  is 
somewhat  diversified  in  the  character  of  its 
soil  and  with  reference  to  its  surface.  The 
«r-i  fork  of  Shoal  creek,  with  it.-  tributaries, 
flow  through  this  township  in  its  western  half. 
Therefore  we  liml  the  hill  section  of  Raymond 
township  in  its  western  part.  The  northern 
ami  eastern  part,  comprising  the  larger  division 


748 


AST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    rol'XTY 


of  the  township,  consists  of  a  deep  rich  black 
soil.  It  ranks  as  one  of  the  most  fertile  and 
productive  townships  in  the  county.  Land  val- 
ues in  this  township  in  the  black  soil  sections 
have  doubled  within  the  last  ten  years,  or,  in 
other  words,  advancing  from  ti ft v  dollars  |irr 
aciv  in  3:894  to  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre 
in  L904.  Men  of  money  who  do  in>t  care  to 
enter  the  maelstrom  of  speculation  find  that 
under  existing  conditions  these  lands  return 
an  income  of  five  per  cent  annually  on  an  in- 
vestment nf  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  The 
certainty  of  an  income  and  the  security  of  the  in- 
vestment places  these  lands  as  valuable  and  as 
secure  an  investment  as  government  bonds.  To 
be  sure  men  who  seek  to  increase  then-  capital 
at  least  by  a  hundred  per  cent  ever;  two  or 
three  years  are  qo1  tempted  to  make  invest- 
ments in  Illinois  real  estate.  We  can  not  hope 
in  see  an  advance  in  farm  lands  within  the  next 
ten  years  such  as  has  been  within  the  period 
jusi  past,  nor  could  we  hope  should  farm  prod- 
ucts decrease  one-half  in  present  average  val- 
ues, that  lands  would  maintain  their  present 
prices.  It  was  Russell  Sage  who  said  that 
"five  per  cent  and  no  hazard  are  gilt  edge  in- 
vestments." Therefore,  so  long  as  real  estate 
will  pay  an  average  of  five  per  cent  on  the  in- 
vestment, the  careful  and  discreet  investor  will 
seek  such  holdings.  The  undulating  lands 
which  lie  adjacent  to  the  water  courses  are  not 
so  valuable  as  are  the  flat  black  lands.  Yet, 
there  i-  a  vast  difference  in  the  management  of 
these  different  classes  of  soil.  We  have  no- 
ticed that  among  our  must  successful  farmers 
we  End  main  who  lane  grown  wealtbv  on  un- 
dulating land-  where  the  soil  is  light  gra\  or 
even  chalk-like  (post  oak).  The  farmer  on 
our  gray  lands  who  depends  upon  grain  raising 
can  not  hope  to  grow  rich,  but  we  know  quite 
a  good  many  men  of  means  who  by  stock-rais- 
ing and  fruit  growing,  and  who  have  depended 
largely  upon  dairy  and  poultry  raising  to  ac- 
quire  considerable  moneys  in  bank  and  if  we 
were  to  search  out  the  men  of  large  means  in 
Montgomery  county  to-day,  the  larger  half  by 
far  would  fall  south  of  a  middle  line  drawn 
east  and  west  through  our  countv.  The  first 
permanenl  settler  in  Raymond  township  was 
Butler  Seward,  who  located  at  what   has  been 


known  as  Seward's  Point,  on  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Samuel  Miller  and  formerly  owned 
by  Elias  .Miller.  Mathew  Mitchell  was  the  next 
to  locate  and  his  settlement  is  where  Fred 
Mondhink  now  resides.  David  Sherer  pur- 
chased the  improvements  that  had  been  made  b) 
Mr.  Mitchell  and  the  latter  moved  to  another 
locality,  .lames  Baker  made  a  settlement  at 
which  is  now  known  as  the  Oscar  Seward  home- 
stead and  Robert  Conyer  settled  the  farm  now 
known  as  the  John  Cass  place.  Mr.  Cass  pur- 
chased the  Conyer  homestead  in  1833  on  which 
he  lived  until  his  death.  Mr.  Cass  has  many 
relatives  and  lineal  descendants  remaining  in 
that  section  of  the  countv.  It  might  be  well 
to  state  that  1  find  one  record  that  claims  the 
first  settlement  of  Raymond  township  to  have 
been  made  in  182?  by  William  Wilson  and  that 
Mathew  Mitchell  purchased  the  improvements 
which  he  had  made.  Oscar  Seward,  son  of 
Butler  Seward,  purchased  the  Baker  improve- 
ments about  the  year  is:;;,.  These  were  lo- 
cated immediately  south  of  his  father's  home- 
stead at  Seward's  Point.  Oscar  Seward  was  a 
very  remarkable  man  and  the  writer  remembers 
many  incidents  that  might  be  recorded  to  show 
the  hospitality  and  generous  spirit  of  Mr. 
Seward.  It  is  related  of  Mr.  Seward  that  in 
1860  when  Abraham  Lincoln  had  received  the 
nomination  for  presidency  that  Mr.  Seward. 
in  company  with  other  leading  Republican  cit- 
izens of  Montgomery  countv.  made  a  pilgrim- 
age to  Springfield  to  pay  their  respects  to  Mr. 
Lincoln,  and  that  on  their  return  Mr.  Seward 
very  generously  entertained  the  entire  company. 
It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  relate  a  circum- 
stance in  which  the  writer  in  connection  with 
several  of  bis  neighbors  were  made  the  recip- 
ients of  Mr.  Seward's  hospitality.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  in  issi  (be  southern  part  of 
Montgomery  countv  suffered  a  complete  failure 
because  of  the  drouth  of  that  vear  and  the  fol- 
lowing winter.  L881-82,  was  very  open  ami  wet 
and  we  were  compelled  to  haul  corn  from  the 
northern  part  of  the  county  over  the  almost 
impassable  highways.  Some  half  dozen  of  our 
party  had  returned  by  night  fall  as  far  as  Oscar 
Seward's.  We  were  invited  by  Mr.  Seward  to 
pass  the  night  at  his  place.  On  the  next  morn- 
ing, however,  be  refused   absolutely   to  be   rec- 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    M0XT0OMFKY    COFXTY 


,49 


ompensed  for  our  night's  Lodging,  saying  thai 
he  was  glad  to  be  able  to  do  so  small  a  favor  for 
his  friends  in  the  smith  part  of  the  county,  that 
some  ila\  the  lurk  might  change  and  we  could 
return  the  favor  to  linn  or  sonic  one  else. 
Oscar  Seward  has  been  dead  some  years  and 
lefl  several  children  surviving  him.  These  and 
their  children  do  well  to  honor  the  memory  of 
their  lather  and  grandfather,  Oscar  Seward. 
At  the  Butler  Seward  home  during  the  earlier 
period  of  the  county,  a  public  house  known  as 
Seward's  Point  was  kept.  It  was  a  regular 
changing  place  for  the  stage  coach  of  early 
times  and  here  such  men  as  I  lunulas  and  Lin- 
coln, whose  renown  was  to  cover  the  land,  would 
step  on   then'   regular   visits  from   Springfield 

tu   V lalia.     Some   (rw  years  ago  the  writer 

paid  a  \isit  to  Elias  W.  Miller,  and  on  return- 
ing Mi-.  Miller  said:  "Tonight  you  will  occupy 
the  room  in  which  Abraham  Lincoln  and  Ste- 
phen A.  Douglas  have  often  slept."  However, 
as  Mi-.  Miller  came  into  the  room  and  sat  chat- 
ting with  me  until  2:00  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
1  was  net  disturbed  by  the  shades  of  these  ureal 
men  in  my  visions  nor  dreams.  In  speaking  of 
Elias  W.  Miller  1  wish  to  say  that  for  power 
of  penetration  and  intellectual  alertness  thai  I 
have  met  few  men  who  were  to  be  considered 
his  equal.  Had  Mr.  Miller  received  educa- 
tional   advantages    in    his   youth    and    scl led 

himself  in  the  law,  he  would  have  I n  a  diplo- 
mat worthy  to  represent  any  cause  at  any  court. 
Another  character  who  came  later  upon  the 
scene  was  Thomas  Jefferson  Scott.  He  resided 
on  a  farm  near  Mr.  Miller,  and  on  several  oc- 
casions he  represented  his  township  en  tile 
hoard  of  supervisors.  Mr.  Scott  has  been 
dead  some  years.  1  nit  lie  left  surviving  him  his 
good  wife  and  several  sons  and  daughters. 
These  form  part  of  the  ureal  body  of  energetic 
young  citizenship  of  the  county.  Edward 
Grimes,  who  owns  a  beautiful  homestead  about 
two  miles  east  of  the  village  of  Raymond,  is 
one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  thai 
township.  M  r.  Grimes  is  very  much  interested  in 
everything  pertaining  to  farm  life  and  work. 
He  has  1 n  a  member  of  the  state  hoard  of  ag- 
riculture and  much  interested  in  the  success  of 
onr  annual  state  fair.  But  few  homes  in 
Montgomery   county   are   more   attractive   and 


systematically  arranged  than  thai  of  Edward 
Grimes  of  Raymond.  Uriah  Hartwick  for 
mam  years  a  promienl  figure  in  the  business 
and    political    circles    of    Raymond,    was    well 

known    throng] i     Montgomery    county.      He 

si  rved  his  township  several  terms  as  a  member 
of  the  hoard  of  supervisors,     lie  died  very  un- 
expectedly  to   his   friends  some  two  years  ago, 
Fred  Mondhink,  during  the  period  of  his  youth 
ami  early  manhood,  was  compelled  to  struggle 
hard  to  gain  a  footing  in  the  world.     For  sev- 
eral years  Fred  worked  by  the  month  for  Oscar 
Seward    and    later   bought    him    a    home    which 
formed   the   nucleus  of  his   present   goodly  es- 
tate.     Fred  is  not  only  engaged  in  farming  and 
stockraising,    hut    is    an    extensive    feeder    and 
shipper,      lie  ranks  as  one  of  the  solid  citizens 
of  Raymond  township.     Mr.  Samuel  Miller,  the 
present    owner  of  the   Elias   Miller  homestead, 
is  one  of  the  few  who  have  engaged  in  the  ship- 
ment   of  hogs  and   cattle  to  so   watch   the   mar- 
kets and   time  his  shipments  as  to  be  able  to 
more  than  "break  even"  in  his  hazardous  busi- 
ness.    Mr.    Miller    in    his    line   has    been    very 
successful  and  to-day  as  a  result  of  his  watch- 
fulness and  care,  enjoys  a   large  estate.     Wil- 
liam  Bowles,  ex-sheriff  of  Montgomery  county, 
was  another  of  the  forceful  characters  that  be- 
longed to  the  same  (dass  as  Oscar  Seward.      He 
was  a  very  prominent   citizen  of  the  county  in 
bis  day.  being  elected  as  sheriff  at  a  time  when 
the     county    was    strongly    Democratic,     gives 
proof    of    his    popularity    among    the    people. 
Among  the  children  which  he  left  we  may  men- 
tion    his    son.     familiarly    known     as    "Bud" 
Bowles.     This    gentleman     lias    inherited    the 
good  qualities  of  his  father  and  few  men  in  his 
locality  enjoy  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  their 
neighbors   more   than    "Bud"    Bowles.      Henry 
Hitchings,  son  of  John  W.  Hitchings,  the  pio- 
neer,  is   another  son   of   the   soil    who  has   ac- 
quired a  competency  and  who  may  during  the 
declining  wars  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  industry 
and  frugality.     His  father,  John  W.  Hitchings, 
was   for  many  years  one  of  the   leading  teach- 
ers   of    the    county    and    few    of    i  he    men    and 
women   of   middle  aged    life   who    spent    their 
school  years  in  that  section  hut  remember  the 
old  school   master.     John   Kidd,  until   recently 
a  citizen  of  Raymond  township  and  the  villagi 


750                       PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF  MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 

of  Raymond,  but  who  has  removed  to  Litchfield,  districl  in     the    state    Legislature.     Eis    other 

was   for  many  years  a  prominent  character  in  sons  are  engaged  in  different  lines  of  business 

the  affairs  of  Raymond  township.     Mr.   Kidd's  in   various  parts  of  the  country.     We  wish  to 

narrative  belongs  to   the  history   of    Raymond  remark   here  thai    Robert    Pepperdine  was   the 

township  and  although  he  is  in.  longer  a  citi-  father    of    George     Pepperdine,    the     brilliant 

zen  here,  we  give  him   this  space  to  which  we  young  attorney   who   left    Montgomery  county 

believe  he  is  entitled.     Dr.   P.  J.   Sermon  was  some   few  years  ago  and   located    in    Missouri. 

for  many  years  a  practitioner  in  the  aeighbor-  William    and    John    Guthrie,    who   own    farms 

hood  of  Raymond,  but  he  is  now  too  advanced  in  north  of  the  village,  have  also  been  helpful  iu 

years  to  further  practice  his  profession.     He  is.  the  general   progress  of  the  township  and  the 

however,  anion-  the  honored  and  well  reapected  Chapmans  are  also  names  familiar  to  the  peo- 

pioneer  citizens  of  the  village.     John    II.   Mil-  pie  of   that    township, Judge  Chapman    having 

lor.  until  within  the  last   few  years  engaged  in  been    associated    with    Judge    E.    Lane   at    the 

agricultural    pursuits,    lived    some   three   miles     ti I'   the   building   of    our    present    county 

east  of  Raymond,  on  a  well  apportioned  farm,  courthouse.  Hezekiah  Moore  is  one  of  the 
In  1892  Mr.  Miller  moved  to  the  village  of  wealthy  citizens  of  the  village  and  has  done 
Raymond  ami  engaged  in  the  hardware  and  much  to  build  up  the  various  interests  of  the 
Eurniture  business,  lie  sold  hi-  farming  in-  town.  The  coal  mine  at  that  place  we  under- 
terests  ami  lias  given  over  the  control  of  bis  stand  was  due  to  his  efforts  ami  that  be  was 
hardware  and  furniture  trade  to  his  sons,  Clif-  among  the  heaviest  subscribers  to  its  stock, 
ford  E.  and  George  A.  Hi-  younger  son.  Lem-  Mr.  Moore  is  also  one  of  the  mainstays  of  the 
uel,  is  at  present  living  in  Hunnewell,  Missouri,  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  Ins  town, 
and  his  older  son.  Jesse,  is  a  photographer  in  Another  character  that  we  wish  to  notice  is  (be 
si.  Louis,  Missouri.  His  only  daughter  is  the  "Only"  John  Green.  This  gentleman  estab- 
wife  of  (».  A.  Edwards,  of  Coffeen.  Mr.  Mil-  Lished  the  first  banking  institution  in  the  vil- 
ler  is  anion-'  the  substantial  men  of  Raymond  lage  ami  he  has  been  engaged  in  various  lines 
township.  Another  well  known  character  of  of  merchandising  at  this  place,  lie  served  his 
Raymond  township  is  Dorman  Crane,  'be  am-  county  as  treasurer.  1890-94,  and  is  well  known 
tioneer.  For  several  years  he  lived  with  bis  to  almost  every  citizen  within  its  limits,  lie  is 
brother  Needham  Crane,  about  two  miles  south-  a  jolly,  genial  fellow  ami  to  know  him  mean-  to 
east  of  the  village  of  Raymond.  Within  the  clasp  him  a,-  a  friend.  1 ».  W.  Star  is  another 
last  few  years,  however.  Mr.  Crane  has  been  a  financial  pillar  of  the  village  of  Raymond  and 
resident  of  Butler  Grove  township.  Dr.  Prank  we  understand  that  he  is  among  the  heavy  stock- 
Hicks,  son-in-law  of  Oscar  Seward,  was  for  a  holders  in  the  National  Bank  recently  estab- 
aumber  of  years  a  prominent  physician  of  Kay-  lished  there.  Mr.  Star  is  a  man  who  appre- 
mond.  lie  has  retired  from  the  practice  of  lnj  ciates  bis  friends  and  the  writer  is  glad  to  he 
profession  and  is  at  present  engaged  in  looking  numbered  among  them. 
alter  bis  farming  interests.  Among  the  busi- 
in'->  men  of  Raymond  we  may  mention  Jacob 
Culler,      Charles      Sherer.      Joseph       Kessi  n-er. 

Charles  Schwartz.  W.  I..  Seymour  and  quite  a  ERVING  TOWNSHIP  AND  THE  VILLAGE 

list  of  others  that  we  ,a n  not  at  present  eall  to  OF  IRVING 

mind.     Among  those  who  deserve  to  he  remem-  Tliis  township  begins  its  history  with  a  set- 

bered  in  this  article  are  the  late  William   Peck  (dement    made  in    1826  at   what   was  known  as 

ami   Robert    Pepperdine.     .1.    I >.   Parrott   is  an-  h,,.     Bostick     settlement.     Ezra     Bostick     had 

other,   who.   at    last    accounts,   was  yet    among  formerly   located   m    the  settlement    near   Don- 

the  living,  but   infirm   ami   feeble  through   the  nellson,  but  two   years  later  in  company  with 

experiences  of   four  score  years.     Mr.    Parrott  his  sons-in-law.  William  ami  duel  Knight,  they 

had    several    sons,   among   whom     is    Walter    II..  formed    a    settlement    about     (wo    and    one-half 

•who   at    one    time     represented    this   senatorial  miles    northeast    of    Hillsboro,    in    section    -29. 


PAST    A.ND    PRESENT    OF  MONTGOMERY    COUNTY  751 

[rving    township.     Mr.     Bostick    was    an    old  [rving   township    in    L829   and    reared   a    Large 

revolutionary    soldier  and   i1    is  related  of  him  family    of    children,    among    whom    we    may 

thai  he  had  been  engaged  in  many  of  the  hard  mention  J.   Milton,   Harvey,  George  and  John 

battles   foughl    between   the  patriot    troops  and  and  other  sons  and  daughters  whose  aames  the 

the    king's    regulars;    thai     he    was    severely  writer  does  no1    recall.     J.   Milton    Kelley    lias 

wounded  in  one  of  these  engagements  and  thai  for  many  years  been  one  of  the  mosl  prominenl 

he  never  recovered  fully  from  his  wound.    You  men  of  [rving  township.     He  was  engaged   in 

will  note  thai  we  have  mentioned  thr if  the  farming  and   stock-raising  until    the   lasl    few 

old  Revolutionary  heroes  who  made  their  way  years,  when  he  sold  his  farm  and  moved  to  the 
to  the  western  country  to  find  homes  for  their  village  of  [rving.  Much  of  his  attention  has 
children.  Joel  Knight,  who  accompanied  Mr.  been  given  to  buying  and  shipping  stock.  We 
Bostick  to  Illinois,  was  a  Cumberland  Presby-  believe,  however,  thai  Mr.  Kelley  has  recently 
terian  preacher,  and  in  an  early  day  he  trav-  retired  from  active  business.  His  influence 
eled  from  one  settlement  I"  another  preaching  oh  Iho  community  has  been  for  its  betterment, 
in  private  homes  and  when  the  weather  would  and  Mr.  Kelley  may  rest  secure  in  knowing 
permit,  in  the  groves,  "which  were  God's  first  that  the  reputation  formed  through  the  pro- 
temples."  The  writei  well  remembers  tins  ductive  years  of  his  life  is  fixed  in  the  good 
saintly  old  man  and  i1  affords  pleasure  to  re-  will  of  his  fellow  men.  Harvey  Kelley  is  re- 
flect mi  the  life  and  character  of  such  men  as  garded  as  rather  eccentric,  bu1  his  peculiarities 
the  Rev.  Joel  Knight.  In  L877,a1  the  close  of  amount  to  a  species  of  genius.  He  has  for 
a  long  life,  this  aged  servant  of  our  Chrisl  de-  some  years  been  experimenting  in  the  culture 
parted  this  .life.  He  moved  out  of  this  earthly  of  ginseng,  and  I  am  informed  thai  the  ex- 
tabernacle  into  the  mansion  which  bis  Lord  bad  periment  has  been  very  profitable  and  thai  he 
g0ne  to  prepare  for  bun.  We  may  forgel  bis  has  realized  severa]  thousand  dollars  from  the 
figure  and  form  and  hiswords  alike  be  Los1  in  sale  of  (Ins  valuable  article  of  commerce.  John 
forgetfulness,  bul  his  influence  shall  live  on  Kelley  is  a  very  successful  merchanl  in  the  vil- 
;ni,l  ,,n  through  ila'  lives  of  the  generation  that  [age  of  [rving,  and  Ins  reputation  I'm-  fair  deal- 
come  after  him  until  the  end.  Mark  and  mg  has  established  I'm-  bun  a  wide  and  desir- 
James  Rutlidge  settled  in  [rving  township  near  able  trade.  In  L830  John  Christian  and  John 
the  western  boundary  lino  in  1826.  James  Grantham  both  made  their  appearance  in  Irv 
Rutlidge    remained    in    Iho  neighborhood  until  ing  township— the  former,  a    Baptist,  and   the 

I,,,  death,  lmt  Marl,    Rutlidge  ved  to  Hills-  latter,  a   Methodisl    preacher,  so  thai    wo  may 

bom  township  in   L827  and  boughl   a   farm  on  suppose  an  offset   in  the  building  up  of  these 

which  ho  lived  until   1858,  when  he  moved  to  two  denominations  by  the  acquisition  of  these 

the  city  of  Hillsboro.  where  bo  died  abonl   Ion  settlers.      I    am    free  In  confess,  however,   Had 

years  later.     In   1S9S  John   Lipo.  a   native  of  it  is  my  belief  thai  sectarianism  did  nol   goi 

Germany,  settled   in   the  northern   pari   of  the  era  its  adherents  so  pronouncedly  as  it  <]>«>-  ti 

township  ami   began  to  build   for  himself  and  day.  and    I    have  sometimes   thoughi   thai     too 

family   a  home.     Mr.  Lipe  with  oibor  Gorman  mucb  sectarianism  and  the  spiril  of  Christ  are 

families   had    migrated    from    North    Carolina  not  in  exact  accord,  and  l«>  this  cause  T  believe 

to  Illinois  and   infused  our  early  settlers  with  we    may    attribute   an    influence   weakening   to 

Hi,,  spirit  of  thrifl  so  characteristic  of  the  Ger-  the  Christian  work.     We  do  not  know  whal  be- 

nians.     John    Lipe  died   many  years  ago.   hot  came  of   Rev.  John  Christian,  hut   one  of    his 

bis   wife  survived    him    until    L881,   and    it    is  sons  was  the  father  of    William   Y.  Christian, 

reported   by  G.    X-    Barry,  a  former  historian  deceased,  and  John  C.  Christian,  who  lives  in 

of  the  township,  that  over  four  hundred   do-  the   vicinity    of   Coffeen.      One   of   the    family 

scendants   and    relatives   attended     the    burial  married   Nancy  Valentine,  of  Bond  county,  but 

services  of  Mrs.  John   Lipe.     Possibly  there  is  he    lived   only   a.    few   years    thereafter.      His 

no  other  instance  that   parallels  it  in   the  bis-  widow.  Nancy  Christian,  was  married  later  to 
torv   of    the  slate,     .lames    Kelley  settled    in      Harrison    Brown,   and   by   him   she    was     the 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


mother  of  several  children.    John  C.  Christian, 
of  Coffeen,  is  the   Eather  of  Arthur  Christian 
an.l   Melville  Christian,  both  of  the  village  of 
Coffeen.     John    Grantham   died  in    1842   and 
1.  ft  three  sons  surviving  him.    These  have  done 
their  part  in  contributing  to  the  religious  and 
social  conditions  of  the  community,  and    the 
Grantham  family  has  an  honored  place  in  the 
annals  of  Montgomery  county.     The  first  mill 
built   in  living  township  was  in   1831  and  was 
about  three  and  a  hall'  miles  southwest  "I'  the 
village  of    Irving,   on  the  Hillsboro   road.      It 
was  erected  by  James  Paden,  who.  alter  operat- 
ing it  for  eight  or  ten  years,  sold  it  to  Ezekiel 
Grantham.,  who  remodeled  it  and  kept  it  in  ope- 
ration   for  many  years.     Many   sawmills    and 
gristmills     have    been     operated     in     the    vil- 
lage  of    Irving   ami   within    the   township,   but 
only  those  that  are  matters  of  history  will  be 
noticed  here.     The  first  sehoolhouse  erected  in 
Irving   township    was    in    182?    and    the    first 
pedagogue  was  Joseph  Mclntyre.     Mr.   Mcln- 
tyre,  we  are  told,  was  an  old  man  of  seventy- 
five  years,  but  that   hi-  muscles  were  like  sea- 
soned oak.  and  when  we  remember  that  in  the 
schools   of    pioneer   time   the  work   of    school- 
teaching  was  an  athletic  business  and  required 
more  muscle  than  brains,  we  are  not  surprised 
to   find   this  aged    Eercules   the  most   popular 
teacher  anywhere  to  he  found.    John  Grantham 
was   another  of  the  earlier   teachers,  and  this 
pioneer  preacher  made  his  pulpit  in  the  Hope- 
well church    a  place   for  dispensing  knowledge 
as  well   as  spiritual  blessing,   for  he  was   also 
the  Methodist  pastor  of  the   Eopewell  congre- 
gation.    The   firs!    public  school   of   the  town- 
ship was  taught  by  William  F.  King  in  1848- 
49,  and  the  writer  remembers  that   it  was  his 
pleasure  i"  visil  a  school  taught  by   Mr.    King 
in  1890,  and  while  an  -Id  man  he  regarded  him 
as   one   of   the  energetic,   enterprising   teachers 
of   Montgomery  county.     We  believe  that   this 
was  Mr.  King's  last  term,  for  he  died  some  two 
or  three  years  thereafter.     If  the  man  or  wom- 
an   who,   having   spenl    half   a    century    in    the 

-.  n f  school  tea.  lung,  does  not   deserve  in 

old  days  the  care  and  comfort  of  the  state 
as  much  as  they  who  go  to  battle,  then  pub- 
lic service  in  the  schoolroom  is  not  appreciated 
as    it    should   he.      In    ether   words,    the   writer 


wishes  te  he  understood  as  favoring  a  service 
pension  for  wornout  teachers  after  they  have 
given  the  most  productive  years  of  their  lives 
m  school  well,  for  it  is  well  known  that  the 
teacher  in  our  public  schools  is  not  sufficiently 
paid,  that  by  economy  and  frugal  living  he 
may  acquire  a  sufficiency  to  maintain  him  in 
his  declining  years:  that  the  teacher  who  gives 
the  best  of  his  life  in  time  and  energj  is  as 
deserving  a-  the  patriot  who,  for  a  few  years 
or  months,  goes  to  the  front  in  the  defense  of 
his  country.  The  first  church  organized  in 
the  township  was  the  Hopewell  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  in  1829.  Rev.  Benson  and 
Rev.  Bastian,  two  itinerant  preachers,  made 
this  organization.  A  building  was  erected  in 
1830  mi    Locust    Fork,   m   the   western   part   of 

the  township,  and  na 1    Hopewell.      In   1856 

the  organization  was  moved  to  a  place  north- 
east of  the  village  of  Irving,  about  one  mile, 
and  in  1868  it  was  decided  by  the  congregation 
to  move  the  church  into  the  town  of  Irving. 
The  Cumberland  Presbyterians,  under  the  di- 
rection of  Rev.  Joel  Knight,  organized  a  so- 
ciety in  1830,  and  for  many  years  Mr.  Knight 
was  the  resident  pastor.  In  1866  a  reorganiza- 
tion of  the  church  was  made,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing year  a  place  of  worship  was  built  in  the 
village  of  Irving.  There  is  also  a  flourishing 
Lutheran  organization  in  tin-  township.  As 
far  back  a-  1842  Daniel  Trimper,  a  Lutheran 
minister,  effected  an  organization  of  the  Lu- 
theran adherents  in  tin-  section.  These  wen 
largely  Germans  or  of  German  parentage  who 
had  come  from  North  Carolina  sonic  years  be- 
fore. In  1858  the  lr\  m-  Lutheran  church 
was  established,  with  Rev.  Isaac  Short  as  firs! 
pastor.  In  1856  the  Christian  church  of  Irv- 
ine' was  organized  by  Elders  J.  G.  Ward  and 
J.  M.  Taulbee.  A  reorganization  took  place, 
however,  in  1876.  We  may  say  that  the  moral 
influences  of  the  Christian  people  of  Irving. 
regardless  of  denomination,  has  been  such  that 
their  little  city  has  always  maintained,  a  high 
moral  standard.  Irving  as  a  village  has  main- 
tained a  temperance  hoard  through  nearly  all 
of  it-  history,  and  the  years  are  few  indeed 
which  record  the  presence  of  saloons  at  that 
place.  The  first  business  bouse  in  the  village 
of  Irvine  was  built  bv  William  Berry  and  T.  G. 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTS 


;:,:; 


Black  in  1846.  The  first  dwelling  was  built 
by  J.  M.  Taulbee,  and  in  1856  the  town  plat 
was  made  by  Messrs.  Huggins  and  Rider. 
Huggins  and  Rider  sold  their  interests  the  fol- 
lowing war  to  Roberi  W.  Davis  and  Madison 
Berry.  The  firsl  school  taught  in  the  village 
was  li\  a  Mr.  Frink,  in  the  old  Hopewell  meet- 
ing bouse,  which  had  been  moved  into  the  town. 
Dr.  J.  11.  Spears  was  the  first  physician  to 
Locate  in  the  village.  Since  that  time,  how- 
ever, it  would  require  a  long  list  of  name-  to 
record  the  different  physicians  who  have  prac- 
ticed medicine  in  Irving.  Among  those  who 
have  contributed  to  the  progress  of  the  town- 
ship and  of  the  village  we  ma\  name  Isaac 
Lewey,  J.  B.  Cromer,  John  McDavid,  Milton 
Berry,  Charles  MeKinney,  R.  V.  1'arkhill, 
John  Wiley.  Sam  Wiley.  Noah  Taylor.  II.  J. 
Huestis,  Jacob  Lyerly,  George  File,  Marvin 
Thumb,  Marshall  Wynn,  Henry  Latham, 
Samuel  Bartlett,  .lames  Morain  and  a  host  of 
others  that  we  can  not  at  present  call  to  mind. 
Isaac  Lewey  was  among  the  earlier  settlers  of 
tin  township,  and  by  industry  and  frugality 
succeeded  in  acquiring  quite  an  estate.  Mr. 
Leuc\  has  been  dead  some  few  years,  but  his 
wife  survives  him  and  is  living  at  present  in 
the  village  of  Irving  at  an  advanced  age.  Mr. 
Lewey  had  but  one  son,  George,  who  died  some 
twenty  years  ago.  Mrs.  Jacob  Bone  and  Mrs. 
I!.  V.  1'arkhill.  two  of  his  daughters,  reside  in 
the  village  of  Irving.  J.  B.  Cromer  was  for 
many  years  a  resident  minister  of  the  Lutheran 
congregation.  His  widow  lived  for  some  years 
on  a  farm  not  far  from  the  village  and  his 
daughters  were  teachers  in  the  public  schools  of 
the  county.  His  son  George  ha-  been  located 
in  one  i.l'  the  western  states  tor  quite  a  good 
many  years.  John  McDavid,  Sr.,  is  a  -on 
of  William  McDavid,  the  pioneer,  and  has 
been   worthy  the  name  which  lie  hears.     John 

McDavid    was    sheriff   of    Montg cry    county 

some  time  near  the  close  of  the  war  or  not 
long  thereafter.  John  McDavid  did  not  settle 
in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  McDavid's 
Point,  hut.  made  his  home  in  the  northern 
part  of  East  Fork  township.  His  first  wife 
was  a.  daughter  of  the  pioneer  preacher,  Joel 
Knight,  and  by  her  lie  had  several  sons,  among 
whom  are  William  J.,  our  present   county  su- 


perintendent; John  T..  Jr.,  a  grain  and  stock- 
buyer  of  Irving;  Joel  K.,  banker  and  lawyer 
of  the  city  of  Hillsboro;  Augustus,  who  lives 
on  a  farm  in  Irving  township;  and  Logan,  who 
is  at  present  engaged  in  hardware  business  in 
Hillsboro.  Alter  the  death  of  his  first  wife 
Mr.  McDavid  was  married  to  Malindy  Snell, 
by  whom  he  has  one  son,  Frank,  assistant 
cashier  in  the  Montgomery  County  Loan  & 
Trust  Company  Hank  in  Hillsboro.  Mr.  McDa- 
vid. at  the  age  of  eighty-two,  is  hale  and  strong 
for  one  so  advanced  in  life.  He  has  been  one 
of  the  aggressive  spirits  of  the  time,  but  with 
that  aggression  has  also  been  coupled  the  spirit 
of  progress.  He  has  acquired  a  very  large  es- 
tate, winch  recently  lie  has  shared  with  his  sons. 
That  his  life  has  been  a  benefit  to  the  age  none 
may  doubt,  for  while  there  has  been  seemingly 
a  bent  toward  selfishness  there  has  also  been 
the  moral  example  winch  bis  life  has  manifest- 
ed to  the  world.  Milton  Berry  is  a  descend- 
ant of  Madison  Berry,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
the  county,  and  is  esteemed  as  one  of  the  most 
efficient  business  men  in  the  village  of  Irving. 

At     present      lie      Is     cashier     of     tile      ll'Vlllg      Ihlllk. 

Socially  and  morally  .Mr.  Berry  is  regarded  in 
bis  home  town  as  a  model  gentleman,  and  our 
acquaintance  with  him  verifies  statements  of 
ibis  kind,  which  we  have  often  heard  made  re- 
garding him.  Charles  MeKinney  is  another  of 
the  pushing,  energetic  characters  that  have  con- 
tributed largely  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  busi- 
ness interests  of  I  rung.  Commencing  a  poor 
boy,  Mr.  MeKinney,  at  the  meridian  of  life,  has 
accumulated  a  nice  little  estate.  He  has  an 
interesting  family,  in  which  he  takes  great 
pride.  In  Christian  work  Mr.  MeKinney  has 
been  a  leader  since  his  early  manhood,  and  with 
him  precept  has  become  example,  ami  his  life 
may  he  read  a-  an  open  hook,  for  no  one  in  the 
village  of  [rving  doubts  tin rnesi  and  up- 
right Christian  life  of  Charles  B.  MeKinney. 
lie  is  engaged  in  general  merchandising  and 
ha-  established  a  trade  lliat  ought  to  please 
any  village  merchant.  Henry  Latham  also 
contributed  of  his  energy  to  the  general  uplift 
of  the  community.  As  a  dealer  in  hardware 
he  built  up  a  good  business,  hut.  desiring  a 
wider  Meld,  he  divided  bis  interest  at  Irving 
with   Mr.  Tony   Ludewick  and   put  in  a   large 


.".I 


'AST    AM»    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


stock    of     implements   and     hardware    at    the 
county  seat.     Dr.   K.   V.  Parkhill  is  president 

ill   the  Irving  Bank,  and  he  has  extensive  real 
estate  holdings  in  the  vicinity  of  Irving.     Dr. 
I'arkliill  has  a  wide  and  Lucrative  practice  and 
enjoys  the  reputation  of  being  a  very  success- 
ful physician.     His  wife  is  a  daughter  of  the 
late  Isaac  Lewey  and  by  him  she  has  inherited 
a    considerable    estate.      Mrs.    Parkhill     is     a 
leader  in  the  social  envies  of  her  town.     John 
Wiley  and  Sam  Wiley  were  both  early  settlers 
in  this  section  of  the  county.     Sam  Wiley  has 
been  dead   for  several   years,   but    Uncle  John 
Wiley   is  still   living  at   the   advanced    age   of 
eighty-two.     H.  J.  Huestis,  who  built  the  first 
brick  store  building  in  the  village  in  1856,  is 
still  living  and  at  last  account  was  the  school 
treasurer    of     I  rung    township.      Mr.    Huestis 
has   filled   this  position   for  a  greater  number 
of  years  than  has  any  other  treasurer  in  any 
township  in  the  county.     Jacob  Lyerly.   father 
uf  Aaron  and    Richard   Lyerly,  was  also  a.  fac- 
tor  in   developing  the  agricultural    interests  of 
this   part  of  the  county.   George   File,   son  of 
Jacob  File,  the  pioneer,  improved  a  farm  east 
of  the  village  of  Irving  about  two  miles.    Here 
he    raised    to    manhood    several     sons,   among 
whom  is  Lawrence,  a  successful  hardware  mer- 
chant in  the  village,  and   who  is  a  son-in-law 
of  Rev.  T.  W.  McDavid,  of  Coffeen.     Marshall 
Wynn,  for  many  years  a  very  successful  school- 
master and  withal  a  very  progressive  and  force- 
ful   teacher,  laid  aside  the  birch   and   engaged 
in  business   enterprises  to   the  financial    inter- 
ests of  Mr.  Wynn.  hut  1   am  compelled   to  say 
that,   in    an   educational    sense   the   schools    of 
Montgomery  county  were  much  the  loser.     It 
has  been  a   pleasure  to  engage  with  Mr.  Wynn 
in  the  discussion  of  many  pedagogic  problems, 
and    we  acknowledge  bis  prowess  in  such  en- 
counters.     Samuel    Bartlett  died  several  years 
ago.  but.  having  been  among  the  leading  citi- 
zens of  Irving  through  a  period  of  many  years, 
it  is  well  to  remember  him  here.     Mr.  Bartlett 
left    residing    in    the    neighborhood    of     Irving 
many    descendants,    and    among    the    business 
men    of    the    comity    we    may   mention    Henry 
Bartlett,  who   is   the  largest  dealer  in   poultry 
products  of  any  firm   in  this  section.      Daniel 
Stump,    who   lives   on    a    farm   near   Irving,    is 


one  of  the  business  characters  we  must  not  fail 
to  notice.  For  several  years  -Mr.  Stump  was 
manager  of  the  large  estate  of  George  W. 
Paisley,  but  recently  he  has  held  a  position  in 
ci i  i  nm  with  the  Montgomery  Coal  Com- 
pany at.  Paisley.  Dr.  Fullerton  is  another 
citizen  who  deserves  to  he  remembered  in  these 
pages,  lie  has  quite  an  extensive  practice  and 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of 
the  county.  Arthur  Kine'ade,  the  druggist,  is 
one  of  Irving's  financial  pillars.  He  is  a  son- 
in-law  of  the  late  William  Brewer,  and  his 
wife  was  a  granddaughter  of  the  late  Judge 
Brewer,  the  pioneer.  Mr.  Kincade  is  one  of 
the  large  landowners  of  Montgomery  county. 
He  is  a  young  man  and  has  an  opportunity  to 
accomplish  much  good  by  the  means  which  has 
come  into  his  possession.  Mr.  Kincade's  wife 
died  about  two  years  ago  without  issue,  and 
with  her  ended  the  William  Brewer  line  of 
the  pioneer's  family.  A.  K.  Vandever,  who 
is  the  present  proprietor  and  editor  of  the 
Irving  Times,  will  be  noticed  in  our  chapter  on 
the  Montgomery  county  press. 


BUTLER  GROVE  TOWNSHIP  AND  THE 
VILLAGE   OF  BUTLER. 

When  Butler  Grove  township  was  surveyed 
in  1819  it  included  one  settler,  who  belonged, 
as  we  have  shown  before,  to  the  Hillsboro  settle- 
ment. Tins  settler  was  Jacob  Cress,  who  in 
1818  entered  a.  farm  in  section  34.  Mr.  Cress 
came  originally  from  North  Carolina.  It  is 
well  to  note  here  that  in  coming  across  the 
prairies  the  early  emigrants  were  compelled 
to  follow  Indian  trails  or  buffalo  paths  in 
their  journey.  It.  is  related  of  Mr.  Cress  that 
he  made  this  trip  during  the  warmer  months 
of  the  year  and  that  lie  found  the  Hies  in  such 
immense  swarms  that  he  could  not  travel  by 
daw  ami  that  it  was  only  during  the  night 
and  when  the  stars  were  shining  that  he  could 
proceed  on  bis  journey.  Mr.  Cress  brought 
with  him  much  live  stock  from  his  native  state. 
and  we  find  in  a  previous  narrative  the  state- 
ment that  to  keep  his  hogs  from  being  lost 
he  supplied  each  with  a  little  hell.  Tn  1865 
Jacob  Cress,  the  pioneer,  crossed  to  that  other 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


755 


country,  having  completed  bis  course  and  hav- 
ing faithfully  performed  the  service  of  a  long 
and  eventful  life  he  might  well  enter  into  the 
joys  which  are  prepared  for  those  who  have 
"fought  the  good  fight."  We  have  noticed  at 
some  length  Jacob  Cress,  of  Hillsboro  town- 
ship, who  was  the  son  of  Jacob  Cress, the  pio- 
neer. The  next  to  locate  in  this  township  was 
Israel  Seward,  of  Hamilton  county,  Ohio.  In 
L819  .Mr.  Seward  pitched  his  tent  on  what  is 
known  to  us  as  Seward's  hill.  Mr.  Seward  was 
the  first  school  commissioner  of  the  county 
and  when  teachers  made  their  reports  directly 
to  the  count]  commissioner.  As  the  state  had 
provided  a  small  allowance  for  each  child  en- 
rolled, it  was  neeessan  to  make  tins  report  to 
the  school  commissioner  and  receive  this  pit- 
tance in  addition  to  the  subscription  fee  paid 
by  the  parent.  To  the  reader  I  would  suggesl 
that  when  visiting  the  county  seat  he  will  find 
one  of  these  old  schedules,  kept  in  183?  b\ 
Alexander  Buie  in  East  Fork  township.  On 
this  schedule  you  will  find  the  names  of  the 
Whittens,  the  Cresses,  the  Barringers  and  many 
others  which  were  familiar  to  all  the  older  set- 
tlers. The  writer,  to  preserve  tins  document, 
had    it   framed    in    1892.   and    it    lianas    in    the 

c n   superintendent's  office  as  a  souvenir  of 

other  days.  Mr.  Seward  left  many  descendants 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  village  of  Butler. 
Butler  Seward,  who  was  a  brother  to  Israel 
Seward,  made  his  settlement  in  Seward's  Grove 
in  1829,  and  doubtless  it  is  from  this  fact  that 
the  township  derives  its  present  name.  Butler 
Seward,  however,  afterward  removed  northward 
to  what  was  known  as  Seward's  Point.  This 
is  located  in  Raymond  township.  In  1823 
Obadiah  Ware  came  from  New  Hampshire  ami 
settled  a  paid,  of  section  15,  and  here  he  built 
one  of  the  most  pleasanl  and  attractive  home- 
in  the  county.  I'pon  this  farm  he  resided  for 
over  half  a  century.  William  A.  Young,  who 
married  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Ware,  is  the  owner 
of  the  old  homestead.  Mr.  Ware  had  other 
children:  Mrs.  Harris, wife  of  the  late  Thomas 
E.  Harris;  Elizabeth  Westcott;  and  Henry 
Ware.  A  brother  of  Obadiah  Ware  was  also 
an  early  settler  of  this  township.  His  name 
was  Benjamin,  and.  like  his  brothers,  was  one 
of   the  quiet,   unassuming,   though    successful, 


farmers  of  Butler  Grove.  Justice  Ware  is  a 
son  of  Benjamin  Ware  and  succeeded  to  his 
father's  estate.  Ware's  Grove,  in  Butler  Grove 
township,  receives  its  name  from  the  Ware 
brothers,  Obadiah  and  Benjamin.  The  wife 
of  Obadiah  Ware  was  a  Miss  Electa  Post,  of 
Addison  county.  Vermont.  She  died,  however, 
in  1858,  and  Mr.  Ware  died  in  September, 
L876.  David  Ware'-  father,  1  am  informed, 
never  came  to  this  stale,  but  David  Ware  was 
tor  many  years  among  the  most  prominent- 
citizens  of  his  township.  lie  lived  northeast 
of  Ware's  Grove  and  much  of  his  large  estate 
included  the  black,  heavy  soil  lying  north  and 
east  of  the  mound.  Lyman  Ware.  John  Ware 
and  other  sons  of  David  Ware  are  among  the 
best  citizens  of  our  county.  William  II.  Cass 
settled  in  tins  town-hip  on  section  5  in  1824. 
Mr.  Cass  left  several  children,  among  whom  is 
William  ('ass.  one  of  the  largest  landowners  of 
the  township,  but  who.  some  years  ago,  moved 
to  the  village  of  Raymond.  The  first  mill 
built  in  the  township  was  in  1825.  It  was  a 
horsemill,  so  called  because  the  power  was  sup- 
plied by  horses.  This  was  built  by  Jacob  Cress. 
Sr.  It  was  the  only  mil]  within  a  radius  of 
many  miles,  the  nearest  being  Fogleman's  i •< • ; >- 
per  mill.  This  mill  was  operated  in  this  way 
for  a  period  of  twenty  years  and  was  finally 
remodeled  into  a  steam  mill.  Mr.  Seward 
erected  a  mill  about  one  mile  south  of  the  pres- 
ent village  of  Butler  in  1839.  This  venture, 
being  upon  rather  a,  large  scale,  did  not  pros- 
per, ami  Mr.  Seward  soon  found  himself  in 
financial  embarrassment.  Mr.  Seward  was  not 
the  man  to  let  a.  matter  of  this  kind  discouragi 
him.  and  when  the  gold  fever  of  1849  swept 
over  the  country  Mr.  Seward,  in  company  with 
others,  made  l he  overland  journey  to  that  west- 
ern country,  and  there,  in  the  "new  Eldorado," 
he  amassed  considerable  fortune,  and  he  it 
saiil  to  his  credit  he  returned  to  Illinois  and 
paid  all  his  outstanding  obligations,  lie  dis- 
posed of  the  idd  mill  which  had  been  his  un- 
doing, ami  once  more  stood  among  his  fellow 
men    free    from    the  obligations   that  had.   in    a 

asure,  clouded  his  former  good   name.     My 

informal  ion  in  regard  to  this  Seward  does  not 
reveal  hi.-  relationship  to  Israel  Seward  and 
Butler     Seward.       Captain     Thomas     Phillips 


;.m; 


'AST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


made  improvements  in  this  township  at  an  early 
date.  Tin'  farm  is  at  present  owned  by  John 
Grassell.  Thomas  A.  Gray  was  another  early 
settler  of  this  township,  and  among  those  who 

at  one  time  held  Large  estates  mm  lie  mentioned 
Solomon  Harkey,  of  Eillsboro;  Henry  Welge, 
John  and  William  Turner,  D.G.  Burris,  George 
Grassell,  Muses  Berry,  Orlando  Mack,  James 
M.  (icss,  William  Watson,  John  Clinesmith, 
Joseph  Stickle,  A.  H.  11.  Rountree,  Absalom 
Cress.  Charles  W.  .Jenkins.  James  Doyle, 
Isaac  Doyle,  E.  M.  Hodges.  Roberi  Bryce, 
William  W.  Keele  and  James  M.  Punten- 
ney.  Many  of  these  estates,  however,  have 
changed  owners  within  the  past  leu  years. 
Charles  W.  Jenkins,  at  one  time  the 
efficient  circuit  clerk  of  Montgomery  coun- 
ty, owned  an  estate  immediately  south  of  the 
village  of  Butler,  and  here  his  widow  resides 
on  the  old  homestead.  An  only  son,  Roto, 
manages  the  estate.  A  daughter,  Camilla,  who 
resides  with  her  mother,  was  for  a  period  of 
several  years  one  of  the  leading  teachers  of  the 
county.  Moses  Berry,  one  of  the  successful 
farmers  and  stockmen  of  the  county,  lives  on 
a  well-apportioned  farm  about  one  mile  north 
of  the  village.  Uncle  Moses  i.-  a  familiar  figure 
in  the  little  town,  and  though  an  octogenarian 
he  is  frequently  seen  at  the  county  seat.  He 
has  for  many  years  been  connected  with  the 
school  board  of  the  Butler  district,  ami  to  his 
interest  the  Butler  schools  owe  much  of  the 
superior  standing  which  the)  enjoy  among  the 
schools  of  our  county.  On  a  farm  adjacent  to 
Mr.  Berry  lives  Jesse  Barrett,  ex-county  super- 
intendent of  Montgomery  county.  We  have 
alluded  to  Mr.  Barreti  in  our  article  on  the 
county  in  general.  W.  A.  Young,  who  lives 
on  the  old  Obadiah  Ware  estate,  is  not  to  he 
regarded  as  limited  in  his  work  ami  reputation 
to  the  narrow  confines  of  his  township.  Mr. 
Young  .-lands  among  the  best  known  horticul- 
turists of  the  state,  and  for  many  years  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  hoard  id'  agriculture. 
Ai  the  Paris  Exposition  and  also  at  Buffalo 
Mr.  Young  secured  lirst  prizes  for  fruit  grown 
on  his  Butler  Grove  farm.  Isaac  and  James 
Doyle,  who  settled  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
township,  were  gentlemen  of  the  highest  order. 
Thev  were  among  thai  class  of  farmers  whose 


homes  were  kept  in  excellent  condition  and  the 
ueatness  winch   everything  showed  about  their 

farms    at    once    proclai) 1    them    men    of    pro- 

gressive  ideas  and  habits  of  thrift — two  quali- 
ties absolutely  necessary  to  develop  the  highest 
character  in  any  branch  of  industrial  life.  The 
writer  i-  glad  to  have  been  able  to  know  these 
gentlemen  among  his  true  friends,  and  though 
they  are  no  more  numbered  among  the  living 
it  is  a  pleasure  to  reflect  upon  their  good  quali- 
ties as  citizens  and  as  friends.  Robert  Bryce, 
for  thirty  years  and  more  township  treasurer 
of  the  schools  of  that  township,  has  become 
the  trusted  friend  of  the  succeeding  count)' 
superintendents  of  schools  who  have  served  in 
thai  capacity  during  the  long  period  of  years 
in  which  Uncle  Robert  has  made  his  annual 
report  to  that  office.  Robert  Bryce  is  a  native 
of  Scotland  and  is  a  typical  character  of  that 
rugged  country.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  converse 
with  him  about  the  Scottish  poets  and  states- 
men. Ih'  is  familiar  with  the  location  of  all 
the  scene-  described  in  Scott's  "Lady  of  the 
Lake"  and  by  Robert  Burns,  whose  poems  are 
as  familial-  in  America  as  in  his  native  land. 
The\  describe  no  quiet  vale  or  mountain  crag 
that  Uncle  Robert  has  not  seen,  for  in  his 
boyhood  as  a  guide  he  pointed  out  each  spot 
made  famous  in  the  song  and  story  that  tell 
of  Scottish  life.  Orlando  Mack  was  another 
of  the  earlier  settlers  of  Butler  Grove  town- 
ship. Ih'  came  to  this  county  in  1840  and,  be- 
ing a  millwright,  he  assisted  in  building  and 
equipping  many  of  the  water  nulls  that  were 
found  in  Montgomery  county  fiftv  or  sixty 
years  ago.  Orlando  Mack  left  three  daughters 
surviving  him:  Elizabeth,  wife  of  William 
Nimmons;  Myra,  wife  of  George  Walcott;  and 
Ella.  Oscar  Mack  came  to  this  count)  from  New 
Hampshire  with  his  father.  Calvin  Mack,  about 
1830  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  section  9,  But- 
ler Grove  township.  Calvin  Mack  died  in  1845 
and  left  Oscar  Mack,  then  a  lad  of  fifteen  years 
of  age,  to  assist  his  mother  in  the  direction  of 
the  affairs  of  the  farm  and  caring  for  the 
younger  members  of  the  family.  Dexter  Mack 
is  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  six  children  left 
by  Calvin  Mack.  At  last  accounts  he  was  liv- 
ing on  a  farm  about  four  miles  north  of  Hills- 
boro.      i  (sear   Mack   died    some   vears   nso   and 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


r.57 


lefl  surviving  him  Calvin  11.,  an  only  son,  and 
several  daughters,  ('alia  Mark,  as  be  is  called, 
ranks  among  our  energetic  and  enterprising 
voung  farmers.  Ee  lives  on  the  estate  formerly 
owned  by  his  father.  I  >.  C.  Burris,  who  mar- 
ried Roselma,  a  sister  of  Oscar  Mack,  was  an- 
other  of  those  who  have  contributed  much 
toward  the  development  of  Butler  Grove.  He 
succeeded  in  acquiring  a  Large  homestead  in 
the  northwestern  part  of  the  township.  He 
died  smile  years  ago  ami  this  estate  has  been 
divided  among  his  children.  George  W.  Brown, 
father  of  George  W.  Brown,  Jr.,  came  to  Mont- 
gomery  county  in  1838.  In  184]  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Jenkins,  daughter  of 
Stroud  and  Rebecca  Jenkins.  The  oldest  son 
is  George  W.,  Jr..  of  Butler,  Illinois,  lie  has 
been  engaged  in  the  village  in  various  lines  of 
business  during  the  past  thirty  years.  At  one 
time  he  owned  and  operated  the  elevator  and 
mills  at  that  place.  For  the  past  few  years  he 
has  been  engaged  in  general  merchandising. 
Hi-  sons,  James  and  Frank,  conduct  a  large 
hardware  ami  implement  business  in  the  city 
of  Hillsboro.  S'eott  Hoes  ami  Charlie  are  en- 
gaged in  general  merchandising  in  the  village 
of  Butler  ami  they  have,  by  strict  business 
principles,  built  up  a  very  large  trade.  They 
have  a  very  extensive  general  stock,  which  en- 
ables them  to  supply  their  patrons  with  any- 
thing thai  can  he  found  in  any  well-arranged 
creneral  stock  anywhere.  Frank  McWilliams 
operates  the  elevator  at  this  place  lor  Munday 
&  Settlemeyer.  Frank  is  of  the  pioneer  Mc- 
Williams  stock,  ami  his  upright,  business-like 
methods  have  won  fur  him  many  frii  ads  in  his 
neighborhood.  William  Elliman,  who  lives 
in  the  vicinity  id'  the  village,  is  another  of 
the  leading  citizens  of  this  township.  Mi'- 
Elliman  has  been  engaged  in  tanning  ami 
stock-raising.  He  is  interested,  however,  in 
whatever  contributes  to  the  bettermeni  of  the 
community.  James  Ward,  who  moved  from 
Urn-  d'Arc  to  Butler  Grove  township  about 
twelve  years  ago,  ranks  as  one  of  tin'  first  real 
estate  men  of  the  county,  ami  h\  his  atten- 
tion to  his  large  farming  interests  and  to  his 
land  deals  he  has  become  one  of  the  financial 
strong  men  of  Butler  Grove  township.  We  may 
sav  for  Mr.  Ward   that   bis  estate  has  been  built 


up  from  a  beginning  so  small  that  it  was  not. 
appreciable,  and.  though  he  enjoys  a  position 
of  affluence  to-day,  no  man  can  say  that  .lames 
Ward  acquired  any  of  his  holdings  by  deception 
or  indirection,  lie  is  another  whose  latchstring 
is  always  out  and  the  hospitality  of  his  ele- 
gant home  lie  is  every  ready  to  extend  with  a 
friend.  In  closing  I  must  not  forget  to  men- 
tion my  good  friend,  dames  Sammons.  Like 
Mr.  Ward,  the  reputation  of  Mr.  Sammons  is 
not  circumscribed,  tor  he  is  known  by  cattle- 
men throughout  this  entire  section  of  the  state. 
Possibly  Mr.  Sammons  is  the  largest  shipper 
of  fat  cattle  in  Montgomery  county.  This 
closes  our  narrative  of  Butler  Grove  township, 
and  we  hope  to  preserve  in  these  pages  the 
names  id'  sonic  of  the  worthy  citizens,  living 
and  dead,  who  have  contributed  to  the  progress 
and  development  of  our  county. 


THE  I'h'FSS  ()F  MONTGOMERY  COUNTY 

Realizing  the  importance  that  attaches  to  the 
press  in  everything  that  contributes  to  the 
well  being  of  the  community,  we  had  promised 
to  give  a  chapter  in  tin-  volume  exclusively  to 
the  press  of  the  county.  In  pursuance  of  this 
idea  we  sent  imitations  to  each  of  the  editors 
of  our  county  publications  requesting  that  they 
furnish  us  with  data  concerning  the  history  of 
each  newspaper  Inning  a  circulation  among  our 
people.  I  am  sorry  to  be  compelled  to  give 
only  such  facts  as  have  come  to  me  through 
outside  sources,  as  but  two  among  our  several 
editors  have  responded  to  our  invitation.  Nev- 
ertheless we  shall  do  the  best  that  we  can  in 
the  face  of  the  fact  that  we  have  but  little 
exact  data  at  hand.  The  first  newspaper  pub- 
lished in  Montgomery  county  was  issued  in 
1838.  II  was  called  tin1  Prairie  Beacon  and 
was  edited  by  Aaron  Clapp  in  Hillsboro.  After 
a  period  of  eighteen  months,  during  which 
there  was  continual  financial  embarrassment, 
Mr.  Clapp  suspended  publication.  We  are  told 
that  the  enterprise  was  unpopular  by  reason 
of  its  neutrality  on  all  questions  in  which  it 
should  have  been  positive.  An  attempt  to 
carrv  water  on  both  shoulders  resulted  in  over- 


758 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


turning  the  pail.  We  have  this  condition  of 
affairs  just  the  same  to-day  as  was  experienced 
fifty  years  ago.  A  man  or  a  newspaper  must 
stand  for  something.  IF  he  attempts  to  stand 
for  everything,  sooner  or  lain-  he  stands  for 
nothing.  In  1850  Frank  and  Cyrus  Gilmore 
established  tin-  Prairie  .Mirror,  a  Whig  sheet 
politically,  but  advocating  some  of  the  doctrines 
taught  by  Douglas.  In  1851  the  Messrs.  Gil- 
more  sold  the  Prairie  Mirror  to  William  K. 
Jackson,  who  made  Mr.  C.  D.  Dickerson  editor 
and  foreman.  This  gentleman  was  tainted 
with  the  "Know  Nothing"  doctrine  that  swept 
over  the  country  at  this  time,  lie  purchased 
the  plant  from  Mr.  Jackson  in  1854  and  con- 
tinued as  proprietor  and  editor  until  L856, 
when  he  changed  the  name  to  Montgomery 
County  Herald.  Shortly  afterward  he  sold 
the  Herald  to  Mr.  .lames  Blackman,  dr..  who 
conducted  it  as  a  "Know  Nothing"  paper  until 
1858,  when  he  sold  the  Herald  to  John  W. 
Mitchell  and  Frank  H.  Gilmore.  who  conducted 
it  as  an  independent  paper  until  the  commence- 
ment of  the  campaign  of  1860.  at  which  time 
Davis.  Turner  and  Company  bought  it  and 
commenced  its  publication  as  a  Democratic 
paper  during  the  campaign.  Frank  Gilmore 
repurchased  the  plant  and  continued  it  as  a 
Democratic  sheet  until  18.62,  when  he  sold 
the  outfit  to  Mr.  E.  J.  Ellis,  a  refugee  from 
Missouri.  Mr.  Ellis  in  turn  sold  the  concern 
to  Ed  L.  Reynolds  and  Wilbur  F.  Stoddard. 
In  1865  E.  J.  ('.  Alexander  came  in  posse 
of  the  plant  and  changed  the  name  to  the 
Hillsboro  Democrat,  which  name  it  retained 
through  the  several  years  of  ownership  of  Mr. 
Alexander,  who  sold  his  interests  to  the  late 
Ben  1-1.  Johnson,  who  conducted  it  as  a  Demo- 
cratic organ  during  a  period  of  several  years, 
when  mi  (lie  death  of  Mr.  Johnson,  his  son 
Emmet  assumed  editorship.  The  name  has 
been  changed  since  the  purchase  of  the  publi- 
cation by  Mr.  Pdiss  to  the  Montgomery  News 
and  under  this  heading  it  is  known  throughout 
southern  and  central  Illinois.  The  present 
editors.  C.  W.  F.liss  and  son.  Clinton,  are  pub- 
lishing one  of  the  best  country  newspapers  in 
the  state.  In  politics  it  is  Democratic,  but  not 
partisan  to  the  extent  of  being  offensive.  The 
forecasts  published  in  tin-  news  have  attracted 


attention  as  matters  of  wit  and  sarcasm.  Mr. 
Bliss  has  a  style  peculiarly  his  own  and  many 
of  his  pungent  paragraphs  are  extensively 
quoted  by  publications  in  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. Clinton  Bliss,  junior  editor  of  the  News. 
has  won  considerable  reputation  as  a  writer  of 
stories  for  children.  The  Montgomery  News 
has  a  very  wide  circulation  and  its  popularity 
extends  wherever  it  is  read.  The  News  Letter 
of  Hillsboro  was  established  by  C.  E.  and  Emma 
T.  Bangs  and  was  conducted  by  them  as  a 
Republican  organ  during  the  life  time  of  the 
late  Charles  L.  Bangs.  Charles  Truitt  became 
proprietor  and  editor,  which  position  he  held 
until  associated  with  B.  F.  Boyd.  Mr.  Boyd 
afterward  purchased  the  interest  of  Mr.  Truitt 
and  was  for  some  years  sole  proprietor  and 
editor  of  the  Journal,  which  name  the  publi- 
cation now  bore.  On  the  appointment  of  Mr. 
Boyd  as  postmaster  in  Hillsboro.  he  sold  the 
Journal  to  Josiah  Bixler,  who  is  its  present 
proprietor,  editor  and  owner.  "Mr.  Bixler  has 
made  the  Journal  a  very  excellent  paper.  It 
is  Bepublican  in  politics,  but  in  its  editorials 
it.  is  clean  and  perfectly  free  from  everything 
that  may  be  considered  questionable  in  charac- 
ter. The  Journal  has  an  extensive  circulation 
and  finds  its  way  into  most  of  the  leading 
homes  of  Republican  families  and  those  of 
many  Democrats  within  the  county.  Mr.  Bix- 
ler. the  editor,  was  for  several  years  city  super- 
intendent of  public  schools  of  Hillsboro.  He 
is  a  scholarly  gentleman  and  wide  awake  to 
all  that  pertains  to  the  interest  of  his  city 
and  his  county.  In  1867  E.  J.  C.  Alexander 
sold  to  B.  S.  Hood,  of  Litchfield,  the  Monitor, 
a  Republican  organ,  which  Mr.  Hood  removed 
to  Litchfield  and  published  for  a  season  at 
that  place.  Taylor  and  Kimball,  of  Bellville, 
purchased  the  plant  from  Mr.  Hood  and  in 
turn  sold  it  to  Messrs.  Coolidge  i\-  Litchfield. 
The  former  gentleman  was  the  salaried  editor 
of  the  Independent.  This  was  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  \ear  of  1871.  The  office  was  re- 
moved to  Empire  Hall,  where  it  remained  un- 
til autumn  of  1874.  About  this  time  Mr. 
Litchfield  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Coolidge. 
The  latter  gentleman  remained  in  control  until 
1876,  when  he  associated  with  him  F.  O.  Mar- 
tin as  partner.      In   1878  the  concern  was  sold 


PAST    .VXD    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


,59 


to  Charles  Walker  and  B.  S.  Hood.  Shortly 
after  Mr.  Hood  became  sole  proprietor  and  con- 
tinued in  that  relation  until  188]  when  J.  G. 
Campbell  became  a  partner.  The  Monitor 
established  its  reputation  as  a  newsy  publica- 
tion under  the  management  of  B.  S.  Hood,  but 
by  far  the  ablesl  writer  on  its  editorial  staff 
was  the  late  11.  A.  Coolidge.  A1  present  the 
Monitor  is  owned  by  Samuel  Eessinger  and  he 
is  also  editor  in  chief  and  in  addition  to  the 
publication  of  his  paper  as  a  weekly,  he  also 
issues  the  Daily  News.  The  Monitor  is  one 
of  the  leading  Republican  papers  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state.  It  lias  a  wide  circulation  and 
is  ably  edited.  Mr.  Kessinger  being  a  gentle- 
man of  education  ami  ability,  has  by  his  enter- 
prise built  up  one  of  the  best  paying  newspaper 
plants  in  this  section  of  the  country.  The 
Litchfield  Herald,  a  Democratic  organ,  grew 
out  of  the  necessities  of  the  party  to  have  an 
advocate  in  the  metropolis  of  the  county.  As- 
sociated in  the  earlier  management  of  the  en- 
terprise was  the  late  Fred  Beeman.  After 
Mr.  Beeman's  time  conns  Kelley  and  Cornelius 
and  in  some  way  Walter  S.  Parrott  was  con- 
nected with  its  earlier  management,  but  in 
what  manner,  the  writer  has  forgotten.  Later 
Robert  P.  Bolton  and  Mr.  Kelley  became  sole 
proprietors  of  the  concern.  Later  Mr.  Kelley 
sold  his  interest  to  J.  C.  Wilson,  who  in  turn 
resold  to  Mr.  Bolton,  since  which  time  Mr. 
Bolton  has  been  sole  proprietor  and  editor. 
Under  bis  able  management  the  Herald  has 
secured  a  wide  circulation  and  much  valuable 
patronage.  Mr.  Bolton  is  a  thorough  gentle- 
man and  lias  maintained  for  his  paper  under 
all  circumstances  the  highest  standard  in  its 
moral  tone.  He  is  a  ready  and  versatile  writer 
and  his  editorials  would  do  credit  to  a  metro- 
politan paper.      Some  twenty  years  ag '  more 

C.  E.  Cook  and  Walter  S.  Parrott  established 
a  printing  office  in  the  village  of  Raymond. 
Here  they  issued  a  weekly  publication.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  the  present  plant  owned 
bv  J.  W.  Potts.  He  lias  been  the  proprietor 
and  editor  of  the  Raymond  Independent  for 
several  years  and  the  success  of  the  Independent 
in  a  financial  way  lias  been  almost  unprece- 
dented in  the  county.  His  paper  carries  the 
largest  line  of  local  ads  of  any  similar  publica- 
tion  in  our  comity,  and  the  only  criticism  that 


can  he  passed  by  any  one  as  to  the  independent 
is  that  its  reading  matter  is  limited  because 
of  the  space  given  to  advertisements.  With 
all.  Mr.  Potts  makes  bis  paper  an  attractive 
little  sheet  and  it  serves  as  a  medium  to  push 
all  the  best  interests  of  Raymond.  Joseph  \V 
Potts  is  a  forceful  and  energetic  newspaper 
man  and  in  a  wider  Held  would  soon  make  his 
influence  felt  among  men  in  his  class.  The 
[rving  Tunes,  edited  by  Aaron  EL  Vandever, 
contains  a  weekly  report  of  the  doings  and  un- 
doings of  the  little  village  of  Irving.  Mr.  Van- 
dever being  an  ex-teacher  tries  to  make  his 
newspaper  not  only  a  digesl  of  the  week  s 
news,  hut  nearly  always  contains  some  observa- 
tion of  a  character  to  educate  and  elevate  its 
readers.  Considering  the  limited  territory  in 
which  his  publication  must  derive  its  support, 
Mr.  Vandever  has  succeeded  extremely  well. 
This  gentleman  comes  of  pioneer  stock,  hut  his 
ancestry  belongs  to  Christian  county  rather 
than  lo  Montgomery,  lie  is  a  nephew  of  the 
late  Judge  Vandever  of  Taylorviile.  Some  two 
or  three  years  ago  Harry  Dean,  a  lad  of  eight- 
een or  twenty  summers,  established  a  little  pa- 
per in  Paisley  and  called  it  the  Search  Light. 
The  enterprise,  not  receiving  sufficient  patron- 
age, was  sold  to  Mr.  Toy  of  Fillmore.  This  in 
turn  after  a  publication  of  a  short  while  sold 
its  subscription  to  the  Montgomery  Democrat, 
of  Coffeen,  Illinois.  As  early  as  1868  Nokomis 
could  boast  of  a  newspaper.  This  was  devoted 
largely  to  the  land  interests  of  the  county  and 
had  a  free  circulation.  In  1871  Pickett  and 
White  c meneed  the  publication  of  the  Ga- 
zette, hul  the  expenses  of  the  concern  wore  too 
great  ami  il  was  sold  to  meet  the  incumbrances 
against  it.  In  1873  A.  H.  Draper  commenced 
the  publication  of  the  Bulletin,  which  was  con- 
tinued through  a  period  of  several  years.  Dur- 
ing  this  period,  however,  it  had  several  pub- 
lishers. In  1877  E.  M.  llulhert  commenced 
the  publication  of  the  Free  Press  and  in  1878 
it  was  consolidated  with  the  Gazette  and  has 
Icon  known  ever  since  as  the  Free  Press-Ga- 
zette, Mr.  F.  M.  Hulbert,  editor  and  publisher. 
II.  M.  Graden  published  a  paper  called  the 
Atlas  hut  not  receiving  much  support,  it  sus- 
pended in  1881.  In  connection  with  the  Free 
Press-Gazette  Mr.  F.  M.  Hulbert  began  the 
publication  of  the  Deutscb  Amerikaner.      This 


760 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


was  the  firs1  German  paper  ever  published  in 
this  section  of  the  state.  Mr.  Hulbert  sold 
his  newspaper  interests  to  Joseph  Wilde,  who 
for  several  years  was  sole  editor  and  publisher. 
Mr.  Wilde  has  since  aboui  L900  associated  with 
him  Mr.  Henry  Webster.  Mr.  Wilde,  being 
a  man  of  considerable  means,  lias  always  been 
able  tn  supply  his  printing  oilier  with  the  very 
hest  materials  and  Ins  papers  have  received  a 
wide  patronage.      His  job  printing  is  perhaps 

as  large  as  that  of  any  other  plant  in  the  c - 

tv.  His  German  paper  has  a  circulation  cov- 
ering several  counties  in  tins  part  of  the  slate. 
Mr.  Wilde  is  a  Large  contributor  to  all  public 
enterprises  connected  with  the  city  of  Nokomis 
and  he  takes  a  delight  in  conserving  the  moral 
interests  of  his  town.  His  wife  is  a  daughter 
of  "Uncle"  Mike  Ohlman  ami  has  inherited 
from  her  parents  the  same  cordial  and  hospi- 
table spirit  which  they  always  manifest.  Hen- 
ry Webster,  formerly  engaged  in  agriculture 
hut  recently  associated  with  Mr.  Wilde  in  his 
newspaper  enterprises,  is  one  of  the  genteel, 
up-to-date,  business  men  of  Nokomis.  His  late 
wife  was  a  Miss  Mat  tie  Forehand  and  it  was 
the  privilege  of  the  writer  to  spend  a  few 
months  of  his  school  life  associated  with  her 
as  a  student  at  the  old  Hillsboro  Academy. 
He  remembers  her  as  one  of  the  brightest  and 
best  students  in  that  institution.  Her  dispo- 
sition was  one  of  calm  and  dignified  reserve, 
hut  at  the  same  time  a  brilliant  conversation- 
alist and  pleasant  entertainer.  She  was  the 
mother  of  two  sons  in  whom  she  took  great 
pride.  She  lived  to  see  them  complete  their 
education  and  enter  upon  the  purpose  of  life. 
Henry  Webster  socially  and  morally  makes  his 
influence  felt  in  the  community  in  which  he 
lives.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  and  takes  greal  interest  in  the 
Sabbath-school,  Epworth  League  and  the  other 
church  work.  The  Nokomis  Progress,  W.  P. 
Hagthrop,  editor  ami  publisher,  is  a  newsy 
little  sheet.  In  politics  it  is  Democratic,  of 
the  William  J.  Bryan  brand.  However,  he  car- 
ried the  Parker  ticket  at  the  mast  head  of  the 
Progress.  In  addition  to  the  weekly  issue 
Mr.  Hagthrop  publishes  a  monthly  magazine 
which  is  devoted  to  educational  interests  and 
to  1 1n*  cultivation  of  the  taste   for  better  lit.  ra- 


tine. The  magazine  also  devotes  considerable 
space  to  the  social  life  of  Nokomis.  All  in 
all.  the  Progress  is  worthy  the  support  and 
patronage  of  Nokomis  people.  Some  ten  years 
ago  Frank  Bolt  established  a  paper  at  Coffeen 
and  called  it  the  Enterprise.  He  published 
it  for  several  months  and  sold  to  John  W. 
Whitlock.  who  after  an  experience  of  a  little 
while,  sold  to  Lot  Pennington  and  after  Pen- 
nington came  0.  A.  Jewett.  who  was  really  the 
first  newspaper  man  to  make  a  success  of  the 
business  in  the  village.  After  a  time  Mr. 
Jewett  sold  the  Mercury,  as  the  paper  was  now 
known,  to  William  H.  McCracken  and  Walter 
Roberts.  Later,  however,  Mr.  Roberts  bought 
McCracken's  interest  and  has  operated  the 
plant  ever  since.  Under  the  name  of  the 
Montgomery  Democrat  Mr.  Roberts  has  suc- 
ceeded in  building  up  one  of  the  best  newspa- 
pers in  the  county.  He  has  a  large  cylinder 
press  and  gets  out  one  of  the  cleanest  little 
papers  to  he  found  anywhere.  Mr.  Roberts 
is  a  clear,  forceful  writer,  and  nothing  of  an 
offensive  character  ever  appears  in  his  column. 
The  paper  represents  the  Democratic  side  of 
public  questions,  yet  it  is  always  open  to  any 
investigation  that  will  lead  to  the  establish- 
ment of  truth.  The  Montgomery  Democrat 
has  an  extensive  patronage  in  this  part  of  the 
county  and  the  merchants  of  Coffeen  who  pat- 
ronize its  columns  contribute  to  the  support 
of  a  very  worthy  enterprise.  Walter  E.  Rob- 
erts is  a  young  man  about  thirty  years  old. 
Some  years  ago  he  married  Miss  Lillie  Mc- 
Giffin,  of  his  home  town.  They  have  a  very 
bright  little  girl  in  whom  they  take  especial 
pride.  We  have  given  in  this  brief  article  a 
mere  survey  of  what  is  being  done  by  the  press 
in  Montgomery  county.  We  hope,  however, 
that  our  friends,  the  editors,  will  take  ■'inten- 
tion" for  "deed,"  and  remember  that  we  ap- 
preciate  in  advance  their  kindly  criticisms. 


WAR    HISTORY    OF    MONTGOMERY 

COUNTY. 

In  our  investigation  and  research  we  find 
Inn  lour  names  of  Revolutionary  soldiers  who 
made  their  wav  to  the  state  of  [llinois  to  find 


PAST    AM)    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


761 


a  home  in  the  closing  years  of  their  lives. 
Anion--  these  was  Harris  Revice,  whose  daugh- 
ter married  Joseph  Wright.  she  being  the 
mother  of  Harris  Wright  and  Elijah  Wright, 
yet  living,  and  "Yank"  Wright,  deceased. 
W'ooten  Harris  was  another,  father  of  William 
1!.  and  Benjamin  Harris  and  grandfather  of 
William  Harris,  of  Bingham,  and  the  late 
Wooten  Harris,  of  Hillsboro.  Ezra  Bostick, 
t'ather-in-law  of  duel  Knight,  and  great  grand- 
father of  W.  J.  McDavid,  our  present  county 
superintendent.  The  fourth  was  an  old  Uncle 
John  Owens,  who  settled  on  a  farm  near  that 
made  by  Xewton  Coffey,  the  pioneer.  He  was 
father-in-law  of  the  late  Samuel  Bartlett,  of 
[rving.  In  the  war  of  1812  might  be  enu- 
merated several  who  came  and  settled  in  this 
county  after  our  second  war  with  England: 
William  McDavid,  John  Harrison.  Sr.,  Thomas 
Allison,  .lames  Mann.  William  Allen.  Elijah 
Davis  and  doubtless  others  whose  names  we 
have  failed  to  secure.  In  the  war  of  1832  in 
Levi  D.  Boone's  company,  Second  Regiment 
Whiteside's  Brigade  I  find  this  list:  Levi  D. 
Boone,  captain;  James  G.  Hinman,  first  lieu- 
tenant: and  Absalom  Cress,  second  lieutenant; 
sergeants,  C.  G.  Blockberger,  M.  H.  Walker. 
Israel  Fogleman  and  William  McDavid;  cor- 
porals, John  Prater,  A.  T.  Williams,  Cleveland 
S.  Coffey  and  Xewton  Street;  privates,  James 
Brown,  Samuel  L.  Briggs.  Harrison  Brown. 
Colbart  Blaire,  IT.  C.  Bennett.  Peter  Cress,  G. 
W.  Canins,  John  Crabbtree,  George  E.  Duff. 
Michael  Fannin.  William  Griffith,  James  Grish- 
am,  Johnson  Hampton,  James  Hawkins.  Benja- 
min Holbrook,  Joshua  Hunt,  Samuel  Ishmael. 
William  Jordan.  Artishua  If.  Knapp,  Ephriam 
Killpatrick,  Stephen  Killingworth,  George  E. 
Ludewiek.  Roberl  A.  Long.  John  K.  McWil- 
hanis.  Thomas  J.  Mansfield,  William  Mayfield, 
Barnabus  Michael,  Samuel  Peacock,  Eli  Robb, 
James  M.  Rutledge,  William  Roberts,  William 
D.  Shurley,  Daniel  Steele.  Curtis  Scrubener, 
Thomas  Jefferson  Todd,  McKinzie  Turner 
James  I',.  Williams,  Easton  Whitton,  Benjamin 
R.  Williams  and  James  Young.  These  men 
were  mustered  out  of  the  service  at  the  mouth 
of  Fox  river  on  the  Illinois  river  May  28,  1832, 
two  hundred  and  ten  miles  distant  from  the 
place  of  enrollment.      Hiram  Rountree's  com- 


pany. Second  Regiment,  Third  Brigade,  organ- 
ized Ma\  31,  1832,  and  mustered  out  id'  the 
.service  August  Hi.  1832.  Hiram  Rountree, 
captain;  John  Kjrkpatrick,  first  lieutenant; 
Thomas  Phillips,  second  lieutenant ;  sergeants 
Andrew  K.  Gray,  John  Stone.  Samuel  Jackson, 
David  B.  Star;  corporals,  Spartan  Grisham, 
Malalri  Smith,  Thomas  McAdams,  Thomas  Ed- 
wards; privates,  Clement  Aydlott,  John  Brown. 
John  Briggs,  Joseph  Burke,  James  M.  Berry. 
Levi  W.  Booher,  Cleveland  Coffey,  David  Cope- 
land,  John  Corlew,  James  Cardwell,  John  Dun- 
can, Thomas  Earley,  Thomas  Evans,  Almond 
Forehand,  William  Griffith,  Thomas  Cray, 
Alexander  R.  Cray,  John  Hart,  George  Tlar- 
key,  John  M.  Holmes,  William  Harkey,  Thomas 
W.  Heady,  Thomas  C.  Hughes,  John  Hannah, 
Alfred  Johnson,  William  Jones.  Jesse  Johnson. 
Thomas  Johnson.  James  Lockerman,  John  K. 
Long,  John  McCurey,  Malcolm  McPhail,  David 
T.  McCullough,  Horace  Mansfield.  Axrin  Mc- 
Culloch,  Robert  McCulloch,  John  M.  McWil- 
liams,  William  McDavid.  Samuel  Paisley, 
Thomas  Potter,  James  Toller.  Jacob  Rhodes. 
Willis  Rose.  Luke  S.  Steel.  Thomas  Sturde- 
vant.  Zjchedee  Shirley.  John  Slater,  William  M. 
Tenis,  James  Wilson.  David  M.  Williams,  Wil- 
liam S.  Williams,  Joseph  W.  Wilson,  Thomas 
Wood,  Thomas  Williford.  William  lTmng. 
These  two  companies  form  the  roll  of  those 
who  served  in  the  Black  Hawk  war.  Several 
of  these  have  died  within  the  last  few  years 
and  only  a  fortnight  ago  John  Corlew.  the 
only  survivor,  answered  the  last  roll  call  and 
has  gone  to  join  his  comrades  on  the  other  side. 
In  the  Mexican  war  Company  C  Third  Regi- 
men, was  commanded  by  Colonel  Ferris  For- 
mat! and  discharged  from  service  Ma\  21, 
1847;  James  C.  McAdams,  captain;  first  lieu- 
tenant, Thomas'Rose;  second  lieutenants.  John 
Burke  and  John  Corlew;  sergeants,  James  M. 
Williford.  Miles  Morris  and  Jesse  J.  McDavid; 
corporals,  William  Stephenson,  Benjamin 
Blockberger,  Charles  II.  Rutlidge;  lifers.  Jo- 
seph   Mapes,  James   F.   Withers] i :  privates, 

Claybom  Acres,  J.  P>.  Anderson.  William  R. 
Boyd,  John  Bodkin.  J.  Q.  Bennett,  Nelson  Ben- 
nett. Benson  Card.  Ransom  Corlew.  John 
Craig,  Lafayette  Cardwell.  Roberl  W.  Davis. 
William  A.   Edwards,  Mark  W.  Edwards,  John- 


762 


PAST    AND    PEESENT    OF    MONTGOMEEY    COUNTY 


son  A.  Frost,  John  Fuller,  Jackson  Finney, 
.lames  B.  Gamer,  David  Ural'.  Thomas  Gun- 
ter,  II.  IS.  Grubbs,  Stephen  Harmon,  Aehiles 
Harmon,  Wilburn  Isaacs.  B.  R.  Ishmal.  Wil- 
liam Kingston,  John  Kuntz,  Jacob  Lyerle,  John 

T.   I mis.  John    M.    Lingle,  Thomas   McWil- 

liams,  Joseph  McPhail,  .lames  McPhail,  Thom- 
as Mapes,  Joseph    Penter,  John  Pruitt,  Major 
Pruitt,  George  W.   Rose,  A.  B.  Star.  Wilej    B. 
Smith,  J.   M.   Scott,  John   Turrentine,   A.   B. 
Thomas.  William  II.  Varner,  Joseph  G.  Wright, 
Thomas  F.  Wright,  .lames  S.  Williams.  Jarrett 
Wright,  J.   C.   Wilson.  .lames  B.    McDavid,  J. 
M.  Quellman;  privates  discharged  on  sergeant's 
certificate:  Isaa'C  .1.  Bishop,  William  I'.  Collier. 
Martin  A.  Cress,  .loel   N.   Fogleman,  Edwin  E. 
Grubbs,  Samuel  P.  King,  Isaac  Lewey,  William 
B.  MeCaslin,  Thomas  A.  Norman,  Eli  Peacock, 
William    Seymour,  .lames   Walker;   those   who 
died  in  the  service:    Robert  Williamson,   Elija 
Isaacs.  William   IT.  Barnett,  Moses  Barringer, 
William  C.  Burke,  George   Bryant,  Levi  Card, 
John  J.  Coleman,  John  C.  Gastain,  Henry  Hill. 
William   S.   Halford,    Ezra    P.    Knight,  E.   G. 
Lazenby,  Charles  W.  Lynch,  Alex.  W.  Pierson, 
Franklin  Boner  and  John  A.  Williams.     Those 
who  died   in  the  service  were  located  at   Mata- 
moris  ami   Camargo   ami   T   find   thai   but  one. 
Levi  Card,  died  of  wounds.  These  he  receivedin 
the  battle  of  Corgordo,  but  his  death  took  [dace 
at    Galapa.      I   had    intended    to   give   a    list   of 
those  who  entered  the  service  of  the  late  Civil 
war  from  this  county,  hnt  T  find  that  it  is  hardly- 
necessary  at  this  time  as  it  requires  hut    little 
effort  to  liml  in  the  adjutant  general's  report  of 
Illinois  a  complete  roster  of  all   the   names  of 
those  who  entered  the  service  from  this  county 
ami   1   would  advise  those  who  desire  in  interest 
themselves  in   looking  over  thai  honored  list  to 
secure  the  report   which  1   have  mentioned  and 
there  you  will   liml  a  complete  record  of  their 
services,  the  time  spent   in  hospitals,  those  who 
died  (iii  the  battle-field  or  those  who  died  from 
tin'  effects  of  wounds  received   in  battle,  those 
who    succumbed    to    disease    and    also    whether 
the\   were  deserters  ot  whether  they  received  an 
honorable  discharge.     I   feel  that    1  have  given 
all  that  is  required  at  this  time  concerning  our 
war  historv. 


BANKS  <)F  MONTGOMEEY  COUNTY. 

Banks  are  essential  to  the  business  interests 
of  a  community  and   Montgomery  county  is  no 
exception  to  the  riih'.      Early  in  the  history  of 
Eillsboro  Robert  W.  Davis  organized  a  private 
banking  concern  with  hut  small  capital.     This 
institution    later   received  an   addition  ami  was 
known  as  the  Ilaskill.  Davis  &  Company  Bank 
of  Hillshoro.     In  1862  a  branch  was  extended 
to  the  city  of  Litchfield.    This  banking  venture 
seems  to  have  been  profitable  during  it-  earlier 
vears.     About  five  years  thereafter  the  Litch- 
field branch  became  known  as  the  Haskill.  Sey- 
mour &  Company  Bank.  Mr.  Seymour  having 
purchased  the  interest  of  Mr.  Davis.     Mr.  Har- 
ris  became    identified   with    the   Hillshoro   end 
of   the  concern   and   that   hank   was   afterward 
known  as  the  Haskill-Harri<  &  Company  Bank 
of  Hillshoro.  ilr.  Harris  having  purchased  the 
interests  of  Mr.   Davis.      About  the  year   1869 
Mr.  Ilaskill  removed  to  Alton  ami  Judge  Brew- 
er of  Hillshoro  hecame  identified  with  the  Litch- 
field  hank  and  the   linn    name  was  changed  to 
Brewer.   Seymour  &    Company     with     S.     M. 
Grubbs  as  cashier.     For  a  period  of  several  years 
this   hank   continued    under   this   management. 
Later,  however,  Mr.   Seymour   retired  and  Mr. 
Grubbs  hecame  the  associate  of  Mr.  Brewer  and 
the  firm  name  was  changed  I"  Brewer  &  Grubbs 
Bank,  city  of  Litchfield.     This  institution  has 
been   one  of  the  soundest  hanking  concerns  in 
this   section   of  the  state.      Later   it  has   been 
changed    into  a   national   hank.   S.   M.   Grubbs, 
president,   Eli  Miller,  cashier.     At  the  present 
time    the   deposits   of    this    institution   are    the 
largest   of  any   banking  house   in  our  county. 
The    Hillshoro   hank,   known    as   the   Farmers- 
Mechanics  Bank,  failed  in   L878  and  three  vears 
later  it  was  followed  by  the  failure  of  the  Has- 
kill-Harris  Bank,  which  had  been  considered  a 
very    solvent     institution,    though    the    failure 
of  two  banking  concerns  in  so  short  a  time  in 
the  city  of  Eillsboro  did  not   destroy  the   faith 
of  the   business   men    in    that    town  in  hanking 
concerns  if  properly  conducted.    The  failure  of 
the    Farmers    Mechanics    Bank    was    indeed    a 
great    misfortune   as    it    cast    a   shadow    over  the 
reputation  of  its  promoter,  the  late  A.  H.  H. 
Rountree,    only    son    of    Judge    Ebuntree,    the 
pioneer.     Many  theories  have  been  advanced  as 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


763 


to  lli<'  cause  of  this  failure,  but   nothing  satis- 
factory seems  to  have  been    uncovered.     That 
tbr   country    had   just    passed    through    a    most 
severe  panic  and  that  possibly  the  depreciation 
in  the  value  of  securities  held  by  the  bank  re- 
sulted  in  losses  that  finally  compelled  the  sus.- 
pension  as  late  as  L878.    Those  who  knew  Aaron 
Rountree  have  never  been   Full)'  able  to  bring 
themselves  to  that  point   where  they  could   be- 
lieve him  guilty  of  deliberate  peculation.     Mr. 
Rountree  died  shortly  afterward  and  it  is  the 
opinion  of  his  very  warm  friends  that  his  death 
was  directly   the   result    of  the  bank's   failure. 
That  he  could  not  return  to  those  who  in  con- 
fidence  had    trusted    their    moneys   to    him    so 
crushed  his   spirit   that    lie   sunk    beneath    the 
weight  id'  this  reverse,  paying  the  extreme  pen- 
alty of  his  misfortune,  his  life  was  made  the 
forfeit  and  what  more  can  a  man  give  than  this? 
The   failure   of   the   Haskill-Harris   Bank    was 
traceable  to  the  effort  which  tin1  hank  made  to 
finance  certain  enterprises  in  the  city  of   llills- 
boro.     These  enterprises  proved  non-productive 
and  shrinkage  in  value  in  an  extent  that  meant 
to  the  bank  almost  complete  less  of  its  advances, 
forced   a   suspension   in    1881.     In  the  city  of 
Litchfield  as  early  as  1860  John  W.  Haggart 
opened  a   private  bank  in  Beardsley's  jewelry 
store.    Ha  vine-  hut  little  capital,  he  soon  closed 
his    accounts     and     abandoned    the    business. 
Nathan   Kenyon   under   a    special    charter   or- 
ganized the  Litchfield  Bank  and  witli   a  paid 
up  capital   of   twenty  thousand  dollars  opened 
for  business  in   1870.     Half  the  stock  of  this 
institution  was  held   in   Brockfort,   New  York. 
and  half  by  citizens  of  Litchfield.     This  insti- 
tution  did    not   prove   a    financial   success   and 
Konvon  sold  his  stock  to  Litchfield  parties  and 
retired.     The  stockholders  reorganied  the  busi- 
ness under   the  firm   name  of  Beech,    Davis  & 
Company,  of  which  D.  Davis  became  manager 
and    D.   Van    Deusen   was  made  cashier.     Tor 
many  years   this  banking  institution  has  been 
one   of   the   strongest    of  the  county.      It   was 
changed  to  the  M.  M.  Martin  &  Company  Bank, 
under  which  name  it  flourished  until  1902,  when 
it  was  reorganized.     The  moving  spirits  in  the 
organization  of  the   new  banking  concern  was 
0.   B.   Munday   and   D.    0.    Settlemeyer.     The 
Martin  interests  were  purchased  by  a  company 


consisting  of  several  wealthy  citizen-  of  Litch- 
field ami  a  certain  trust  company  of  St.  Louis, 
Missouri.  It  is  a  state  hank  and  is  organized 
with  a  capital  slock  of  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars.      1  •.   (i.    Settlemeyer    is   president    ami 

Charles  E.  Morgan  cashier.     This  is  •  of  the 

strongest  statebanking  institutions  in  this  sec- 
tion of  Illinois,  having  at  present  total  assets 
exceeding  four  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The 
Eillsboro  National  Hank  was  organized  some 
fifteen  years  ago  with  Charles  A.  Ramsey,  presi- 
dent, ami  Luther  Beck  as  cashier.  Since  its 
organization  its  history  has  1 n  one  of  con- 
tinued prosperity.  It  has  a  capital  stock  of  six- 
ty  thousand  dollars  and  besides  paying  large 
dividends  on  its  stock  it  has  accumulated  a 
surplus  of  forty  thousand  dollars.  Stock  in  this 
concern  has  recently  sold  at.  two  hundred  per 
cent  par  value.  Some  three  years  ago  Mr.  Beck 
resigned  his  position  as  cashier  to  take  charge 
of  a  banking  house  in  Kansas,  and  Edward 
Miller  was  promoted  from  assistant  cashier  to 
tin1  position  vacated  by  Mr.  Beck.  In  this  im- 
portant and  responsible  place  Mr.  Miller  has 
proven  his  fitness  and  at  present  is  regarded  as 
one  of  the  hest  posted  and  most  thoroughly  in- 
formed in  matters  of  banking  of  our  many  ef- 
ficient  cashiers.  C.  A.  Ramsey  is  well  known 
throughout  banking  circles  in  this  section  of  the 
state  and  his  opinion  is  sought  by  banking  in- 
terests in  the  adoption  of  new  and  untried 
theories  relative  to  the  business  of  hanking.  All 
i  lie  concerns  at  present   engaged   in   business  in 

Monti: TV    county    are    considered    absolutely 

safe  and  but  little  sympathy  is  felt  for  him 
who  loses  sums  of  money  by  trying  to  bide  it 
away  in  secrei  place  about,  his  home  instead  of 
placing  it  in  a  bank. 

The  Glen  Brothers  organized  under  a  state 
charter  soon  after  the  failure  of  the  Haskill- 
Harris  Bank,  the  Montgomery  County  Loan  & 
Trust  Company  Bank  of  Hillsboro.  Asso- 
ciated with  the  Messrs.  Glen  were  some  of  the 
financially  strong  men  of  that  city.  This  bank 
at  once  inspired  confidence  among  the  business 
interests  of  the  country  and  it  was  not  long  un- 
til the  farmers  and  stock  men  began  to  patron- 
ize this  institution.  James  Glen  was  for  many 
years  president  of  the  bank  and  .Tames  Black- 
burn   was   ils   cashier.      Succeeding   Mr.   Black- 


76  I 


PAST    AND    PKESENT    uF    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


burn  came  Eli  .Miller  and  following  him  James 
B.  Barringer  assumed  the  duties  of  thai  very 
important  position.  Under  the  wise  manage- 
ment that  has  governed  this  banking  house,  it 

has  been  signally  successful.     It  has  paid  hand- 

so] lividends  to  its  stockholders  and  at  the 

same  time  it  lias  strengthened  its  credit  and  in- 
creased the  value  of  its  stock  by  the  accumula- 
tion of  a  good  surplus.  Joel  K.  McDavid  suc- 
ceeded James  Glen  as  president  of  this  hank 
some  few  years  ago  and  the  interests  of  the  con- 
cern have  not  lost  by  the  change.  We  regret 
that  wo  have  not  been  furnished  with  a  state- 
ment giving  the  actual  condition  of  this  hank. 
bid  we  are  in  position  to  give  this  assurance 
that  it  is  among  the  safest  hanking  houses  in 
central  Illinois. 

The  private  hank  of  John  Ball  was  or- 
ganized under  the  name  of  the  Farmersville 
Bank  several  years  ago  and  being  the  only  hank- 
ing institution  at  that  time  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  county,  it  received  a  wide  patronage.  The 
sterling  integrity  of  John  Ball  gave  the  hank 
immediate  standing  among  financial  concerns 
throughout  the  country.  It  is  one  of  the  strong- 
est private  banks  in  this  section  of  the  state 
and  the  deposits  are  among  the  largest  of  any 
bank  in  our  county.  Another  hanking  institu- 
tion is  located  at  Waggoner  and  while  we  are 
not  personally  acquainted  with  the  management, 
we  have  the  assurance  from  parties  living  in 
that  vicinity  that  the  hank  is  a  safe  and  con- 
servative concern  Inning  good  patronage  among 
the  farmers  and  husincss  men  of  that  section. 
The  private  hank  located  at  Irving  enjoys  a 
very  g I  patronage  and  its  stockholders  re- 
ceive dividends  that  satisfy  the  most  exacting. 
Milton  Berry  is  the  very  gentlemanly  cashier  of 
this  bank  and  Dr.  R.  V.  Parkhill  is  its  presi- 
dent. We  are  not  in  position  to  give  the  amount 
of  stock  nor  the  deposits  which  tins  bank  car- 
ries. Bliss  &  Allen  organized  the  Fillmore 
Bank  about  fifteen  years  ago  and  from  its  in- 
ception it  has  been  well  patronized.  L.  ( '. 
Allen  is  the  president  and  Frank  Herron  is 
cashier  of  this  institution.  This  bank,  being 
located  at  considerable  distance  from  Eillsboro 
anil  Nokomis,  has  become  a  place  id'  deposit  for 
a  wide  territory,  and  the  reputation  of  Mr.  Al- 
len  as  a   safe  and    conservative  husincss    man 


established  confidence  in  this  lank  immediately 
after   its  establishment.     Thit    bank   carries  a 

very    large   deposit    and     it     is   a g    the    best 

paying  hanking  houses  in  the  county.  In  1900 
C.  F.  Edwards  established  the  Bank  of  Coffeen 
at  that  place  ami  at  ahoui  the  same  time  A. 
Studebaker  and  George  W.  Buffer  put  in  the 
American  Exchange  Bank  in  the  same  town. 
While  there  has  been  a  division  of  the  hanking 
husincss,  yet  both  of  these  institutions  have 
paid  the  promoter.-  large  dividends  on  the  -lock 
held  l.\  them.  The  Bank  of  Coffeen  has  at  the 
present  time  a  very  fair  deposit  ami  is  regarded 
as  a  sound  institution.  Since  last  January  Wil- 
liam T.  Edwards  has  been  president  and  ('.  F. 
Edwards  cashier  of  this  hank.  Arrangements 
are  being  perfected  to  convert  the  Bank  of  Cof- 
feen into  a  national  bank,  beginning  operation 
January  1.  too.").  Mr.  A.  Studebaker,  proprie- 
tor of  the  American  Exchange  Bank,  conducts 
a.  loan  and  exchange  husincss  and  his  careful, 
prudent  methods  have  secured  for  him  a  very 
nice  husincss.  In  Bin-.1  ('.  ( '.  Mansfield  estab- 
lished a  private  hank  in  the  village  of  Don- 
nellson  and  at  once  it  became  a  paying  institu- 
tion through  the  patronage  of  the  husincss  men 
and  farmers  in  that  community.  Thus  it  will 
lie  seen  that  the  private  banking  concerns  of 
Montgomery  county,  although  numerous,  are 
all  doing  a  thriving  husincss.  We  account  for 
this  through  the  fact  that  for  the  past  several 
years  the  business  interests  of  our  county  have 
been  very  prosperous  and  from  an  agricultural 
point  of  view  no  county  in  the  state  has  fared 
better.  The  diversified  character  of  the  farm- 
ing interests  of  Montgomery  county  gives  to  it 
a  continuous  and  generous  income  throughout 
i he  year,  which  was  not  the  case  during  the 
wheat  age  of  the  county.  About  eighteen  or 
twi'iii\  years  ago  John  Green  established  a 
private  hank  in  the  village  of  Raymond  ami  a 
few  years  thereafter  he  sold  his  business  to  B. 
F.  Culp,  who  so  managed  the  affair  as  to  secure 
a  \or\  strong  line  of  deposits  and  a  wide  patron- 
age. Mr.  Culp,  however,  sold  out  his  private 
banking  concern  to  a  party  of  gentlemen  in 
1902,  who  established  the  Raymond  National 
Bank  with  William  11.  Cass  as  president  and 
James  I-"..  McDavid  as  cashier.  This  banking 
house    is   another   of   the    strong   banking  con- 


PAST    AND    PKESENT    ()!•'    MONTGOMEKY    COUNTY 


;ii."> 


cerns  of  our  county.  Approximating  the  de- 
posits of  the  several  banks  of  Montgomery  coun- 
ty, we  should  place  them  on  a  reasonable  esti- 
mate ;it  one  million  five  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  and  my  personal  experience  within  the 
Last  few  months  enables  me  to  state  that  loans 
can  be  secured  on  good  collateral  at  from  one 
to  one  and  one-half  per  cent  lower  rates  of  in- 
terest than  can  be  secured  on  the  same  class  of 
collateral  in  counties  lying  wholly  within  the 
com  licit,  and  where  the  land  is  selling  at  from 
a  hundred  ami  twenty-five  dollars  to  a  hundred 
ami  seventy-five  dollars  per  acre.  But  few 
banks  in  the  county  pay  interest  on  time  de- 
posits  and  the  practice  is  not  looked  upon  by  the 
more  conservative  element  as  being  in  harmony 
with  the  best  banking  rules.  However,  we 
would  state  that  some  of  the  strongest  hanks  in 
this  section  pay  a  small  rate  of  interest  to  time 
depositors.  A.  J.  Williford,  cashier  of  the 
Nokomis  National  Panic,  has  at  our  request  fur- 
nished us  with  an  article  discussing  the  several 
phases  of  national  banking.  In  connection  with 
hi-  article  he  presents  a  statement  of  the  No- 
komis National  Bank. 


NATIONAL  BANKS. 

B1     A.    J.    WILLIFORD. 


The  national  hank  act  was  horn  of  the  sore 
need  nf  the  government  in  time  of  war,  and  like 
many  another  matter  that  is  the  fruit  of  neces- 
sity, has  thoroughly  proved  its  usefulness. 
When,  after  nearly  two  years  of  hitter  warfare 
between  the  armies  of  the  north  and  south,  the 
necessity  for  a  large  increase  in  the  fighting 
forces  in  the  north,  with  all  that  that  implies, 
was  made  apparent;  when  the  unwelcome  fact 
of  the  unpreparedness  of  the  Federal  govern- 
ment fur  war  was  plainly  manifest;  when  the 
credit  of  the  nation  was  so  impaired  that  it 
could  no  longer  find  a  market  for  its  bonds; 
when  f\-i-ry  expedient  known  under  such  con- 
ditions had  been  resorted  to  and  failed  to  meet 
the  requirements;  when  the  officers  of  govern- 
ment were  brought  at  last  face  t,.  face  with  the 
appalling  fact  that  money,  lots  of  monev,  must 


he  had.  then  the  great  war  secretary.  Chase, 
who  had  seen  tins  situation  coming,  placed  he- 
fore  congress  a  plan  which  he  bad  devised  for 
the  chartering,  not  of  a  national  hank,  hut  of 
a  system  of  national  hanks  by  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment, each  hank  to  he  purely  a  local  affair 
and  entirely  independent  in  itself,  subject  only 
to  the  regulation  and  supervision  of  the  na- 
tional government.  His  plan  embodied  the  two 
essentia]  needs  of  government — that  each  hank 
should  l>e  compelled  to  buj  government  bonds  to 
the  amount  of  twenty-five  per  cent  of  their 
capital,  ami  might  issue  circulating  notes  up  to 
ninety  per  cent  of  the  value  of  the  bonds. 

Capitalists  were  slow,  at  first,  to  take  advan- 
tage of  this  law.  hut  gradually  it  found  favor 
and  the  government  at  Washington  emitted  a 
sigh  of  relief.  The  national  hanks  organized 
could,  and  did.  provide  a  market  for  govern- 
ment bonds,  not  only  for  circulation  purposes, 
hut  for  investment  also.  Although  there  have 
icon  many  amendments,  the  law  is  to-day  sub- 
stantially the  same  as  originally  conceived.  <  hie 
of  the  latest  amendments  authorizes  the  or- 
ganization of  hanks  with  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars  capital,  fifty  thousand  dollars  having 
been  the  minimum  heretofore. 

One  provision  worthy  of  note  is  that  out  of 
the  net  profits  of  each  hank  ten  per  cent  of  such 
profits  must  be  placed  in  a  surplus  fund  until 
the  surplus  amounts  to  twenty  per  cent  of  the 
capital  stock.  This  is  for  the  purpose  of  meet- 
ing any  losses  that  may  occur  from  loans  or  in- 
vestments that  prove  to  he  partly  or  wholly  un- 
collectible, without  impairing  the  capital  of  the 
hank. 

There  are  restrictions  that  tend  to  make  the 
national  hanking  system  one  of  the  best  in  the 
world.  National  hanks  are  forbidden  to  lend 
more  than  ten  per  cent  of  their  capital  to  ;m\ 
one  person  or  Brm.  They  can  not  fie  up  their 
funds  in  real  estate  loans,  which  are  usually  for 
long  time.  They  are  subject  to  examination 
without  notice  by  an  official  examiner  appointed 
by  tin'  comptroller  of  the  currency  as  often  as 
comptroller  may  require  it.  not  ]<>s<  than  once 
each  year.  For  some  years  past  this  has  been 
done  twice  annually.     They  must  publish  -worn 

reports  of  tl xact   condition  of  the  hank  at 

least   five  times  annuallv.  when  called  for  hv  the 


0(> 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OV    MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 


comptroller,  such  publication  being  in  a  news- 
paper published  in  the  county  in  which  the  bank 
is  located.  They  must  at  all  times  have  at  least 
fifteen  per  cent  of  the  amount  of  their  deposits 
in  cash,  either  in  their  own  vault  or  in  the 
vaults  of  reserve  agents  (other  national  banks 
in  reserve  cities),  approved  by  the  comptroller. 
As  a  matter  of  fad  must  national  banks  keep 
thirty,  forty,  sometimes  fifty  per  ceni  on  hand 
and  with  reserve  agents. 

Each  national  bank  must  redeem  the  circu- 
lating note-  of  any  other  national  bank  as  well 
as  its  own.  and  the  treasurer  of  the  United 
States  must  redeem  them  all.  For  this  pur- 
pose each  national  bank  must  keep  on  deposit 
with  the  treasurer  an  amount  equal  to  five  per 
cenl  "f  its  circulating  notes. 

All  the  expenses  of  the  bureau  having  charge 
of  national  banks — the  comptroller  of  the  cur- 
rency— as  W<?H  as  the  salaries  of  the  examiners, 
express  charges  on  currency,  etc.,  are  paid  by 
the  hanks,  in  part  by  a  tax  on  their  circulation 
and  in  part  direct.  When  yon  add  to  all  this 
that  provision  of  the  law  that  each  stockholder 
in  a  national  hank  is  liable  to  depositors  not 
only  for  the  full  amount  of  the  stock  they  own. 
hut  an  e.ptal  amount  in  addition,  you  have  as 
much  safety  for  those  doing  business  with  them 
as  seems  possible  to  have,  or  as  is  required. 

It  may  interest  the  general  reader  to  see 
the  manner  in  which  National  hanks  are  re- 
quired  to  publish  reports  of  their  condition  that 
th«'  public  may  know  from  time  to  time  just 
how  their  affairs  stand,  so  I  have  included  an 
exact  copy  of  the  official  report  of  the  Nokomis 
National  Bank,  of  Nokomis.  Qinois,  made  to 
the  comptroller  of  the  currency  by  his  order. 
showing  the  condition  of  this  hank  at  the  close 
of  business  September  6,  1904. 

BANK    REPORT. 

Report  of  the  condition  of  the  Nokomis  Na- 
tional Bank,  at  Nokomis,  in  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois, at  the  close  of  business,  Sept.  6th,  1004: 

RESOUI'.i   I  3. 

Loans  and  discounts  $300,295.01 

Overdrafts,  secured  and  unsecured.  4,012.71 
U.  S.  Bonds  to  secure  circulation.  .  100,000.00 
Premiums  on  U.  S.  bonds 2,000.00 


Bonds,  securities,  etc 43,400.00 

Banking   house,   furniture   and   fix- 
tures      7,500.00 

Due  from  National  Banks  (not  re- 
serve agents) 3,662.01 

Due  from  State  Banks  and  Bankers  320.61 

Due  from  approved  reserve  agents.  137,662.20 

Checks  and  ofher  cash  items 261.59 

Notes  of  other  National  Banks 1.000.00 

Fractional    paper   currency,   nickels 

and   cts    392.92 

Lawful  Money  Reserve  in  Hank.  Viz.: 

Specie    $  9,345.05 

Legal   tender  notes.    14,860.00  21.205.05 

Redemption  fund  with  U.  S.  Treas- 
urer (5  per  cent  of  circulation)        5.000.00 


Total    $020,612.10 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in $100,000.00 

Surplus  fund   30,000.00 

Undivided  profits,  less  expenses  and 

taxes  paid   3.613.53 

National  Bank  notes  outstanding.  .    100,000.00 
Individual  deposits  subject  to  check  163,438. <i2 

Demand  certificates  of  deposit 109,859.95 

Time  certificates  of  deposit 132.700.00 

Total    $629,612.10 

State  oe   Illinois.  ) 

ss. 
County   of   Montgomery,     ) 

I.  A.  .1.  Williford,  Cashier  of  the  above 
named  bank,  do  solemnly  swear  that  the  above 
statement  is  true  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge 
and  belief.  A.  .T.  Williford,  Cashier. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me  this  8th 
day   of   September,   1004. 

D.  II. /i  it.  \\P. 

Correct — Attest  : 

1,1  o.    SlPPEL, 

(ito.  Taylor. 
N.   Si  \oi  :;. 

Directors. 

It  requires  but  slight  knowledge  of  book- 
keeping to  analyze  these  reports  thus  enabling 
the   interested   public,  not  only  to  perceive  the 


PAST    AND    PRESENT    OF    MONTGOMERY    COUNT! 


.  6 . 


condition  of  the  bank  at  that  time,  but,  if 
noted  regularly,  to  follow  its  progress,  whether 
improving  or  declining  in  usefulness. 

Perhaps  the  most  beneficial  effects  brought 
aboui  by  the  national  bank  acl  which  was  fell 
I  >  \  the  public  was  the  elimination  of  the  ten 
thousand  differani  varieties  of  the  old  state 
bank  notes,  whose  value  was  problematical  from 
day  to  day.  and  which,  to  enable  the  holders  to 
know  their  value,  required  the  help  of  the 
■  l.i  i  I \  publication  of  the  "Bank  Note  Reporter" 
without  which  no  hank  could  do  business  safely. 
and  even  with  which  they  were  always  in  grave 
doubt  as  to  what  the  next  day  would  bring 
forth.  By  placing  a  tax  on  these  state  bank 
noie-  much  heavier  than  that  imposed  on  the 
national  currency  the  state  notes  were  grad- 
ually retired  until  those  hanks  which  were  sol- 
vent had  redeemed  all  their  issue,  while  those 
which   were   insolvent    went    into  bankruptcy. 

A  careful  study  of  the  law  creating  and  con- 
trolling national  hanks,  and  a  just  comprehen- 
sion of  the  beneficial  results  of  this  act  viewed 
in  the  light  of  the  history  of  their  accomplish- 
ments in  the  last  forty-two  years,  will  enable 
an]  one  to  appreciate  the  far  sighted  wisdom 
of  Salmon  I'.  Chase,  the  congress  which  passed 
the  lav.  and  President  Lincoln  who  signed  the 
bill    February   25,    L862. 

The  Eillsboro  National  Bank  began  its  cor- 
porate existence  September  15  and  opened  its 
doors  for  business  ISTovember  6,  1882,  with  a 
capital  stock  of  fifty  thousand  dollars  and  the 
following  list  of  stockholders,  namely:  Wil- 
liam Brewer,  William  II.  Brewer,  Edward  Lane, 
Samuel  R.  Thomas,  John  .7.  McLean.  Charles 
A.  Ramsey,  George  M.  Raymond,  Thomas  C. 
Kirkland,  Thomas  E.  Harris.  Eenry  Pried- 
meyer,  (diaries  II.  Messimore,  George  W. 
Brown  Jr..  Charles  0.  Brown.  William  Watson 
and  Moses  Berry.  Of  these  fifteen  original 
stockholders  only  five  now  have  any  holdings 
in  the  hank,  six  having  died  and  four  having 
disposed  of  their  stock.  William  H.  Brewer.  E. 
Lane,  George  M.  Raymond.  George  W.  Brown 
Jr..  Thomas  E.  Harris  and  Charles  A.  Ram- 
sey constituted  the  first  board  of  directors. 
Charles  A.  Ramsey  was  chosen  president  :  Wil- 
liam   II.    Brewer,    vice-president,    and    (Jeorge 


M.  Raymond,  cashier.  Judge  Lane  and  Mr. 
Ramsey  alone  remain  of  the  original  board  of 
directors,  and  Mr.  Ramsey  has  the  sole  distinc- 
tion of  serving  continually  the  same  position 
from  the  organization  until  this  date.  Judge 
Lane  having  resigned  during  his  term  of  service 
in  congress. 

in  the  twenty-two  years  since  its  organization 
the  Eillsboro  National  Bank  has  hail  three 
cashiers.  George  M.  Raymond,  from  September 
lo.  L882,  to  his  death  in  July.  1884  ;  Luther 
M.  Beck,  from  October  1.  1884,  to  June  15. 
1902,  when  he  resigned  to  go  to  another  field, 
ami  E.  J.  Miller,  who  hail  previously  acted  as 
bookkeeper  and  assistant  cashier,  from  June  15, 
1902,  to  the  present  time.  In  1894  the  capital 
stock  was  increased  to  $60,000  and  ten  more 
stockholders  added,  six  of  whom  still  have  their 
names  on  the  stock  hooks.  In  1S93  the  build- 
ing now  accupied  by  them  was  erected.  The 
board  of  directors  as  at  present  constituted 
are:  Judge  E.  Lane.  Judge  George  R.  Cooper, 
W.  M.  Abbot,  George  N.  Allen,  E.  M.  Stubble- 
field,  C.  W.  Bliss  and  C.  A.  Ramsey. 

As  evidence  of  the  conservative  ami  careful 
policy  pursued  by  its  officers  it  may  be  stated 
that  iii  the  twenty-two  years  of  its  corporate 
existence  this  institution  has  found  it  neees- 
-ar\  to  charge  oil'  as  had  debts  only  $236  or  less 
than  eleven  dollar-  per  annum.  It  may  be  of 
interest  to  the  public,  as  showing  the  growth 
of  this  bank  as  well  as  indicating  the  material 
prosperity  of  the  surrounding  country,  to  pre- 
sent side  by  side  a  summary  of  the  first  state- 
ment of  condition  made  by  the  Eillsboro  Na- 
tional Bank  upon  call  of  the  comptroller  of 
the  currency  December  30,  1*82,  and  the  last 
one  made  September  6,  1904: 

Resources.  Dec.30,  L882.   Sept.6,  1904. 

Leans  and  discounts.  .$16,788.70  $246,406.12 
LT.   S.  bonds  to  secure 

circulation   25,000.00         60,000.00 

Other  -locks  and  bonds  20,465.27 
Premiums  paid  mi    IT. 

S.  bonds    468.75 

Real    i  stale,    furniture 

and    fixture-    4,557.61  11,025.00 

Expenses    641.37  756.24 


768                        PAST    A\l»    PRESENT    OF  MONTGOMERY    COUNTY 

( lash  "ii  hand  and  with  Surplus  and  undivided 

other  banks  49,333.80         87,966.31         profits    41S.!>!»  44,465.06 

National   bank   notes 

$96,760.23     $426,612.94         outstanding   22,500.00  60,000.00 

Deposits    28,198.24  262,147.88 

Liabilities.  . 


Capital  stock  paid  in.   $45,643.00     $60,000.00  $96,760.-.'::     $426,612.94 


INDEX 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


Adams.     \V.     W 318 

Allen,    i  ■>  orge    N 5S 

Allen,     N.     I! 329 

Allen,   R.    B   '66 

Ulen,   Dr.  William  A 014 

Anderson,    John    W 15 

Attebery,     David    P 488 

Attebery,    William    J 344 

Attebery,    William    M 344 

Atterbury,    J.    H S3 

Anil,    William     54 

Baker,    J.    M SOS 

Bandy,    J.    P m 

Banes,    A.    N 452 

Barnard,    Robert    P or,  7 

Barringer,     R.     M 11" 

Barry,    Amos   S 519 

Barry.    A.    Sumner    356 

Bartling,    C.    F 71 

Bartling,    Henry    W '.II 

Bass,    Guilford    521 

Bateman,    George    W 178 

Ileal.     John      K Ill 

Bechtel,    Harvey     596 

Beck.    Airs.     Mary     E G2I3 

Bennett.    Dr.    R.    F !72 

Berry,  M.   E 154 

II,  i  i  \ ,     Muses    470 

Bivens,     William     R 464 

Bixler,   Josiah    365 

Black.    W.    A 330 

Blackburn,    Jabez    I  12 

Blackburn,    J.    R 322 

Blackburn.    W.    H.    II 203 

Blackwelder,    William    R 34 

Bliss.   C.  W 8 

Bone,    Janus    S 528 

II,  >st.    C.    A 231 

Bost,    Daniel    299 

Bost,    J.    J 339 

Bost,    Y.    A .",04 

Bot(      W.    F 620 

Boyd,    William    A 608 

Bremer,    J.    II 220 

Briggs,    Pleasant    476 

Brown,    Charles   L .",47 

Brown,     Daniel     F 395 

Brown,    F.    II 541 

Brow  ii,    I  leorge    \V.,   Jr 123 

Brov,  n.     lames    P 140 

Bryce,    Robert    196 

Bumann,    Theodore    213 

Burns.     II,  witt     C I. a 

Buscher,    M.    J mo 

Butler.     A.    G 649 

(  aldwell,    Dr.    tl.    W 131 

Canaday,    E.    F 73 

Canaday,  Stephen  I) 502 

Carey,     J.    J 68 

Carroll.    Rev.    P.    F 500 

Carter.     W.     D 112 

Casselberry,    W.    II 275 

Cave,    Singleton   D 176 

Chacey,    E.    C 601 

Challacombe,   J.    R 9S 


Chamberlin,    John    W 64 

Chamberlin,     I..    M 620 

Chapman,    J.    R 

Christie,     William     534 

i  line,    I..    W 640 

Clotfelter,    J-    M 541 

Clotfelt".    James    W 260 

i  olby,    Hi-   'i    i' 333 

Collins.    G.    W 643 

Cook,    Dr.    William    II oo 

t  looper,    '  it  orge    R 24 

Corlew,    J.    M 390 

Counton,    W  illiam    137 

i  rabtree,    J.    C 22  1 

Cratty,     Samuel     1 28 

Crawford,   J.    E 383 

i  ress,    Alex    A 138 

t  ..  ss,     I  'aim  I     Jr 482 

i  i.  ss.    Eli    in; 

Cress,    Henry    217 

Cress,    II.    A ">27 

Cress,    W.    S ' 52 

Crickenberger,    J.    II 121 

Cun, lin,    Hiram    C IBS 

Curry,    W.    L 147 

Davis,     David    650 

Doerr,    A.    T .'".1 

Donaldson.     E.    II 560 

Doyle,    Lemuel     477 

Doyle,    L.    Thomas SO 

Driskell,    J.    W 

Driskell,    Marshall     210 

Durdy.     Alex     C 437 

Edwards,    C.     I'' 36 

I    Kinds.    T      II 600 

Eldred,    S.    W 84 

Ellington,    A.    1 509 

Elliot,    Columbus    Ill 

Elwell,    J.    M 77 

Ins,.,.     Zachariah 339 

Entrekin.    Dr.     F.     M INI 

Fath,    John    129 

Fellner,    George    C 429 

Fesser,    George    W 609 

Fisher.     Albert     284 

I  it   i   t  ri.  II.    Cyrus    "'12 

Fooks,  Georgi  1 52 

Frame,  W.  A 108 

Frey,    Jacob    J 510 

In.  I.e.    William    151 

Friedmeyer,    Henry    188 

Funk,    Otto    397 

'  lains,    17    E 288 

Gamlin,    William    To 

Gates,    J.    J 12" 

Gees,     Anton     ( 398 

I,,  i  Lull,     S.     E 1112 

(  lillnian.     Charles     152 

i. Ii.. ii.    John    F 303 

Goby,    A.    W 171 

lin,    W.    C 662 

Gragg,    William     19 

Grantham,    .1.    Robert 403 

Grassel,    John    C 489 


Gray,     W.     A 501 

Greene,    J.    F.    M 490 

Gr.eenw I.    August    600 

Greenv, 1,     William     509 

Griffin,    Jesse    S 35 

t  irimes,    Edward    132 

Grimes,    Walter    M 170 

Grubbs,    S.    M 7 

Grubbs,    W.    S 658 

Ilaaki.    i  Ml 349 

Ilaake,     Solomon     212 

Hackney,    Ji  iseph    466 

Hall,    Hugh     414 

Mailer.    Jacob    ism 

Ilallcr,    Jacob    E 445 

Hampton,  J.   A 40 

Harris,     E 435 

Hawkins,    II.    C 031 

Ilaynes.    Dr.    Baxter    200 

llaynes,     Henry     522 

Herman.    Dr.    I'.    J ">  I 

Hess,    E.    B 553 

Hill.     C.     II 565 

Hill,     T.     J 573 

Hill,    L.    V 59 

Hill.     Edward     636 

Hitchings,    II.    II 287 

Holmes,    M.     D 019 

Hood,    Harold     151 

Hood,    lir.    II.    II 569 

Hope.    J.     C 586 

Howell.    A.     M 169 

Hoyt,    Hi.    J.    M 385 

Huffer,    George    W 21 7 

Husband,    R.    T 101 

Flussey,    L.    A 585 

Jenkins,    Charles    W 30' 

Johnson,    Dr.    C.    W 238 

Jones,    F.    M 013 

Jones,    Joel     127 

Kastien,    11.    1' 65£ 

Kendall,   J.    D 97 

Kennedy.     R.     W 107 

Kessinger,    S.    W 640 

Killpatrick,   J.    S 385 

Kimball.     Dr.    Z.     V lis 

Kinu.    S.    A 177 

Kintz,    Urban    E 352 

Kirkland,    T.    C 20 

Kirkpatrick.     J.     W 241 

lam.     Edward     12 

Lane,    T.    1 92 

Laws,    Charles   L 378 

Lewey,    Albert    R 418 

I.ewey.     ('.     A 321 

I  .   vey,    C,    C :!'■ 

Lewey,    I  lliver    276 

Lewey,  William  A 14" 

I. melc.    R.    Forest    255 

I  ipi .    C,     F 568 

Lipe.     Kpluaim     D 572 

Lipe,    J.    J 31S 

Lockhart,    l".    Charles.   H 437 

Loucks,   John    II 614 


;o 


PAST    AND 


ESENT    OF    MONTGOMEEY    COUNTS 


ytc(  .ilium,    John     '"  ' 

VtcDavid,    Joel    K 5<" 

McEwen,    A;    F '"' 

McKinney,    C.    B 23* 

McLean.     William     H " 

McMurray,    M.    J 

McPheron,     R.     A =12 

McPherson,     Lewis    639 

McWilliams,    Robert    602 

Mack.    Calvin    H ;" 

Mast,    Charles    "1 

Masterson,    Rev.    Thomas    1*» 

Meriwether,    S.    A _'■" 

Mey,    Louis   H 58S 

Miller.     Amos     ,,,:? 

Miller,    John    H 386 

Milner,     Isaac     A 4S 

Milner,    W.    A 51 

Mitchell,    Joseph     ''"' 

Mondhink,    Fred    i;l4 

Moody.     J.     S 1™ 

Morgan,    Charles    F. '■>!l 

Morse,    Ferdinand    :;s4 

Moyer,    Dr.    M.    T 1r'4 

Neece.    William     °14 

Neisler,    D.    W 33 

'     Nelch,    B.    F 128 

Neuhaus,     Henry     ~09 

Newsome,    William    E -)S1 

ft,    Frank    W 60S 

Nobbe,    Charles  H 3n 

Nobbe,    Henry    308 

O'Bannon.    S.    E V2 

Oiler,    Amos    "'■' 

Oiler.    David   S 5S0 

oiler.    P.    C ;' 

Oiler,    George    F. Go4 

Osborn,    James   R 3^6 

I  isborn     h  --''    W 4o1 

Osborn,    Joshua     209 

Paden,   Albert   M 35° 

Paden,    R.    C ■ r>02 

Paisley,   G.   W n39 

Partlow,    George    A 361 

Paul,    Lee    M fi7 

Phillips.    Jesse    J 10° 

Poland.    C.    H 204 

Pope,    Daniel     163 

Polts.    R.    J 4ul 

Potts.    W.    B 35° 

Pray,    E.    N 457 

Price.    J.    T 124 

Ou.otley,    Wililam    T 222 


Rachow,  Fred    A :;nl 

Rainey.  George    W 

Rainey,  William    F 4^'4 

Ramsi  i.  Charles   A 78 

Rhine.     R.     A '~'~'1 

Rhodes,    W.     M 34° 

,r        \  199 

Rice.     L.     A 

Rice,    ,udge    E.    Y '■"•' 

Rue.     R.     J 436 

Richards,    E.    C '  '  ' 

Richmond,    G.    A 233 

Ripley.    James    H S1T 

Ritchie,    John    W '■' '  4 

Rives.    Zeno     \ 

Roberts,    J.     II '' 

Robertson,    M.    1 '  ' 

Robinson.   S.   T ]  "  ' 

Rohlfing,     Ben     i;:" 

Romine,    W.    Scott    4^'; 

Russell,    John     2o6 

Sammons,     Abner     4I'4 

Sawyer,    F.    M rj ' 

Scheffel,    Frank    J 417 

Scherer,    David    V [\'[ 

Schluckebier,    W.   F 

Scluaut.     Leopold     I'1,1 

Sedentop.     Louis     :;ml 

Seward.     George    T 11T 

Seymour.    W.    L 

Shindler,    John    T 259 

Shoemaker,    John    M n 

Shoemaker,     Samuel     ; ' '  | 

Shoemaker,     William     36S 

Short,    Dr.    II.    S "I 

Short.    John    C 

Sims.     George     

Sims.    William     63 

Smith,    W.    C ''" 

Sorrell,   Mrs.    Mary  E T-'; 

Sperry,    II.    B *81 

Spinner,    Frank     

Spinner,     George     "  ;  ' 

Spinner,     Joseph      ''  ,:: 

Spinner.      Louis      661 

St.     Francis    Hospital     "65 

Stauder,    Philip    175 

Stevens.      Riley      23 

Strange,    Dr.    Algy    F 4S~ 

Strange,    A.    T 248 

Stuttle,    Harry    C ■ 

Thomas.    L.    H 520 

Thorp,    W.    T 4™ 

Thumb,     Marvin      291 

Tiffin,    C.     H 397 


Toberman,     Isaiah     157 

Coberman,  M.  I'         ls- 

Toberman,    W.     II S9S 

Tolle,    Charles    A 61° 

iraylor,    Joel    C 438 

Truitt,    Dr.   E.    B 

Turner,    John    B :;'"» 

Updike.    P.    B 28 

Van    1  ter.sen.    Dclos    160 

\'andever,  A.    K - ' s 

Van    Hooser,    William    *S 

\  awl er,    William    887 

\,  nicker,     James     87 

Waggoner,    Horace    G L9S 

Waggoner,     II.    Q la9 

Waggoner,  J.   M 

Ware.      Arthur      425 

Ware,     David,    Jr «4 

Ware.     David     S 1<>4 

Ware.    Henry    409 

Ware.   J.    II 535 

Ware,     Lyman     43° 

Warnsing,   II.  II Ii0 

Washburn,    S.    E 622 

Weaver,    A.    F I1-8 

\\  ,  hi  r,     I  uke    C 188 

Welge.      Louis      138 

Weller,     Daniel      371 

Westcott,    T.    K 299 

White.    W.    A 159 

Whitmore,     Joseph     5S3 

Whitten,    F.    W «S 

\\  hut.  ii.    Dr.    T.    J 16 

Wiegand,     Conrad     5*8 

Wiley,    Lewis   A 3S9 

Wiley,    W.    H 539 

\\  ilson,    Dr.   G.    S      550 

Wilson,    John    G 502 

Wilson.    William    H 593 

Wilton.      Harry      "-'"' 

Wilton,    R.    1 281 

Witherspoon,    Charles   H -113 

Wolters,     Louis     334 

W,  .Iters.     Robert     39G 

Wood,    Lerov    F 453 

Wood,    P.    C 123 

Wood,   T.    H 22s 

Wright,    Emery     3~4 

Vcskc.    W.    J 37S 

Young,    F.    H 533 

Young,  William   A 44 

Zuber.    C.    D 6S1 


County 


[ntroduction     

Illinois     

Story  of   Early  Settlers  of  Montgomery 

Hillsboro      Township     and     City 

North    and     South     I  iti  hfii  Id     I  ownshipi 

Litchfield     

Rountree   Township    

Audubon   Township    

Nokomis  City  and  Township    

Witt  Township  and  Villages  of  Witt  and  Paisle) 
Grisham  Township  and  Village  ol    Donnellson. .. 

Walshville    Township    

Fillmore    Village    and    Township 


HISTORICAL 

By   JACOB  L.  TRAYLOR 

East  Fork  Township  and  Village  ol  Coffeen 

Harvel    Township  and   Village  of   Harvel    .... 

Township  of   Bois  d'Arc  and    Village  of  Farmersvtlle. 

Pitman 


669 
671 
682 
694 


1     City     of 


lot 
1  12 
1  1-1 

:  15 

7  7 
719 

721 
753 


731 

741 

:  12 

Township    and    Village    of    Waggoner    ~_*^ 

Zancsville    Township    -" 

Raymond    Township    and    Village    of    Raymond 

Irving    Township    and    Village    of    Irving 

Butler  .Gr.oe    Township   and   Village    of    Butler 

Press   of  Montgomery   County    

War   History  of   Montgomery    County 

Banks    of    Montgomery    County     ^^ 

National    Banks    


747 

;  ." 
;  ■! 
757 

,.„l 

762 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS  URBANA 

977  382T69P  C001 

PAST  AND  PRESENT  OF  MONTGOMERY  COUNTY.  I 


3  0112  025398113